Exploring the Microbiome

2-part workshop:

May 17, 2-6pm

May 18, 2-6pm

Invisible to the naked eye, microscopic organisms inhabit nearly everything around us; from the cheese we snack on to the soil we walk on. But how do we discover who our friendly (or unfriendly) neighbors are? Experience cutting-edge research techniques to identify the microbial species (AKA the microbiome) living around us!

In this workshop, participants will learn about modern concepts and techniques in microbiome studies. Participants will receive hands-on experience in the experimental and computational techniques to identify bacterial species from environmental samples.

This workshop will include:

• Day 1: Perform microbial DNA sequencing using an Illumina MiniSeq from environmental samples
• Day 2: Computationally analyze microbiome sequencing data using QIIME

OPTIONAL: If you’re specifically curious about the microbes in tree pits on your street, your local park, your garden, etc, you are welcome to bring soil samples to Genspace by May 9th. Our team will try to include them in the workshop!

COVID-19 Class Cancellation Policy

If you are feeling unwell, suspect that you have been exposed to COVID-19 or test positive, please do not attend and let us know ASAP (info@genspace.org). If you cancel after our 7-day policy, we cannot refund your ticket, but we can exchange and offer credits toward future classes. If you have signed up for Biohacker Boot Camp, we will automatically transfer your registration to the next month’s dates unless you tell us otherwise.

Photo credit: Jacob Lund from Noun project

Meet the Instructor

Harris Wang (he/him) is an Associate Professor at Columbia University jointly appointed in the Department of Systems Biology and the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. Dr. Wang received his B.S. degrees in Mathematics and Physics from MIT and his Ph.D. in Biophysics from Harvard University. His research group develops enabling genomic technologies to engineer microbes into new therapeutics, biomaterials, and data recorders. Dr. Wang is an Investigator of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise, NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, NSF CAREER, Sloan Research Fellowship, and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Science. In early 2017, Dr. Wang received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Obama, which is “the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.” http://wanglab.c2b2.columbia.edu/

Twitter: @harriswangnyc