A two-day workshop series bridging high-performance GPU infrastructure and the future of microbial genomics Join us for a specialised two-day series dedicated to bridging the gap between high-performance GPU infrastructure and the future of microbial genomics.
This workshop will introduce participants to cutting-edge tools and techniques, covering everything from metagenomic assembly to AI-driven bioinformatics.
Event Overview
This is a two-part event, with each day focusing on a distinct area of research. Participants are encouraged to attend both days to gain a comprehensive understanding of current computational methods.
Day 1: Birmingham — Speakers Confirmed!
We’re pleased to announce the confirmed speaker line-up for Day 1 of this new workshop series, bringing together leading voices in metagenomics, computational biology, and GPU-accelerated bioinformatics.
📅 Date: Thursday, 8 October 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00 –-15:00 (lunch included)
📍 Location: Birmingham Central Library, Centenary Square Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2ND
🎯 Focus: A technical deep-dive into metagenomic assembly, GPU-accelerated bioinformatics algorithms, and advanced computational methods for microbiome research.
Confirmed Speakers
- Keynote: Todd Treangen - Rice University
- Keynote: Páll Melsted - University of Iceland
- Nick Loman - University of Birmingham
- Lauren Cowley - University of Bath
- Lisa Marchioretto - Quadram Institute Bioscience / CLIMB
- Ben Busby - NVIDIA
More speakers and the full agenda will be announced as the programme is finalised.
About the Workshop
Microbiome research, metagenomics, and metaviromics are generating data at an unprecedented scale, yet many researchers remain unfamiliar with the GPU-accelerated computing tools that could transform their work, while significant GPU capacity across UK institutions remains underused.
This workshop will introduce microbiologists, computational biologists, and public health researchers to GPU-accelerated tools and emerging applications, including:
- Machine learning approaches for microbiome data
- Large language models (LLMs) applied to biological sequence data
- Vector search techniques for nucleotide sequences across bacteria, viruses, and fungi
- GPU-accelerated base calling and downstream applications
- CLIMB infrastructure, GPU resources, and hands-on Jupyter-based workflows
- Case studies from public health genomics
- Agentic programming and pipeline optimisation for bioinformatics tool development
Day 1 in Birmingham on 8th October offers a technical, academic-focused programme centred on metagenomics and machine learning. It’s the first half of a two-part series.
Day 2 takes place in London on Friday, 9 October 2026, with a complementary focus on clinical and diagnostic applications for NHS-linked and public health audiences. Participants are encouraged to attend both days where possible.
Who Should Apply?
- Microbiologists and microbial genomics researchers
- Computational biologists and bioinformaticians working with metagenomic/metaviromic data
- Public health professionals, including UKHSA and NHS-linked researchers
- Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers
- Core facility and research computing staff
- Industry representatives from life sciences, pharma, and biotech
Registration is limited to 120 participants, with a brief application question to ensure a technically appropriate audience. Demand is expected to be high, where you are not confirmed a place, a waitlist will be in place.
Organised by: CLIMB (Cloud Infrastructure for Microbial Bioinformatics), NVIDIA, and the Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Public Health Genomics.