Bioinformatics Workshop ICBS 2025: Exploring Metagenome Analysis and Phage Mining with an Expert from the University of Copenhagen

Yogyakarta, October 16, 2025 — The series of Pre-Conference Workshops of the 9th International Conference on Biological Sciences (ICBS) 2025 continued with the Bioinformatics Workshop under the theme “Metagenome Analysis and Phage Mining.”

The workshop took place at the Teaching Laboratory, 2nd floor of the Sinar Mas Building, Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), from 08.00 to 15.30 WIB. The event was opened by Lucia Arum Sekar as the master of ceremonies, followed by the main session delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bent Petersen from the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, University of Copenhagen.

In his presentation, Dr. Bent Petersen introduced various bioinformatics approaches used to interpret metagenomic data, including the identification of phages (bacteria-infecting viruses) and their applications in health, environmental studies, and biotechnology.
A key highlight of the session was the introduction to KBase (the Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase) a collaborative online platform for efficiently analyzing and integrating genomic data.
Through live demonstrations, participants learned how to process sequencing data, perform gene annotation, and explore functional relationships among microorganisms using the latest bioinformatics tools and databases.

“The ability to understand and interpret genomic data is fundamental in modern biological research. This workshop helps prepare young Indonesian researchers to contribute at the global level,” said Dr. Bent Petersen.

The workshop was attended by participants from diverse academic and research backgrounds who showed great enthusiasm in learning about metagenome analysis and phage mining as innovative approaches to understanding microbial ecology. Through a combination of theoretical and practical sessions, this activity not only strengthened participants’ competencies in bioinformatics but also fostered interdisciplinary and international research collaboration.

In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this workshop contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing academic capacity and digital literacy in bioinformatics; SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) through the application of data analysis technologies and collaborative platforms such as KBase; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening cooperation between the Faculty of Biology UGM and the University of Copenhagen. Moreover, the utilization of metagenomic insights in environmental research also supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), promoting the balance and sustainability of microbial biodiversity.

Through this event, the Faculty of Biology UGM reaffirms its commitment to advancing bioinformatics research and expanding international academic collaboration to foster sustainable scientific innovation.