CUSO Biology Symposium - Ancient to Modern DNA

8-10 September 2025

Alicia Sanchez-Mazas, Prof., University of Geneva
Estella Poloni, Dr., University of Geneva
Mathias Currat, Dr., University of Geneva
Catherine Suarez, Dr., University of Geneva

• Nadir Alvarez (Naturéum & Dpt Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne)
• Jan Pawlowski (Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland)
• Laurent Excoffier (Computational and Molecular Population Genetics, University of Bern)
• Verena Schünemann (Dpt Environmental Sciences, University of Basel)
• Caroline Pont (PaleoLab, Cézeaux Campus, Aubière, France)
  
  Collaborators
  
  
• Sarah Schmid (Dpt Computational Biology, University of Lausanne)
• Inès Barrenechea Angeles (The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
• Niina Marchi (Eco-Anthropologie, CNRS-MNHN-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France)
• Marta Pla-Diaz (Dpt Environmental Sciences, University of Basel)
• Jérôme Salse (PaleoLab, Cézeaux Campus, Aubière, France)

This symposium will gather PhD students from the four CUSO Programs in Biology (i.e., Staromics, Plant Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Ecology and Evolution).

Join us in an exciting exploration of how ancient and modern DNA technologies are transforming biological research. This interdisciplinary symposium brings together leading experts in museomics, environmental DNA, ancient pathogens, demographic inference, and paleogenomics. Through a series of inspiring keynote lectures and hands-on workshops, participants will delve into the latest methods and discoveries in evolutionary biology, ecology, and archaeology. The event also features networking dinners and an optional excursion, providing plenty of opportunities for interaction and exchange.

Preliminary Programme (TBC)

Sunday 7 September 2025

• 20h00: Welcome & aperitif-dinner

Monday 8 September 2025

• Morning (∼8h30-9h00 to 12h00, flexible)

Conference 1: Nadir Alvarez
Natural Sciences in the Era of Museomics

Workshop 1: Nadir Alvarez & Sarah Schmid
From natural history collections to biological research: how museomics can tackle
important questions in ecology and evolution
In this interactive session, participants will identify key research questions that can be tackled
with museum collections and genetic/genomic tools. Through groups discussion/synthesis,
they will highlight how museomics can address challenges in ecology and evolution.

• Lunch (12h-12h30 to 13h30-14h)

• Afternoon (∼13h30-14h to 17h00, flexible)

Conference 2: Jan Pawlowski
Reconstructing the history of marine ecosystems using sedimentary ancient DNA

Workshop 2: Jan Pawlowski & Inès Barrenechea Angeles
DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding with Oxford Nanopore Technology
This workshop will provide a theoretical overview of nanopore sequencing, highlighting its
use in barcoding and environmental DNA analysis, with a focus on sedimentary eDNA. By the
end of the session, we will delve into potential applications, including sedimentary ancient
DNA, and discuss research opportunities with this technology. Participants will also have the
chance to work with two datasets (barcoding and metabarcoding), engaging in hands-on
analysis throughout the session

• Evening (18h30-21h): dinner & networking students-speakers

Tuesday 9 September 2025

• Morning (∼8h30-9h00 to 12h00, flexible)
Conference 3: Verena Schünemann,
Past Pandemics and One Health: Tracing pathogens through time with ancient DNA
Workshop 3: Verena Schünemann & Marta Pla-Diaz
Ancient pathogen genomics
Ancient pathogen genomics pose different challenges compared to modern genomic
analyses. Here the participants will obtain insights into critical steps of the analysis as well as
experience on how an established pipeline for ancient pathogen analysis works.

• Lunch (12h-12h30 to 13h30-14h)

• Afternoon (∼13h30-14h to 17h00, flexible)

Conference 4: Laurent Excoffier
Origin and spread of early European Neolithic farmers

Workshop 4: Laurent Excoffier & Nina Marchi
Estimation of demographic parameters from ancient DNA samples
After familiarizing students with the basics of coalescent theory connecting genomic diversity
with past demography, they will be introduced to the fastsimcoal2 program to estimate past
population history from the site frequency spectrum and will estimate parameters under
simple scenarios. The accent will also be put on raw data quality checking and result
validation.

• Evening (18h30-21h): dinner & networking students-speakers

Wednesday 10 September 2025

• Morning (∼8h30-9h00 to 12h00, flexible)

Conference 5: Caroline Pont
History, origin and spread of Agriculture: ongoing work from Archaeobotany and
Paleogenomics

Workshop 5: Caroline Pont & Jérôme Salse
Concept of semi-domestication, neo-domestication, de-domestication and feralization
This presentation will be followed by analyses and discussion of papers on ancient DNA

• Lunch (12h30-13h30)

• Afternoon: excursion (optional

Leysin, Hôtel Alpine Classic

This course is organized in collaboration with the CUSO Doctoral Programs in Ecology & Evolution, Microbial Sciences and StarOmics

Registration Fees:
CUSO PhD candidates: CHF 30.- to be paid before June 20 the latest. Bank details will be sent in the confirmation e-mail.
Other participants: Please contact the programme coordinator taking registrations at ecologie-evolution(at)cuso.ch.

Reimbursements for CUSO MPS Students:
Train ticket, 2°class, half-fare from your institution to the place of the activity.

Reimbursement of your travel tickets can be asked online through your MyCUSO. 
See HERE for the procedure.
 

For any question concerning reimbursement please contact the CUSO MPS coordinator Debora Zoia

Deadline for registration: 15 June 2025
- 10 spaces available for CUSO EE students
- 10 spaces for MPS
- 10 spaces for Microbiology
- 10 spaces for StarOmics

Please register through the CUSO Ecology&Evoution Website: HERE

Cancellation policy:
Cancellation before the deadline (15.06.2025): free
Late cancellation or 'no-show': 100 CHF administrative fe

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