Spatial gene expression at species agnostic level

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Session	Location
08:45 – 09:00	Registration	Flex Labs A & B
09:00 – 09:30	Welcome and house notes and course overview	Flex Labs A & B
09:30 – 10:30	Flashtalks by participants	Flex Labs A & B
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00	Lecture 1: Introduction to the Visium Spatial Gene Expression Workflow	Flex Labs A & B
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 15:30	Practical session 1: Sample fixation, staining and probe hybridization	Training Lab A & B
15:30 – 16:00	Coffee break
16:00 – 18:00	CryoStat demo session/ ALMF tour and imaging	DB unit / ALMF
18:00 – 19:00	Lecture 2: Imaging good practices	Flex Labs A & B
19:00 – 20:00	Dinner	EMBL Canteen

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Session	Location
09:00 – 09:05	Overview of the day	Training Lab B
09:05 – 10:05	Practical session 2: Post hybridzation wash and probe ligation	Training Lab B
10:05 – 11:05	Lecture 3: A DNA toolbox for spatial biology	Flex Labs A & B
11:05 – 12:05	Practical session 3: Post ligation wash	Training Lab B
12:05 – 13:05	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:05 – 17:05	Practical session 4: Cytassist session	Training Lab B
17:05 – 17:35	Practical session 5: Probe extension	Training Lab B
17:35 – 18:35	Lecture 4: Rubbish in equals rubbish out: the importance of sample quality	Flex Labs A & B
18:35 – 19:35	Dinner	EMBL Canteen

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Session	Location
09:00 – 09:05	Overview of the day	Training Lab B
09:05 – 10:35	Practical session 6: Probe elution and pre-amplification	Training Lab B
10:35 – 10:50	Coffee break
10:50 – 11:50	Practical session 7: SPRI beads clean-up	Training Lab B
11:50 – 12:50	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
12:50 – 13:50	Lecture 5: Studying the shark embryo to understand the cellular origin and evolution of the vertebrate brain	Flex Labs A & B
13:50 – 14:05	Coffee break
14:05 – 15:05	Practical session 8: qPCR – cycle number determination	Training Lab B
15:05 – 16:05	Lecture 6: to be confirmed	Flex Labs A & B
16:05	Free evening

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Session	Location
09:00 – 09:20	Lecture 7: qPCR results explained	Flex Labs A & B
09:20 – 10:00	Practical session 9: Index PCR	Training Lab B
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee break
10:30 – 11:45	Practical session 10: Final clean-up and QC	Training Lab B
11:45 – 12:30	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
12:30 – 13:30	Lecture 8: NGS – an end point or a new beginning?	Flex Labs A & B
13:30 – 13:50	Lecture 9: Bioanalyzer results explained	Flex Labs A & B
13:50 – 15:50	CryoStat demo session/ IC tour and imaging	DB/ ALMF/IC
15:50 – 16:05	Coffee break
16:05 – 17:30	Lecture 10 and demo: Loop Browser and Space ranger	Flex Labs A & B
17:30 – 18:00	Departure downtown
18:00 – 19:30	Free time downtown
19:30 – 22:00	Course dinner

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Session	Location
09:00 – 10:30	Practical session – data analysis	Computer Training Lab
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00	Practical session – data analysis	Computer Training Lab
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Lecture 11: to be confirmed	Flex Labs A & B
14:00 – 14:30	Course wrap-up	Flex Labs A & B
14:30	Departure

The course is limited to 16 participants. For selection purposes, please note that your application will not be considered without a letter of motivation.

Registration fees

Your registration for this course includes:

• Admission to the event
• Meals and coffee breaks
• Course materials
• Access to the e-learning platform
• A letter to support your visa application (for more information, check the ‘Travel and accommodation’ tab)

Accommodation and travel are not included in the fees — participants are expected to book and pay their own expenses.

Academia	€740
PhD Student	€740
Industry	€1250

Confirmation and payment

The registration fee should be paid only after acceptance to the course. The results will be announced approximately 3 weeks after the application deadline.

Cancellation policy

If you are no longer able to take part in the course, please inform your course contact responsible for this event. Your registration and the submitted motivation letter will be deleted.

Please also check our Terms and Conditions for the cancellation policy.

Submitting a motivation letter

After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your motivation letter. Click on the link provided and enter your motivation letter in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your motivation letter by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering.

Instructions

1. Include your relevant skills, experience and qualifications showing why you would be suitable for the course.
2. Explain why you would like to attend, including what you can contribute and how you think you will benefit from the course.

Please note:

• The limit of 2,000 characters refers to manually typed text and excludes spaces. If an error occurs try using a different web browser (preferably Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).
• If you copy-paste the text into the form, hidden formatting might still be included which may cause the text to exceed the 2,000 character limit resulting in an error message. We recommend you clear all formatting before pasting in the text.
• If you have special symbols in your text, make sure you are using Unicode characters, otherwise these will not be recognised.

For detailed instructions, please watch our video on how to submit a course motivation letter.

Further details

For further information about registration and motivation letter submission please refer to the FAQ page.

Financial assistance

Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of registration fee waivers, travel grants and childcare grants. 

Your place in the meeting is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.

Registration fee waiver

The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course.

Travel grant

The travel grant will cover the cost of travel (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:

– up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course within Europe.

– up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course from outside Europe.

The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.

Childcare grants

There is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants, speakers, trainers and organisers when attending a course. Eligible costs include (but are not limited to) fees for a babysitter or child-care facility and travel costs for a caregiver. Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers. There is a limited amount of funding available for the childcare grants and funds will be distributed amongst eligible applicants.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds travel grant

Applies to selected courses only. Availability will be indicated during the abstract or motivation letter submission process.

This grant covers costs related to your attendance to the course (registration, travel and accommodation costs). The grant is restricted to PhD students and postdocs who conduct basic biomedical research.
Whether you are eligible to apply for a travel grant, depends on when you received your university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, A-Levels, High School Diploma, Final State Examination):

– for PhD and MD students, as well as graduates, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 11 years ago at the time of the envisaged course
– for postdocs, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 13 years ago at the time of the envisaged course

Application

You can apply for financial assistance in the submission portal by the abstract deadline. Read the instructions on how to apply for financial assistance. Only submissions for financial assistance will be accepted. Presentation abstracts cannot be submitted here and will be declined. 

In your application you will be asked to summarise your current work,  answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance, and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.

*For some events, applications for Childcare Grants will still be done by email. Information about the grant will be sent out shortly after the abstract/motivation letter deadline. Please contact the event Conference Officer if you have any questions.

Selection

A selection process will take place with the results announced by email to all applicants / submitters. We aim to announce 3 weeks (21 days) after the abstract submission deadline but delays may occur.

Selection results do not impact your admission to the meeting. Selection for registration fee waivers and travel grants is based on scientific merit, your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support, and the impact this event will have on your career.

Childcare grants will be allocated in the same timeframe (6-8 weeks before the event start date). Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers.

Further details

Check out this list of external funding opportunities. 

For further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.

Visa

We can send you a registration confirmation to support your visa procedure (not an official invitation letter). Please contact the Conference Officer responsible for your event. For more information, please see here.

Travel

If you are travelling to Heidelberg via aeroplane, train, car, or long-distance bus, you can find useful information here.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in the registration fee.

A mix of single and twin rooms have been reserved for 5 nights from Sunday, 1 March to Friday, 6 March at the ISG hotel. Single rooms are limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

After the selection process, selected participants should contact the hotel directly to make a booking with a booking code (SPA26-01) by the deadline of Monday, 2 February 2026

We recommend that all course participants stay at the dedicated hotel for the course.

Local transportation

Course shuttle buses

Shuttle buses will go from the ISG Hotel to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings. A bus schedule and location of the bus stops will be made available prior to the meeting.

Other local transportation

In addition to the shuttle busses, there is also the public bus 28 that serves the EMBL campus and taxis can be easily booked at any time. For more information, see here.

You may also walk from the ISG Hotel to EMBL (takes up to 30 minutes)

Map to walk from ISG Hotel to EMBL

Further details

Address: EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

For more information about travel and accommodation, please refer to the FAQ page.

Here you will find useful information for when you are onsite at the event.

Catering

All meals and coffee breaks are included in the registration fee. Our catering staff will prepare a variety of vegetarian meals, meat and fish dishes, soups, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of desserts.

Please wear your badge at all times when serving yourself.

No food or drinks are allowed in the auditorium.

Internet

Wi-Fi is available on campus using the EMBL-Events network and the event specific password, which will be provided on site. The eduroam network (secure, worldwide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community) is also available.

Photography

During the conference, an EMBL Photographer may be taking photos. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the photographer or a member of the Course and Conference Office.

Charging stations

There are lockers available next to the stairs leading down into the Auditorium. You will find some of those equipped with sockets to charge your smartphone/tablet etc.

In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor and a plug that fits the German socket may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. American, Japanese, etc.). A USB charging station for electronic devices is available at the registration desk.

Printing

We can help to print your boarding pass/train ticket. Please send it to events@embl.de and collect your print-outs at the registration desk.

Luggage

There are lockers available on-site to store your luggage, which require a 2 EURO coin to operate. There is another luggage room on level E0, which is free to use but remains unlocked during the conference.

Lost and found

‘’Lost and Found’’ items are kept at the registration desk until the end of the conference.

EMBL merchandise

If you are interested in purchasing EMBL merchandise (products presented in the glass display in the registration area), please email the EMBL shop to place an order.

Kindly note the EMBL shop is only open upon request and all purchases must be made in cash (Euros only).

Nursing room

There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.

Room for prayers, meditation, and yoga

There is a room for prayer, yoga, and meditation, located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of others using the room.

EMBL campus map

Health and safety notes

Please take a moment to read our health and safety policy.

• Do not smoke in any EMBL building.
• Eating and drinking is prohibited in the Auditorium and all laboratories.
• Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.

If first aid is required

• The first aid room is located next to the ATC Registration Desk (room 10- 205).
• Dial the Emergency number 222 from any EMBL internal phone only.
• Be prepared to answer the following questions: Where is the accident? What happened? How many injured?
• Emergency number 06221-387 7821 from mobile phones.
• Please report all accidents to the conference officer at the registration desk.

In case of fire

• Press the nearest fire alarm button or the Emergency number 222 from any internal phone.
• A loud fire alarm will go off if an evacuation is required. On hearing the alarm leave the building immediately following the escape route and fire wardens and head to one of the meeting points
• Do not use the lifts.

Beyond first aid

The Heidelberg University Hospital or ‘Universitätsklinikum‘ has a 24 hour accident and emergency facility and is at ‘Im Neuenheimer Feld 672’. It is a 8km or a 20 minute taxi ride away from EMBL. In a medical emergency, the ambulance service generally transports patients to this hospital.

Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the conference. Note that the next pharmacy is a 4-minute drive from the EMBL, but for many medications you will be required to see a doctor to get a prescription.

Ensure in advance that your medical insurance will cover you during your visit in the event that you do need to see a doctor while in Heidelberg.

The EMBL course and conference office team are able to advise you on where to turn for emergency or non-emergency medical treatment in Heidelberg and can assist you in making appointments and / or arranging transport to get to the pharmacy or a doctor of your choice if necessary. Please note, we are not however permitted to personally accompany you off-campus.

Sightseeing

A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on the website of Heidelberg Marketing.

Event software

The EMBL eCampus learning platform will be used to collaborate, communicate and network with all of the course participants. All participants will receive information on how to join shortly before the course. We recommend using Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox browsers for eCampus. 

Zoom will be used for the live talks and Q&A sessions. More information will be provided closer to the start of the course.

Other information

While using the software during the course, please make sure you have nothing else using your bandwidth. We recommend using a wired connection.

Please find additional information including FAQs and terms and conditions on our Information for Participants page.