Code Ocean and Columbia University joined forces once again for the second part of the RADcamp workshop, attracting 29 scientists from various backgrounds, including undergraduates, graduates, and professionals.
This hybrid workshop brought together both in-person and remote attendees, creating a diverse and vibrant community of participants from across the United States, Canada, Scotland, Spain, Poland, Chile, and Brazil.
The theme of the RADcamp workshop was how to generate and analyze DNA libraries for Illumina sequencing. While the first workshop taught the use of wet lab tools and generated real datasets for each participant, this second workshop aimed to equip participants with the necessary skills to analyze Illumina NovaSeq sequencing data using Code Ocean.
Code Ocean offered some unique advantages for running this workshop that would not have been possible with GCP or on-prem resources. Code Ocean simplified and expedited deployment to the cloud. By creating a base image tailored specifically for the workshop in advance, participants could effortlessly access the software tools required for their analyses. Code Ocean’s ability to instantaneously share large datasets allowed for the distribution of data at the appropriate time during the workshop, and the ability to share code in viewable or editable modes further facilitated collaboration among participants, fostering an environment of knowledge exchange and mutual support. As a result, participants were able to learn coding basics to downstream bioinformatic analyses within just two days.
At the end of the workshop, participants had the opportunity to showcase their research goals and present the results of their analyses in Code Ocean, on their own samples. The professional growth exhibited by all who participated was inspiring. Participants who initially had limited knowledge of collecting and analyzing this type of data emerged with the confidence and expertise to handle such tasks with ease.
Sandra Hoffberg, Application Scientist at Code Ocean, expressed delight at the overwhelming response from all who participated. “The workshop was a huge hit! Everyone had something positive to say about their experience and the impact it had on their learning journey”.
RADcamp succeeded in empowering attendees from diverse backgrounds with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of DNA library generation and Illumina sequencing data analysis. With Code Ocean, participants were able to expedite their analyses and collaborate seamlessly. The workshop not only provided a valuable educational experience but also fostered a sense of community, enabling participants to connect with like-minded individuals for ongoing support and collaboration as they try these tools in their own labs.
