Graduate School of health and Medical Sciences

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Environmental DNA
Provider: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Activity no.: 3606-26-00-00	There are 18 available seats
	Enrollment deadline: 30/01/2026

Date and time	02.03.2026, at: 09:00 - 06.03.2026, at: 17:00
Regular seats	18
Course fee	7,080.00 kr.
Lecturers	Kristine Bohmann
ECTS credits	4.00

Contact person	GI Administration E-mail address: gi-administration@sund.ku.dk

Enrolment Handling/Course Organiser	PhD administration SUND E-mail address: phdkursus@sund.ku.dk

Enrolment guidelines This is a specialised course. This means that 80% of the seats are reserved to PhD students enrolled at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH and 20% og the seats are reserved to PhD students from other Danish Universities/faculties (except CBS). The course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD Students from NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee. Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. This also applies to PhD students from NorDoc member faculties. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list. Learning objectives A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to: 1. Describe the underlying principles of a metabarcoding and targeted quantitative PCR workflow. 2. Describe and evaluate components of the metabarcoding workflow for environmental DNA (eDNA) studies, e.g. controls, replicates, protocols, bioinformatic and community ecology analysis packages. 3. Judge and compare the strengths and weaknesses of different metabarcoding laboratory set-ups and sequence data processing methods. 4. Design a plan for your eDNA project - from research question to fieldwork, laboratory work, bioinformatics and ecological analyses. Content Understanding biodiversity requires us to know which species are where. Organisms leave traces of DNA in the environment, known as environmental DNA (eDNA), which can be used to infer their presence or absence in relation to an environmental sample. The use of eDNA to detect species is an increasingly common approach used by researchers, natural resource managers and commercial organisations to measure ecological communities. Metabarcoding is the most frequently used molecular method to analyse eDNA, and can simultaneously identify thousands of taxa across many samples. In contrast, more targeted approaches like quantitative PCR (qPCR) provide information about specific taxa. Through a variety of real-world examples and discussion-based exercises and with a main focus on metabarcoding, this course enables attendees to make informed decisions regarding their eDNA project - from sample collection through to laboratory and bioinformatic steps. We focus on the principles of the components of the workflow, rather than instruction in specific tools, with the goal to equip participants to find and evaluate the setup and tools that will suit their specific study, environmental sample type and research question. This will enable participants to make informed decisions when planning their independent eDNA projects. Participants PhD students with a background in e.g. biology, ecology or conservation who plan to use eDNA metabarcoding in an upcoming project and want to be able to make informed decisions about the design of the workflow. The course is suitable for participants with basic bioinformatic skills. Relevance to graduate programmes The course is relevant to PhD students from the following graduate programmes at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH: Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences Veterinary, Animal Health and Microbiological Sciences Public Health and Epidemiology Language English Form Lectures, exercises, group work, discussions. Course director Kristine Bohmann, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, kbohmann@sund.ku.dk Luke Earl Holman, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, luke.holman@sund.ku.dk Kasun Harshana Bodawatta, affiliated Marie-Curie Fellow, Globe Institute, bodawatta@sund.ku.dk Teachers Kristine Bohmann, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, kbohmann@sund.ku.dk Luke Earl Holman, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, luke.holman@sund.ku.dk Kasun Harshana Bodawatta, Marie-Curie Fellow, Globe Institute, bodawatta@sund.ku.dk Christina Lyngaaard, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, christina.lynggaard@sund.ku.dk Hanxi Li, Postdoc, Globe Institute, hanxli@sund.ku.dk Lasse Vinner, Chief Consultant, Globe Institute, lasse.vinner@sund.ku.dk Tobias Frøslev, Programme Officer, GBIF / Affiliated Associate Professor, Globe Institute tfroeslev@gbif.org Steen Wilhelm Knudsen, Guest Researcher, Natural History Museum, swknudsen@snm.ku.dk Eva Sigsgaard, Assistant Professor, Aarhus University, eva.sigsgaard@bio.au.dk Philip Thomsen, Professor, Aarhus University, pfthomsen@bio.au.dk Dates 2-6 March 2026 Course location Øster Farimagsgade 5A, CSS Building 7, 1th floor, Rooms 7.1.46 and 7.1.50, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Registration Please register before 30 January 2026. Expected frequency Approx once per year. Seats to PhD students from other Danish universities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules. Applications from other participants will be considered after the last day of enrolment. Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.

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