LS2 Intersection Bioinformatics
What is bioinformatics?
Bioinformatics develops and applies computational methods to solve biological questions. Bioinformatics is a transversal discipline in that nearly all areas of Life Science have a bioinformatic component. In each of these domains of application, Bioinformatics accelerate progress through quantitative, integrative, and scalable methods. Conversely, Bioinformatics benefits from the "reality check" and new problems that arise in each domain.
What is SIB?
The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics is an internationally recognized non-profit organization, dedicated to biological and biomedical data science. Its data scientists are passionate about creating knowledge and solving complex questions in many fields, from biodiversity and evolution to medicine. They provide essential databases and software platforms as well as bioinformatics expertise and services to academic, clinical, and industry groups. SIB federates the Swiss bioinformatics community of some 800 scientists, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing. The institute contributes to keeping Switzerland at the forefront of innovation by fostering progress in biological research and enhancing health.
Why this intersection?
The intersection was founded in June 2019, together with SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, materializing the fact that bioinformatics and life sciences feed from each other. Through activities determined by its board, this intersection aims to 1) create additional bridges between the two disciplines, 2) foster collaborations between SIB Members and LS2 Members, and 3) accelerate the development of methods and tools supporting the latest experimental developments.
The Bioinformatics Intersection welcomes any LS2 member willing to discover more about bioinformatics and participate in common activities.
Intersection Board
Katja Bärenfaller
SIB Group Leader, Head Molecular Allergology Group, Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research, SIAF
Carlos-Andrés Peña-Reyes
SIB Group Leader, Computational Intelligence for Computational Biology, HEIG-VD
Paulina Pacak
Deputy Head of Computational Chemistry, RDP Pharma AG
Zsolt Balázs
Senior Researcher, University of Zurich
Cheng Li
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Zurich
How to join the LS2 Bioinformatics intersection?
Existing LS2 members can log in at www.ls2.ch, click on "Change the LS2 Sections you are in" and change to/add the new intersection "Bioinformatics".
New members can apply for the LS2 membership here and select "Intersection Bioinformatics" in the online application form.
When joining the Bioinformatics intersection, members agree that their personal data entered in the membership application form on the LS2 website will be shared between LS2 and SIB for purposes of newsletters, targeted announcements, and membership statistics. On that basis, LS2 shall send to SIB the up-to-date list of Bioinformatics intersection members on a monthly basis. This statement has been laid out in LS2 Terms & Conditions.
News and Events:
ECCB open calls 2026
Calls for Proceedings, Highlight Talks, and Posters are open:
Proceedings: Full manuscripts presenting original work in computational biology and bioinformatics. Accepted papers will be presented as 15-minute talks with discussion and published in an open-access Bioinformatics proceedings issue.
Highlight Talks: Abstracts for highlight talks on recent, high-impact research (published on or after 1 March 2025 or available as preprints). Accepted talks will be 15 minutes plus discussion.
Posters: Poster submissions are invited across all areas of computational biology and bioinformatics, with accepted posters presented in person at the conference.
Volunteers: Interested in helping run a major international conference in computational biology? MSc and PhD students are invited to volunteer at ECCB 2026 in Geneva, supporting on-site activities in a range of roles. Volunteers receive discounted registration, hands-on organisational experience, and networking opportunities. A minimum one-day commitment is required. Apply by 27 February.
All accepted contributions for posters and talks will be presented in person at ECCB 2026.
Submission deadlines are 05 March 2026 for proceedings and 20 April 2026 for highlight talks and posters.
Have a look at the recently released SIB YouTube video on "The benefits of bioinformatics to science and society”!
Discover databases and software tools provided by SIB Groups to the global life science community. Find out more here.
Benefit from the SIB courses to hone your bioinformatics skills. Discover the latest advances in computational biology to explore biological data, from single-cell molecular insights to vaccine development and real-time pathogen tracking.
Expasy (https://www.expasy.org/), the bioinformatics resource portal of the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, connects the 160+ bioinformatics databases and software developed by SIB Groups and supporting research in proteomics, genomics, structural biology, evolution, systems biology, text mining.
Join us this June for the Biodiversity Bioinformatics Summer School 2026, an intensive, hands-on training organized by the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and partners. Taking place from 21–26 June 2026 in Siegen, Germany, the programme explores how cutting-edge bioinformatics and omics technologies are transforming biodiversity research, from environmental DNA to ecosystem-level analyses.
The summer school features a collaborative, hackathon-style format with extensive hands-on group work guided by expert trainers. Participants will work in small teams on topics such as pangenomes and genetic diversity, essential biodiversity variables, comparative genomics, and multi-scale biodiversity analysis, fostering deep engagement and interdisciplinary exchange.
In addition to project work, the programme includes lectures and social activities that encourage networking and community building among peers and experts. Accommodation and meals are included in the registration fee (900 CHF for academics), enabling participants to focus fully on learning, collaboration, and building lasting professional connections.
Applications are open until 16 March and require a short survey and motivation letter. This summer school offers a unique opportunity to expand your bioinformatics expertise while connecting with an international community dedicated to addressing urgent biodiversity challenges.
Our Symposium at LS2 Annual Meeting 2026 will be chaired by Katja Baerenfaller (SIAF and University of Zurich) and Claudia Lang (University Hospital Zurich): “Bioinformatics Driving the One Health Concept”
Speaker: Emma Hodcroft (Swiss TPH & University of Basel): "Pathoplexus: building a new kind of pathogen database"
Register by 11.01.2026.
The Meeting will take place on 11 & 12 February 2026 at Campus Irchel of the University of Zurich.
