Galaxy Metagenome Training Course 2026
Outcomes of the 2026 Metagenome Training Course
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Wrap-Up of the Galaxy Metagenome Training Course 2026
Educators: Paul Zierep (RBC), Daniel Wibberg (CAU), Nils Kleinbölting, Tom Tubbesing (BiGi) Course page: Galaxy Metagenome Training Course 2026
This year’s Galaxy Metagenome Training Course 2026, organized by de.NBI, welcomed the largest number of participants for de.NBI online training apart from the Galaxy Training Academy. Across two days, attendees explored both the theoretical (by Daniel) and practical sides of metagenomics using the Galaxy platform (by Paul). With additional support from Nils and Tom to learn about the Metagenomics Toolkit and how to submit metagenome data public repositories.
Day 1: Introduction to Metagenomics and Galaxy
The first day focused on general metagenomics theory and an introduction to the Galaxy environment. Participants learned how to navigate Galaxy efficiently, laying the foundation for hands-on data analysis.
Day 2: Amplicon Analysis
On the second day, the workshop shifted to amplicon sequencing analysis. Using real datasets and guided tutorials (see DADA2 16S tutorial), attendees processed and analyzed microbial community data step by step.
Introduction to Metagenomics Toolkit using https://clowm.bi.denbi.de/ and introduction to metagenomics data submission.
Participation and Feedback
- Total participants: 248 across both days
- Participants that engaged on both days 90 for more then 2 hours
- Topic engagement: Tag 1: 150 >2 hours, Tag 2: 110 >2 hours
Feedback was generally positive. Participants requested longer sessions for whole metagenome sequencing (WGS) and more hands-on Galaxy practice. We will definitely keep that in mind and include this incentive in the next workshop !
Next Steps
The course will be offered again early next year, expanded to three days to allow more in-depth WGS analysis. This event also served as a great warm-up for the upcoming Galaxy Academy 2026: GTA 2026. We hope that many of the participants will use this opportunity to deep dive into metagenomics with Galaxy!
German Biohackathon: Joint Galaxy and CloWM Project
During discussions among the educators, we recognized significant potential for synergy between Galaxy and CloWM, two cornerstones of the de.NBI infrastructure. We are now brainstorming a project proposal for the German Biohackathon to further develop these ideas.
If you are interested in joining this project, please reach out to zierep@informatik.uni-freiburg.de.