Welcome to VEME - Stellenbosch Museum, 37 Ryneveld St.
Tulio de Oliveira
17:00
to
19:00
VEME Cocktail Event
Monday 21 AUGUST
08:00
to
08:30
Registration.
8:30
to
9:30
Introduction to next generation sequencing.
R. Scheuermann
9:30
to
10:30
Introduction to computing
D. Park
10:30
to
11:00
Coffee break.
11:00
to
12:30
Nanopore sequencing: introduction and theory
S. James, M. Moir
12:30
to
14:00
Lunch.
14:00
to
15:00
Reference alignment and SNP calling: theory
C. Mavian
15:00
to
16:00
Intro to Terra and reference alignment and SNP calling
D. Park, C. Tomkins-Tinch
16:00
to
17:00
Coffee break + poster session.
Tuesday 22 AUGUST
8:30
to
9:30
Reference alignment and SNP calling using Terra
D. Park, C. Tomkins-Tinch
9:30
to
10:30
Reference alignment and SNP calling using CLI
T. Paisie, L.S. Whitmore, C. Mavian
10:30
to
11:00
Coffee break.
11:00
to
12:30
De novo assembly
H. Schmidt
12:30
to
13:30
Lunch.
13:30
to
14:30
De novo assembly practice using Terra
D. Park, C. Tomkins-Tinch
14:30
to
15:30
De novo assembly practice using CLI
T. Paisie, L.S. Whitmore, C. Mavian
15:30
to
16:00
Coffee break.
16:00
to
16:50
Free computer time.
T. Paisie, L.S. Whitmore, C. Mavian
Wednesday 23 AUGUST
8:30
to
9:30
Bulk Transcriptomics: theory
R. Scheuermann
9:30
to
10:30
Bulk Transcriptomics: practice 1
R. Scheuermann, Z. Wallace, J. Xavier, S. James, L.S. Whitmore
10:30
to
11:00
Coffee break.
11:00
to
12:30
Bulk Transcriptomics: practice 2
R. Scheuermann, Z. Wallace, J. Xavier, S. James, L.S. Whitmore
12:30
to
13:30
Lunch.
13:30
to
14:30
Single cell transcriptomics: theory
R. Scheuermann
14:30
to
15:30
Single cell transcriptomics: practice 1
R. Scheuermann, Z. Wallace, J. Xavier, S. James, L.S. Whitmore
15:30
to
16:00
Single cell transcriptomics: practice 2
R. Scheuermann, Z. Wallace, J. Xavier, S. James, L.S. Whitmore
16:00
to
17:00
Coffee break + poster session.
Keynotes: Jan Mouton Learning Centre, Stellenbosch University, De Beer Rd.
17:30
to
18:45
Keynote 1:
Edward Holmes
18:45
to
20:00
Keynote 2:
Marion Koopmans
Thursday 24 August
8:30
to
9:30
Metagenomics
H. Schmidt.
9:30
to
10:30
Metagenomics: Taxonomy Classification
C. Mavian, T. Paisie, D. Park, C. Tomkins-Tinch, L.S. Whitmore
10:30
to
11:00
Coffee break.
11:00
to
12:30
Genome Detective
K. Deforche, V. Fonseca, S. James
12:30
to
13:30
Lunch.
13:30
to
14:30
Nextflow
A. Sharma
14:30
to
15:30
Nextflow
A. Sharma
15:30
to
16:00
Coffee break.
16:00
to
17:30
Free computer time
A. Sharma, T. Paisie, L.S. Whitmore
18:30
to
20:30
Course teachers dinner
Important VEME Update
2025 Workshop Cancelled
2026–2027 Secured
Dear VEME applicants,
We regret to inform you that, due to a global decline in international funding, we will need to cancel VEME2025. Despite our best efforts to secure financial support for this exceptional workshop, we were unable to obtain the necessary commitments to host the event at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) this year.
While this is disappointing news, we are pleased to share that funding has been secured for VEME2026—and most likely for 2027 as well. The 2026 edition is expected to take place in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and the 2027 workshop in Dakar, Senegal. Both events will be supported through the CERI and IPD African Stars Fellowship Program, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. Unfortunately, these funds could not be applied to the 2025 event, as it was reliant on a different funding source.
We thank you for your patience and regret we cannot give you better news. We encourage you to apply again for next year’s VEME. Now more than ever, it is essential that our VEME training continues to prepare the next generation of scientists to respond to global health challenges.
