Under Article X of the Biological Weapons Convention, States Parties “undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the use of bacteriological (biological) agents and toxins for peaceful purposes”. In line with the above, the BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU), in partnership with the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology (IMB) in Munich, Germany, is pleased to announce a "training course in Microbial Genomics and Bioforensics”.
This two-week in-person training, which will accommodate up to ten international experts, aims to share scientific knowledge and build expertise in microbial genomics and bioforensics, and will offer theoretical foundations, guided analytical exercises, and scenario-based training on biological reconnaissance.
The training is jointly funded by Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Objectives and Learning Outcomes
- Learn current methods and principles in microbial genomics and their specific application in bioforensics.
Discover hands-on most recent tools in bioinformatics for performing quality control on sequencing data, assembly and polishing of microbial genomes, annotation, typing and characterization of complete genomes
- Analyse and assess genomic sequence data from biothreat agents.
Participate in a hands-on internal quality assessment exercise where your newly gained skills will be put to test
- Exchange with experts in microbial genomics and bioforensics.
Target Audience
- Scientists from developing countries with a background in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, or related sciences
- Only applicants from countries listed in the DAC list of ODA recipients will be considered
Eligibility
- In-depth knowledge of molecular biology and genomics
- Strong interest in Linux and script languages, i.e. bash and Python. Prior coding experience would be beneficial.
- Knowledge of sequencing technologies and basic analyses such as assembly, mapping, alignments
- Basic knowledge of statistics
Only applicants from countries listed in the DAC list of ODA recipients will be considered.
Dates and Location
16-27 November 2026, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology (IMB) in Munich, Germany
Deadline for application
28 February 2026
Registration
Disarmament education
