Course Program

This course is equivalent to 3 Academic Credits (135 Hours)

Note: The schedule below is tentative and subject to change based on field conditions, instructor availability, and logistical considerations.

gantt
    title ISC Biotrop 2026 – Course Schedule by Sessions
    dateFormat  YYYY-MM-DD
    axisFormat  %d %b

    section Orientation
    Course Orientation (Online)        :2026-06-29, 1d

    section Pre-Assignments
    Intro Video Submission             :milestone, 2026-07-05, 1d
    Essay on Biodiversity Challenges   :milestone, 2026-07-05, 1d

    section Pre-Course (Online Hybrid | 6–9 July)
    Biodiversity in Data Age   :2026-07-06, 1d
    Study Design & Metadata    :2026-07-07, 1d
    Genomics & Bioinformatics  :2026-07-08, 1d
    GIS, Data, and Policy      :2026-07-09, 1d
    
    section Social (Optional) 
    Welcoming Dinner (Optional)      :a8, 2026-07-12, 1d

    section Onsite Course (13–18 July)
    Opening & Field Prep       :2026-07-13, 1d
    (2D1N) Field Sampling      :2026-07-14, 2d
    DNA Extraction & Sequencing :2026-07-16, 1d
    Data Analysis & GIS        :2026-07-17, 1d
    Summit & Closing           :2026-07-18, 1d

Course Orientation (Online) | 29 June 2026

The orientation will explain the pre-course assignments and reading materials, how to access learning platforms, using GitHub and GitHub Codespaces for computer assignments, schedules, and communication tools.

Pre-Course assignments

Prior to the start of the course, participants are assigned several tasks:

  • Reading materials and basic coding skill preparation
  • 1-2 minutes introduction video about you and why you are interested to join this course
  • An essay on the current challenges faced by Tropical Biodiversity and opportunities in the age of data and AI

Pre-Course (Online Hybrid) | 6 - 9 July 2026

Day Date Session Topic Activities
Day 1 Mon, 6/7/26 Online Tropical Biodiversity in the Data Age Lectures on biodiversity challenges, data types, and course overview
Day 2 Tue, 7/7/26 Online Study Design, Sampling, & Metadata Sampling design, metadata standards, ethics and mini exercise
Day 3 Wed, 8/7/26 Online Genomics for Biodiversity Assesment Bioinformatics practicals on metabarcoding, metagenomics, and biodiversity analysis
Day 4 Thu, 9/7/26 Online From Data to Impact Bioprospecting, GIS data analysis, policy case studies

Onsite Course | 13 - 19 July 2026

Day Date Session Topic Activities
Optional Event Sun, 12/7/26 Welcoming Dinner Greetings and getting to know each other
Day 5 Mon, 13/7/26 Lab Welcoming Ceremony & Field Sampling Preparation Opening session, course briefing, introduction to field and safety protocols
Day 6 Tue, 14/7/26 Field Field Sampling Day 1 (Terrestrial Ecosystems) Terrestrial sampling (soil, plants, insects), environmental measurements, GIS data acquisition using drones
Day 7 Wed, 15/7/26 Field Field Sampling Day 2 (Coastal/Intertidal) Intertidal sampling, water sampling, ecological observations, metadata recording
Day 8 Thu, 16/7/26 Lab From Sample to DNA DNA extraction, quality control (QC), Library Preparation for Next-Generation Sequencing
Day 9 Fri, 17/7/26 Computer From Genomes to Landscapes Sequence data processing, integrating biodiversity data with GIS and spatial mapping
Day 10 Sat, 18/7/26 Biodiversity Summit From Data to Decisions Group presentations, translating results into policy recommendations, discussion & closing

Post Course assignments

Participant will be assigned to create a project report or analysis portofolio on what they learn during the course using GitHub pages.