TETRAHYMENA ANNOTATION WORKSHOP:

A limited number of openings are available to attend a 2.5 day Tetrahymena genome annotation
workshop that will be held at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, MD (outside Washington, DC)
July 7-9, 2014.  The principal intended audience will be faculty members interested in applying
web-accessible tools for structural and functional gene annotation within an integrated research
and education program.  Our goal is to enable faculty and students (primarily undergraduates) to
contribute, in a small or large way, to the ongoing improvement of the gene annotations available
through the Tetrahymena Genome Database.  Faculty should be committed to providing some such
opportunities on a regular continuing basis, either in classes (genetics, molecular biology,
bioinformatics, cell biology, etc.) and/or through independent research projects.  The workshop
will cover how to weigh various forms of evidence to make predictions of gene structure using the
WebApollo interface and how to make functional assignments (gene names, GO terms, etc.) using
information on protein domains and homology.  We will also introduce Gbrowse tools for
comparison of the macronuclear and micronuclear genomes and of the macronuclear genomes of
T. thermophila and related species.  Previous experience with genome annotation is not required.

Participants should plan on arriving on or before Sunday, July 6 and leaving July 9 in the evening,
or later.  All standard expenses will be covered by an award from the National Science Foundation
for each faculty member and, if possible, an accompanying student (rising senior or junior) who
may act as a Teaching Assistant for one or more of the faculty's classes and/or as a mentor to
students in the lab. Members of under-represented minorities or faculty at institutions that serve
such populations are especially encouraged to apply.

Please address all inquiries to one of the organizers, listed below.  If you wish to apply, please
send your name and contact information and a brief description of how meeting your research and
education goals will benefit from the workshop to Bob Coyne, by April 25th.

Regards,

Bob Coyne
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Nick Stover
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Emily Wiley
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