Gathering scientific minds, the Applied Bioinformatics in Life Sciences conference illuminated the intricate connections between bioinformatics and the life sciences, emphasizing the evolving landscape since its inception in 2016. Hosted at the forefront of scientific research by VIB, this event provided a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements, challenges, and promising avenues in understanding the role of bioinformatics in medical and agricultural sciences.
The program featured 18 internationally renowned speakers who shared their recent scientific findings in applied bioinformatics. Additionally, 6 abstract-selected speakers were given a platform to showcase the exciting work being done in this dynamic field.
Inspired by the success of previous editions, the 5th edition of this event highlighted the significant changes in the bioinformatics field. With the increasing importance of bioinformatics in today’s life sciences research, the conference aimed to address the high standards and needs for bioinformatics tools and software in analyzing and interpreting the vast amount of data generated.
We asked OC member Liesbet Peeters (BIOMED & Data Science Institute of UHasselt, BE) why this topic is so relevant now:
Liesbet Peeters: We, with the organizing committee, discussed key topics we really think are hot today. We could see that there are some megatrends that in principle are quite data agnostic, like the need for interoperability and the need for data quality assessments. But specifically, as Alex mentioned, the interdisciplinary connectivity across different bio-informaticians working together. We also want to have some of the new arising trends like the use of artificial intelligence and migrating towards personalized medicine. You can see that a little bit in the storyline across all the sessions.
Impressions of the ABLS24 Conference
Theodore Alexandrov (Speaker; EMBL, DE): I think it's a very exciting conference, and I think it's exciting because right now is the moment that bioinformatics is getting completely transformed. And it's very interesting to see that the conference uses the name 'bioinformatics'. When you look at talks, you hear more AI, ML, data science, etc… so you hear the keywords that indicate that bioinformatics be new in the next years. It's a very vibrant moment to see these transformations at this conference right now.
At the end of this news article, you can find the full interviews with Liesbet, Theodore, and many more.
Romi Vandoren (conference reporter; University of Antwerp): I was thrilled to attend this conference as it provided me with the opportunity to dive into the fascinating research that is being done at the intersection between life science and computer science. The impressive lineup of speakers resulted in 2 days filled with discovering new and improved approaches aimed at tackling real-world problems using the power of bioinformatics. Apart from the speakers, the conference itself also created an ideal environment for collaborating and exchanging knowledge. It brings together researchers from diverse backgrounds to discuss the opportunities and challenges we are all facing at the moment.
As a PhD student and bioinformatics enthusiast, I found the conference enormously inspiring and left with even more motivation to develop and apply innovative computational methods in my research. Furthermore, I also really liked the well-balanced distribution between thought-provoking talks and networking sessions. The large number of posters provided a great overview of the variety of bioinformatic research that is currently being executed.
Overall, the ABLS conference proved to be a center of knowledge and a great opportunity for connecting with your peers and I look forward to joining again next time.
Interviews with poster presenters
The ABLS24 conference featured 2 poster sessions where all the poster presenters had the chance to showcase their research. We interviewed a few of them, and you can find their short poster pitches here:
The value of attending a conference
Because of their extensive experience, we asked Barbara Engelhardt (Stanford University/Gladstone Institutes, US) and Alex Botzki (OC member; VIB Technologies, BE), why they think it’s essential for scientists to attend conferences:
Barbara Engelhardt: It's the place where you can meet everyone. It's where you get a chance to present your work, learn what papers are out there, and learn about each individual's work. For me, it's been great to establish collaborations since we now sort of have this remote working world, where we can Zoom with everyone in every time zone. So, being able to establish that, like I've just established collaborations with people in Germany and Sidney is easy and wonderful. It really expands the excitingness and the scope of the research we work on when we can collaborate with people from anywhere.
Alex Botzki: Use the opportunity [during conferences] to talk to different people than you usually talk to, because that's the big strength of such events.
The dynamic city of Leuven set the stage for the intellectually invigorating Applied Bioinformatics in Life Sciences conference, providing an ideal backdrop for networking and exchanging ideas among attendees.
As the conference concluded, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to advancing our comprehension of bioinformatics’ role in medical and agricultural sciences. Notably, Louis Coussement received the Poster Prize for his outstanding presentation. He showed research delving into the molecular control of pluripotency in human embryonic cells over two weeks, unveiling a synchronized transcriptional clock through innovative computational methods, shedding light on early development’s timing and molecular mechanisms.
Are you curious what other conferences we have planned for this year?
