NorthernBUG 16

General

The organising committee for NorthernBUG16 is: Khaled Jum’ah, Mingkai Wang, Theo Stolz, and Krzysztof Poterlwicz, with the help of the University of Bradford bioinformatics MSc students. Emails should be directed to Khaled at k.jumah@bradford.ac.uk

The meeting will take place on the 24th of July 2026 in The University of Bradford Norcroft Centre. It is a straightforward ~15–20 minute walk uphill from Bradford Interchange (or about 25 minutes from Bradford Forster Square). If you prefer not to walk, you can catch the 612, 613, or 614 buses from the Interchange or city centre to the Great Horton Road stop, which takes about 10 minutes. There is limited visitor parking on campus (which usually requires pre-booking), or you can use the nearby public pay-and-display car parks on Shearbridge Road or Longside Lane.

What to expect

We are excited to bring NorthernBUG 16 to the University of Bradford for a day of community-driven bioinformatics. As always, our meeting is free to attend and open to anyone applying computational tools to the life sciences. Thanks to the generous support of ELIXIR-UK, lunch and refreshments will be provided to keep the ideas flowing throughout the day.

This year’s programme reflects the breadth and rapid evolution of the field. The morning session will highlight emerging trends, with particular attention to artificial intelligence and agentic systems in bioinformatics research – from AI‑augmented analysis pipelines and multi‑agent frameworks for genomic discovery to the practical use of large language models in daily workflows.

A core part of NorthernBUG is the emphasis on open, generous discussion over perfectly polished presentations. Whether you are validating a method for spatial transcriptomics, automating single‑cell RNA‑seq with AI assistance, managing research data in cloud environments, or troubleshooting a genome assembly, you will find an informal and supportive atmosphere. We want you to share insights, get constructive feedback, and connect with peers from across the North.

Registration

Please register using the following link: Register. Registration will close on July 17th at 5:00 PM.

After the meeting, we will gather at Wallers Brewery, located inside the historic Sunbridge Wells tunnels. It is a scenic ~12 minute walk from the university campus through the city center. This location is conveniently situated just 5 minutes from both Bradford Interchange and Bradford Forster Square stations, making it an easy final stop before your train home.

If you would prefer to take the bus from the university, you can catch any of the 612, 613, or 614 services from Great Horton Road, which will drop you at City Hall (Stop T1), just a 2-minute walk from the Sunbridge Wells entrance.

Our funders

We are primarily supported by ELIXIR UK. There will be a talk on that day, providing an opportunity to learn about ELIXIR UK during the event.

Travel scholarships

Thank you for the support of the UKRI Digital Research Skills Catalyst in providing travel scholarships for this meeting. To apply for the travel scholarship please complete the application form before Wednesday, 15 July. Any questions please contact research-digital-skills@york.ac.uk

Feedback

Please complete this feedback Microsoft Form at the end of the meeting - this will remain open for 7 days. All feedback is incredibly valuable for determining the direction of NorthernBUG, improving and keeping meetings relevant to members, and for sourcing future funding.

Location:

Norcroft Centre, University of Bradford, Richmond Rd, Bradford