New & Noteworthy
Save the Date: 33rd International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology Heads to Porto in 2027
September 23, 2026
The yeast community’s flagship gathering is on the move again! The 33rd International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (ICYGMB) will take place July 19-22, 2027, at the Fundação António Cupertino de Miranda in beautiful Porto, Portugal.
Held every two years, ICYGMB brings together yeast researchers from around the world to share the latest advances across all yeast species. The scientific program will span the full breadth of the field, from the molecular foundations of yeast biology to cellular systems, applied research, and systems biology.
A rich, multi-track program
The preliminary program features plenary lectures, keynote sessions, poster sessions, a “Meet the Industry” panel, “Meet the Editors,” round tables on funding and careers, and 16 parallel workshops covering topics such as:
- Industrial Applications
- Life Cycle and Cell Fate
- From Transcription to Protein Function
- Cell Cycle and Chromosome Organization
- Membrane Trafficking, Organelle Biology and Autophagy
- New Tools in Yeast Research
- Non-conventional Yeasts, Dynamics and Metabolism
- DNA Replication, Recombination and Repair
- Chromatin and Epigenetics
- Systems Biology
- Ecological Systems
- Cell Signaling and Stress Responses
- Evolutionary Genomics
- Pathogenic Yeasts
- Protein Homeostasis, Aging and Disease Models
- Genetic Interactions and Functional Genomics
Confirmed speakers
The invited speaker lineup includes:
- Andrés Aguilera – Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
- Brenda Andrews – University of Toronto, Canada
- Naama Barkai – Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
- Jef Boeke – Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU, USA
- Benedetta Bolognesi – IBEC, Barcelona, Spain
- Maria Bohnert – University of Münster, Germany
- Marc Bühler – Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Duccio Cavalieri – University of Florence, Italy
- Terry Cooper – University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA
- Claudio de Virgilio – University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Daniela Delneri – University of Manchester, UK
- Joseph Heitman – Duke University Medical Center, USA
- Diethard Mattanovich – BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
- Simonetta Piatti – University of Montpellier, France
- Joseph Schacherer – University of Strasbourg, France
- Angela Taddei – Institut Curie, Paris, France
- Chuankai (Kai) Zhou – Buck Institute for Research on Aging, USA
The meeting is co-chaired by Vítor Costa and Paula Ludovico, with Vitor Teixeira, alongside a scientific committee drawn from institutions across Portugal, Europe, and the US.
Whether you work with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, non-conventional yeasts, or fungal pathogens, this is the place to present your work, forge new collaborations, and reconnect with colleagues. It’s all happening against the inspiring backdrop of Porto and its riverside charm.
Mark your calendars for July 19-22, 2027, and keep an eye on the official conference page for registration, abstract submission, and program updates: 👉 https://www.i3s.up.pt/ICYGMB2027
We hope to see you in Porto!
Categories: Conferences
Celebrating 30 Years Since the First Eukaryotic Genome
August 18, 2026
This year marks the 30th anniversary of a landmark achievement in biology: the publication of the complete Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome sequence in 1996 – the first eukaryotic genome ever sequenced.
Since before the genome was even complete, SGD has served as the authoritative resource for yeast genomics. Over three decades, we’ve evolved from a simple sequence repository to a comprehensive biological knowledge hub, providing expert curation and multi-dimensional annotations that support researchers worldwide.
A special meeting, Life with 6000 Genes, takes place August 31 – September 1, 2026 to commemorate this milestone and the remarkable era of discovery it enabled.
To mark this anniversary, SGD team members have authored a retrospective chronicling our 32-year history, from the founding vision through today’s collaborative database ecosystem. The article will appear in a special issue of FEMS Yeast Research.
Thank you to the yeast research community for three decades of collaboration, contributions, and discoveries!
Categories: Conferences, News and Views
Apply Now for the 2025 Yeast Genetics and Genomics Course
March 11, 2025
For over 50 years, the legendary Yeast Genetics & Genomics course has been taught each summer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, though the name didn’t include “Genomics” in the beginning. The list of people who have taken the course reads like a Who’s Who of yeast research, including Nobel laureates and many of today’s leading scientists.
