Teaching

The rapid advances in sequence analysis methods and computational power have significantly contributed to the explosive growth in phylogenetic studies worldwide. In the past three decades, there has been an astronomical increase in the availability of DNA sequence data in various public databases. Further, recent advances in sequencing techniques have led to the sequencing of complete genomes of numerous organisms. DNA sequence data are routinely generated in various genetic diversity and phylogenetic studies in labs across India. However, these data are often not analyzed appropriately due to a lack of training in molecular phylogenetics.

This rigorous, individualized, hands-on training course will allow participants to learn the basic principles of molecular phylogenetics and its applications in biology. The course consists of theory and computer lab classes. Course topics include: Distance, Parsimony, Likelihood and Bayesian approaches to tree building, historical biogeography, phylogeography, species delimitation, character evolution, species tree estimation, molecular clock and divergence dating, molecular markers, hypotheses testing in a phylogenetic framework. Hands-on training will be conducted in MEGA, MrBayes, RaXml, BEAST, Mesquite, S-DIVA, mPTP, bPTP and LAGRANGE/BioGeoBEARS.

Participants are encouraged to bring their sequence alignments for analysis. The course is aimed at taxonomists, biogeographers, zoologists, botanists, evolutionary biologists and biologists in general who are interested in phylogenetics.

Applications are invited from early to mid-career university and college teachers, professionals, postdoctoral fellows, and Ph.D. and M.Sc. students. Applicants, please send your CV and a half a page write-up on why you would like to take the course to molphyloworkshop@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Application for molecular phylogeny workshop 2023’. If you have already generated some molecular data, please mention it in the write-up with brief details regarding the project. The number of seats is strictly limited to 20; there is no course fee. However, the participants have to take care of their travel. Boarding and lodging will be available for the selected participants at LaCONES (subject to the availability of rooms in the guest house), the cost will be borne by the participant.

Application deadline: August 31, 2022 (selected candidates will be informed latest by September 10).