Event Scientific training

Detection of DNA base modification using nanopore sequencing 2026

In this comprehensive two-day course, participants will learn how to use nanopore sequencing to detect DNA base modifications.

Start date: 13 May 2026
End date: 14 May 2026
Time: 09.30 - 16.30
Venue: Online (via Zoom)
Organiser: Conrad Nieduszynski
Enquiries:

training@earlham.ac.uk

 

Registration deadline: 10 April 2026
Cost: £150 academic / £250 industry

About the event

The course covers experimental design, including important considerations for generating ultra long Nanopore sequencing reads. Through a blend of lectures and hands-on sessions, attendees will gain the skills necessary to analyse base modification profiles in various contexts. 

We will also include an exploration of relevant research case studies and practice visualising and manipulating base modification data using genome browsers and other tools. 

What will I learn? 

  • Principles of base modification detection using Nanopore sequencing
  • Experimental considerations for generating ultra long Nanopore sequencing reads
  • Sequence alignment (minimap2) and data QC (pycoQC)
  • Hands-on experience with detection of base modifications e.g. BrdU, methylation (DNAscent, Dorado)
  • Visualisation and manipulation of base modification data (IGV, modBAM)
  • Comparison of single molecule base modification detection approaches  

Who is this training for?

Early career researchers who are in the planning stages of a research project looking at base modification detection.  

Course prerequisites 

You should have familiarity with the command line, and either be familiar with actions as in the Software Carpentry lesson on The Unix Shell; or work through these before the training course starts. 

Register today.

Registration deadline: 10 April 2026

Participation: First come, first served

Research

Tina Asgari

PhD Student
Image
Profile of Tina Asgari

Biography

Contact details:

tina.asgari@earlham.ac.uk

Tina Asgari

I am an NRPDTP PhD student at the Earlham Institute, working in the Haerty Group. My project, “The message in the noise: characterisation and quantification of noise in alternative splicing using long-read sequencing,” is funded by UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). 

My research focuses on understanding how variability in alternative splicing contributes to gene regulation and cellular complexity.

Before starting my PhD, I worked as a Bioinformatician at Sitryx Therapeutics, a company focused on regulating cell metabolism to develop disease-modifying therapeutics for chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. 

In this role, I analysed microarray and Illumina bulk RNA-seq datasets for autoimmune conditions, including Asthma and Atopic Dermatitis, and contributed to building an internal database to support research and discovery efforts.

Prior to this, I completed a highly competitive one-year industrial placement at MSD, where I gained hands-on experience in bioinformatics, neuroscience, and R&D. During my placement, I developed a comprehensive bioinformatics pipeline to support biomarker discovery efforts.

Research

Gurpinder Singh Sidhu

Postdoctoral Research Scientist
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Profile Placeholder Image

Biography

Personal pronouns: He/him

Contact details:

gurpinder.sidhu@earlham.ac.uk

 


 

I am working as part of the EU Horizon / Innovate UK funded project "Next Generation Tools for Genome-Centric Multimodal Data Integration in Personalised Medicine". 

My work focuses on developing machine learning applications to investigate the implications of genetic variation within noncoding functional elements in relation to cardiovascular disorders.

I did my PhD in computational biology at the John Innes Centre, where I worked on gene regulatory networks controlling flowering time in a polyploid plant, Brassica napus

My broad research interest is using mathematical and computational techniques to understand biological systems.

Research

Louis Perrin

PhD Student
Image
Profile of Louis Perrin

Biography

Personal pronouns: He/him

Contact details:

louis.perrin@earlham.ac.uk

Louis Perrin


 

I am a John Innes Foundation PhD student in the Guiziou Group, where I work on the engineering of soil bacteria (mainly Pseudomonas) capable of detecting and recording soil health using synthetic biology technologies.

My project aims to develop sentinel bacteria that can convert environmental signals into genetic memory, providing new tools to better understand and monitor soil dynamics.

Before starting my PhD, I obtained a Master’s degree in Plant Sciences from Université Paris-Saclay, during which I completed two research internships that allowed me to become familiar with the research environment and gain solid experience in molecular biology and plant-microbe interactions.

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Vacancy details:

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Vacancy details:

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