The application deadline is April 15, so don’t miss your chance!
Find all the details and application form at the CSHL Meetings & Courses site. This year’s instructors – Grant Brown, Soni Lacefield, and Greg Lang – have designed a course (July 22 – August 12) that provides a comprehensive education in all things yeast, from classical genetics through up-to-the-minute genomics. Students will perform and interpret experiments, learning about things like:
- Transformation & Genome Engineering
- Microscopy
- Manipulating Yeast
- Dissecting Tetrads
- Isolating Mutants
- Working with Essential Genes
- Synthetic Genetic Arrays
- Fluctuation Assays
- Whole Genome Sequencing & Analysis
2025 Invited Speakers
Francisco Cubillos, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile
Ivan Dedek, Meier’s Creek Brewing Company, Cazenovia, NY
Ian Ehrenreich, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Catherine Freudenreich, Tufts University, Medford, CT
Jonathan Friedman, University of Texas Southwestern, TX
David Garcia, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Kerry Geiler-Samerotte, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Patrick Gibney, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Elena Kuzmin, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Jun-Yi Leu, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
Amy MacQueen, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Rob Nash, Saccharomyces Genome Database, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Ally O’Donnell, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Techniques have been summarized in the accompanying course manual, published by CSHL Press.
Who should attend? Scientists who aren’t part of large, well-known yeast labs are especially encouraged to apply – for example, professors and instructors who want to incorporate yeast into their undergraduate genetics classrooms; scientists who want to transition from mathematical, computational, or engineering disciplines into bench science; and researchers from small labs or institutions where it would otherwise be difficult to learn the fundamentals of yeast genetics and genomics.
What else goes on there? Besides its scientific content, the fun and camaraderie at the course is also legendary. In between all the hard work there are late-night chats at the bar and swimming at the beach. There’s a fierce competition between students at the various CSHL courses in the Plate Race, which is a relay in which teams have to carry stacks of 40 Petri dishes (used, of course). There’s also typically a sailboat trip, a microscopy contest, and a mysterious “Dr. Evil” lab!
The Yeast Genetics & Genomics Course is loads of fun – don’t miss out!
Categories: Conferences
Deadline extended to April 22 for the 2024 Yeast Genetics and Genomics Course
April 09, 2024
The application deadline for the 2024 Yeast Genetics and Genomics Course has been extended to April 22 – don’t miss your chance! Significant financial aid may be available for trainees applying, covering up to 50% of the cost of the course!
Find all the details and application form at the CSHL Meetings & Courses site.
For over 50 years, the legendary Yeast Genetics & Genomics course has been taught each summer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, though the name didn’t include “Genomics” in the beginning. The list of people who have taken the course reads like a Who’s Who of yeast research, including Nobel laureates and many of today’s leading scientists.
This year’s instructors – Grant Brown, Soni Lacefield, and Greg Lang – have designed a course (July 23 – August 13) that provides a comprehensive education in all things yeast, from classical genetics through up-to-the-minute genomics. Students will perform and interpret experiments, learning about things like:
- Transformation & Genome Engineering
- Microscopy
- Manipulating Yeast
- Dissecting Tetrads
- Isolating Mutants
- Working with Essential Genes
- Synthetic Genetic Arrays
- Fluctuation Assays
- Whole Genome Sequencing & Analysis
- QTLMapping
Techniques have been summarized in the accompanying course manual, published by CSHL Press.
Who should attend? Scientists who aren’t part of large, well-known yeast labs are especially encouraged to apply – for example, professors and instructors who want to incorporate yeast into their undergraduate genetics classrooms; scientists who want to transition from mathematical, computational, or engineering disciplines into bench science; and researchers from small labs or institutions where it would otherwise be difficult to learn the fundamentals of yeast genetics and genomics.
What else goes on there? Besides its scientific content, the fun and camaraderie at the course is also legendary. In between all the hard work there are late-night chats at the bar and swimming at the beach. There’s a fierce competition between students at the various CSHL courses in the Plate Race, which is a relay in which teams have to carry stacks of 40 Petri dishes (used, of course). There’s also typically a sailboat trip, a microscopy contest, and a mysterious “Dr. Evil” lab!
The Yeast Genetics & Genomics Course is loads of fun – don’t miss out!
Categories: Conferences
Tags: dna, genetics, genomics, science
Apply Now for the 2024 Yeast Genetics and Genomics Course
February 13, 2024
For over 50 years, the legendary Yeast Genetics & Genomics course has been taught each summer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, though the name didn’t include “Genomics” in the beginning. The list of people who have taken the course reads like a Who’s Who of yeast research, including Nobel laureates and many of today’s leading scientists.
The application deadline is March 31st, so don’t miss your chance!
Find all the details and application form at the CSHL Meetings & Courses site. This year’s instructors – Grant Brown, Soni Lacefield, and Greg Lang – have designed a course (July 23 – August 13) that provides a comprehensive education in all things yeast, from classical genetics through up-to-the-minute genomics. Students will perform and interpret experiments, learning about things like:
- Transformation & Genome Engineering
- Microscopy
- Manipulating Yeast
- Dissecting Tetrads
- Isolating Mutants
- Working with Essential Genes
- Synthetic Genetic Arrays
- Fluctuation Assays
- Whole Genome Sequencing & Analysis
- QTLMapping
Techniques have been summarized in the accompanying course manual, published by CSHL Press.
Who should attend? Scientists who aren’t part of large, well-known yeast labs are especially encouraged to apply – for example, professors and instructors who want to incorporate yeast into their undergraduate genetics classrooms; scientists who want to transition from mathematical, computational, or engineering disciplines into bench science; and researchers from small labs or institutions where it would otherwise be difficult to learn the fundamentals of yeast genetics and genomics.
What else goes on there? Besides its scientific content, the fun and camaraderie at the course is also legendary. In between all the hard work there are late-night chats at the bar and swimming at the beach. There’s a fierce competition between students at the various CSHL courses in the Plate Race, which is a relay in which teams have to carry stacks of 40 Petri dishes (used, of course). There’s also typically a sailboat trip, a microscopy contest, and a mysterious “Dr. Evil” lab!
The Yeast Genetics & Genomics Course is loads of fun – don’t miss out!
Categories: Conferences
Register now for the 31st International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology
May 16, 2023
Deadlines for #yeast2023 have been extended! Early bird registration is open until June 5, and abstract submission until July 17. For more information, go to yeastflorence2023.com.
Categories: Conferences
Apply Now for the 2023 Yeast Genetics and Genomics Course
March 10, 2023
For over 50 years, the legendary Yeast Genetics & Genomics course has been taught each summer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (OK, the name didn’t include “Genomics” in the beginning…). The list of people who have taken the course reads like a Who’s Who of yeast research, including Nobel laureates and many of today’s leading scientists.
The application deadline is April 1st, so don’t miss your chance!
Find all the details and application form at the CSHL Meetings & Courses site. This year’s instructors – Grant Brown, Maitreya Dunham, Soni Lacefield, and Greg Lang – have designed a course (July 25 – August 15) that provides a comprehensive education in all things yeast, from classical genetics through up-to-the-minute genomics. Students will perform and interpret experiments, learning about things like:
- Finding and Analyzing Yeast Information Using SGD
- Transformation & genome engineering
- Microscopy
- Manipulating yeast
- Dissecting tetrads
- Isolating mutants
- Working with essential genes
- Synthetic genetic arrays
- Fluctuation assays
- Whole genome sequencing & analysis
- Deep mutational scanning
Techniques have been summarized in the accompanying course manual, published by CSHL Press.
Scientists who aren’t part of large, well-known yeast labs are especially encouraged to apply – for example, professors and instructors who want to incorporate yeast into their undergraduate genetics classrooms; scientists who want to transition from mathematical, computational, or engineering disciplines into bench science; and researchers from small labs or institutions where it would otherwise be difficult to learn the fundamentals of yeast genetics and genomics. Significant stipends (in the 30-50% range of total fees) are available to individuals expressing a need for financial support and who are selected into the course.
Besides its scientific content, the fun and camaraderie at the course is also legendary. In between all the hard work there are late-night chats at the bar and swimming at the beach. There’s a fierce competition between students at the various CSHL courses in the Plate Race, which is a relay in which teams have to carry stacks of 40 Petri dishes (used, of course). There’s also typically a sailboat trip, a microscopy contest, and a mysterious “Dr. Evil” lab!
The Yeast Genetics & Genomics Course is loads of fun – don’t miss out!
Categories: Announcements, Conferences
Apply Now for the 2023 Fungal Pathogen Genomics Course
February 02, 2023
Fungal Pathogen Genomics is an exciting several day long course that provides experimental biologists working on fungal organisms with hands-on experience in genomic-scale data analysis. Through a collaborative teaching effort between the web-based fungal data mining resources FungiDB, EnsemblFungi, PomBase, SGD, CGD, MycoCosm, and JGI, students will learn how to utilize the unique tools provided by each database, develop testable hypotheses, and analyze various ‘omics’ datasets across multiple databases.
Daily activities will include individual and group training exercises, supplementary lectures on bioinformatics techniques and tools used by various databases, and presentations by distinguished guest speakers covering the following topics:
- Comparative genomics, gene trees, whole-genome alignment
- Identification of orthologs and orthology-based inference
- Gene pages and genome browsers
- RNA-Seq analysis and visualization in VEuPathDB Galaxy
- Variant calling analysis and Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor (VEP) tool
- Development of advanced biologically relevant queries using FungiDB ‘search strategies’ and mining integrated datasets (proteomics, transcriptomics, phenotypes, etc.)
- Genetic interactions, virulence genes, secondary metabolites
- Overview of ontology structure, evidence, available tools, slimming and enrichment
- Introduction to manual genome annotation and curation using Apollo, a web-based platform for structural and functional genome annotation (MycoCosm, Ensembl Fungi, FungiDB)
The application deadline for the Fungal Pathogen Genomics workshop to be held May 9-13, 2023 is February 16, 2023.
Don’t miss out – apply now!
Categories: Announcements, Conferences
29th ICYGMB Early registration deadline extended to May 1
April 04, 2019
The 29th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (ICYGMB) will be held at the the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden, from August 18-22, 2019.
The ICYGMB brings together scientists from all around the globe to present and discuss cutting-edge research on yeast. Described as the “most important event in yeast research“, the conference facilitates an environment where the international yeast community can freely exchange information, strike collaborations, and build new projects and alliances.
The 2019 meeting is enriched with over 50 speakers and a program that aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the most exciting topics in yeast research. The program includes lectures and workshops that discuss topics such as cell signaling, evolutionary genetics, aging and disease models, yeast biotechnology, and more.
Registration and abstract submission are now open. The early registration deadline has been extended to May 1. The abstract submission deadline is May 15. Special conference rates for accommodation are guaranteed only until June 1.
Categories: Conferences
Register for the 29th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (ICYGMB)
January 24, 2019
The 29th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (ICYGMB) will be held at the the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden, from August 18-22, 2019.
The ICYGMB brings together scientists from all around the globe to present and discuss cutting-edge research on yeast. Described as the “most important event in yeast research“, the conference facilitates an environment where the international yeast community can freely exchange information, strike collaborations, and build new projects and alliances.
The 2019 meeting is enriched with over 50 speakers and a program that aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the most exciting topics in yeast research. The program includes lectures and workshops that discuss topics such as cell signaling, evolutionary genetics, aging and disease models, yeast biotechnology, and more.
Registration and abstract submission are now open. The early registration deadline is April 1. The abstract submission deadline for oral presentations is May 15, whereas July 31 is the deadline for abstracts that will be included in the Conference Abstract book.
Categories: Conferences