Gain an introduction to the technology, data analysis, tools, and resources used in RNA sequencing and transcriptomics. The content will provide a broad overview of the subject area, and introduce participants to basic analysis of transcriptomics data using the command line. It will also highlight key public data repositories and methodologies that can be used to start the biological interpretation of expression data. Topics will be delivered using a mixture of lectures, practical exercises, and open discussions. Computational work during the course will use small, example data-sets; and there will be no opportunity to analyse personal data.

Please note that this course covers different topics related to bulk RNA-Seq data analysis. Other related techniques such as single-cell and spatial transcriptomics will not be covered. Nonetheless, the overview lecture will describe the potentials and limitations of the most commonly used RNA-Sequencing analysis techniques and the context in which they are used. If you are seeking training on single-cell please consider applying to the2025 ‘Single-cell RNA-seq analysis with Python’ virtual course, which will run about the same dates.

 

Virtual course

Participants will learn via a mix of pre-recorded lectures, live presentations, and trainer Q&A sessions. Practical experience will be developed through group activities and trainer-led computational exercises. Live sessions will be delivered using Zoom with additional support and asynchronous communication via Slack.

Pre-recorded material may be provided before the course starts that participants will need to watch, read, or work through to gain the most out of the actual training event. In the week before the course, there will be a brief induction session. Computational practicals will run on EMBL-EBI's virtual training infrastructure, meaning participants will not require access to a powerful computer or install complex software on their own machines.

Participants will need to be available between the hours of 08:00 – 18:00 GMT each day of the course. Trainers will be available to assist, answer questions, and provide further explanations during these times.