BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:icalendar-ruby CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260616T110543Z UID:f64ea237-7621-40cc-8604-bc35770491df DTSTART:20260311T090000Z DTEND:20260313T170000Z DESCRIPTION:# Overview\nHave you ever been stuck with a file format that do esn't precisely conform to your needs\, found yourself doing annoyingly re petitive data manipulations\, or struggled to efficiently manage and explo re your data? Python to the rescue!\n\nPython is an open-source and genera l-purpose scripting language which runs on all major operating systems. It was designed to be easily read and written with comparatively simple synt ax\, and is thus a good choice for beginners in programming. Python is app lied in many disciplines and is one of the most common languages for bioin formatics. The Python community enthusiastically maintains a rich collecti on of libraries/modules for everything from web development to machine lea rning. Other programming languages such as R have comparable functionality to Python\, however some tasks are more natural (and easier!) in Python.\ n\nIn this course\, participants will learn the basic concepts and data st ructures necessary to solve routine data manipulation tasks. Importantly\, we will cover the concepts\, terminology\, and approach to documentation required to further develop skills in Python programming independently. Th e goal is to take control of your research questions in an independent man ner.\n\nTopics include:\n\n* A basic introduction to Python scripting and computing in general\n* Creating\, populating\, and modifying data structu res\n* Working with files : reading / writing\n* Installing / Importing li braries/modules\n* Writing functions\n* Best practices in Python programmi ng\n* Debugging and documentation\n\n# Audience\nThis 3-day course is desi gned for PhD students\, postdoctoral and other researchers in the life sci ences from both academia and industry who want to become familiar with wri ting Python code to accomplish common tasks such as automated data parsing \, basic statistical operations and graphical representations.\n\nFor peop le who are proficient in programming: this course might be on the **slow s ide** for you and an intermediate python class is recommended (check regul arly our upcoming training courses).\n\n# Learning objectives\n\nBy the en d of this course\, you will not only be prepared to learn more advanced bi oinformatics-specific applications in forthcoming courses\, but also be ab le to:\n\n* Create\, populate\, and modify data structures\n* Work with fi les: read and write files\n* Install and import libraries and modules\n* W rite functions\n* Apply best practices in Python programming\n* Debug and document your own code\n\n# Prerequisites\n### Knowledge / competencies\nT his course is designed for beginners\; there is no requirement for previou s training in Python. However\, we encourage completion of our "First Step s with UNIX" course or our [UNIX fundamentals](https://edu.sib.swiss/plugi nfile.php/2878/mod_resource/content/4/couselab-html/content.html) e-learni ng module. Basic concepts of algorithmics is a plus.\n### Technical\nYou a re required to have your own laptop. We will be working with Python manage d by Anaconda - a free and operating system (OS)-agnostic platform for org anizing Python libraries and environments. It is bundled with Anaconda Nav igator\, a graphical user interface which will help ease you into what Pyt hon makes possible. We will discuss in detail what all of this precisely m eans during the course. In preparation\, all you have to do is download an d install Anaconda for your particular OS. Use any most recent version of Python (>\;= 3.7). If your disk space is limited\, you can install Mini conda instead. However this lacks the Anaconda Navigator GUI and many of t he packages distributed with Anaconda.\n\nWe will also be interacting with python via the jupyter notebook interface and we ask that you install jup yter notebook\, via conda.\n\n\n# Application\n\n\n\nRegistration fees are **300 CHF** for academics and **1500 CHF** for for-profit companies.\n\nW hile participants are registered on a first come\, first served basis\, ex ceptions may be made to ensure diversity and equity\, which may increase t he time before your registration is confirmed.\n\nApplications will close on **25/02/2026** or as soon as the places will be filled up. Deadline for free-of-charge cancellation is set to **25/02/2026**. Cancellation after this date will not be reimbursed. \n\nYou will be informed by email of you r registration confirmation. Upon reception of the confirmation email\, pa rticipants will be asked to confirm attendance by paying the fees within 5 days.\n\n\n# Venue and Time\nThe course will take place at the University of Bern.\n\nThe course starts at 9:15 and end around 17:15. A social aper o might be organised at the end of the first day (TBC).\n\nPrecise informa tion will be provided to the registered participants in due time.\n\n# Ad ditional information\nCoordination: Diana Marek\, SIB Training group.\n\nW e will recommend 0.75 ECTS credits for this course (given a passed exam at the end of the course).\n\nYou are welcome to register to the SIB courses mailing list to be informed of all future courses and workshops\, as well as all important deadlines using the form [here](https://lists.sib.swiss/ postorius/lists/courses.lists.sib.swiss/).\n\nPlease note that participati on in SIB courses is subject to our [general conditions](https://www.sib.s wiss/training/terms-and-conditions).\n\nSIB abides by the [ELIXIR Code of Conduct](https://elixir-europe.org/events/code-of-conduct). Participants o f SIB courses are also required to abide by the same code.\n\nFor more inf ormation\, please contact [training@sib.swiss](mailto://training@sib.swiss ). SUMMARY:First Steps with Python in Life Sciences URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.sib.swiss/training/course/20260311_FSWPY END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR