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ISMB 2018 KEY DATES

* If a submission is not selected for talk or talk and poster, it will automatically be reviewed as a "poster only" for the conference

Committees

• Steering Committee
• Proceedings Committee
• Area Chairs - COSIs
• Posters Committee
• Technology Track Committee
• Travel Fellowship Committee
• Tutorials Committee
• Student Council
• COSI Leadership

ISMB 2018 Steering Committee

Yana Bromberg, Proceedings Co-chair, Rutgers University, United States
Bruno Gaeta, Treasurer, University of New South Wales, Australia
Janet Kelso, Conference Advisory Council Co-chair, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
Diane E. Kovats, ISCB Executive Director, United States
Steven Leard, ISMB Conference Director, Canada
Thomas Lengauer, President, ISCB, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Germany
Christine Orengo, Conference Co-chair, University College London, United Kingdom
Predrag Radivojac, Proceedings Co-chair, Indiana University, United States
Gary Stormo, Honorary Conference Chair, Washington University Medical School in St Louis, United States
Alfonso Valencia, Past-President, ISCB, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Spain
Tandy Warnow, Conference Co-chair, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States

Proceedings Committee

Yana Bromberg, Co-chair, Rutgers University, United States
Predrag Radivojac, Co-chair, Indiana University, United States

Area Chairs:

Studies of Phenotypes and Clinical Applications

Anna Goldenberg, University of Toronto, Canada

Comparative and Functional Genomics

Carl Kingsford, Carnegie Mellon University, United States

Bioinformatics Education

Fran Lewitter, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, United States

Genomic Variation Analysis

Sriram Sankararaman, University of California, Los Angeles, United States

Bioinformatics of Microbes and Microbiomes

Mihai Pop, University of Maryland, United States

Population Genomics and Molecular Evolution

Nadia El-Mabrouk, University of Montreal, Canada

Macromolecular Sequence, Structure, and Function

Charlotte Deane, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Systems Biology and Networks

Roded Sharan, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

Genome Privacy and Security

Haixu Tang, Indiana University, United States

Area Chairs - COSIs:

Rolf Backhofen, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Germany (RNA)
Jan Baumbach, TU Munich, Germany
Emidio Capriotti, University of Bologna, Italy (VarI)
Ana Conesa, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Spain (HiTSeq)
Christophe Dessimoz, University of Lausanne, Switzerland (Evolution)
Jeremy Goecks, Oregon Health & Science University, United States (BioVis)
Paweł P Łabaj, Austrian Academy of Sciences and Jagiellonian University, Poland  (CAMDA)
Florian Markowetz, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (MLCSB)
Nicola Mulder, University of Cape Town, South Africa (Education)
Alice McHardy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany (Microbiome)
Natasa Przulj, University College, London, United Kingdom (NetBio)
Venkata Satagopam, Université du Luxembourg (TransMed)
Saurabh Sinha, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, United States (RegSys)
Karin Verspoor, University of Melbourne, Australia (Bio-Ontologies)
Olga Vitek, Northeastern University, United States (CompMS)

Abstract Chairs

3DSIG: Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biophysics

Phil Bourne, University of Virginia, United States
Charlotte Deane, Oxford University, United Kingdom
Rafael Najmanovich, University of Montreal, Canada

Bio-Ontologies

Michel Dumontier, Maastricht University, Netherlands
Robert Hoehndorf, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Saudi Arabia
Philippe Rocca-Serra, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Karin Verspoor, University of Melbourne, Australia

BioVis: Biological Data Visualizations

Thomas Höllt, TU Delft, Netherlands
Michael Krone, University of Stuttgart, Germany

CAMDA: Critical Assessment of Massive Data Analysis

David Kreil, Boku University Vienna, Austria
Paweł P Łabaj, Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Jagiellonian University, Poland

CompMS: Computational Mass Spectrometry

Viktoria Dorfer, FH Hagenberg, Austria
William S Noble, U Washington, United States
Oliver Kohlbacher, U of Tübingen, Germany

Education: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Education and Training

Nicola Mulder, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Russell Schwartz, Carnegie Mellon University, United States

EvolCompGen: Evolution & Comparative Genomics Evolution and Comparative Genomics

Lars Arvestad, Stockholm University, Sweden
Wataru Iwasaki, University of Tokyo, Japan

Function: Gene and Protein Function Annotation

Iddo Friedberg, Iowa State University, United States
Predrag Radivojac, Indiana University Bloomington, United States
Mark N Wass, University of Kent, United Kingdom

HitSeq: High Throughput Sequencing Algorithms & Applications

Can Alkan, Bilkent University,Turkey
Ana Conesa, University of Florida, United States
Francisco M. De La Vega, Stanford University; Fabric Genomics, United States
Dirk J. Evers, Dr. Dirk Evers Consulting, Germany
Kjong Lehmann, ETH-Zürich, Switzerland
Quaid Morris, University of Toronto, Canada
Gunnar Rätsch, ETH-Zürich, Switzerland

Microbiome

Aaron Darling, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Alice McHardy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany
Mihai Pop, University of Maryland, United States
Thomas Rattei, University of Vienna, Austria
Alexander Sczyrba, Bielefeld University, Germany

MLCSB: Machine Learning in Computational and Systems Biology

Florian Markowetz, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Oliver Stegle, European Bioinformatics Institute, United Kingdom

NetBio: Network Biology

Alex Pico, Gladstone Institutes, United States
Natasa Przulj, University College London, United Kingdom

RegSys: Regulatory and Systems Genomics

Stein Aerts, University of Leuven, Belgium
Julia Zeitlinger, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, United States

RNA: Computational RNA Biology

Yoseph Barash, University of Pennsylvania, United States
Eduardo Eyras, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Klemens Hertel, University of California, Irvine, United States

SysMod: Computational Modeling of Biological Systems

Andreas Draeger, University of Tübingen, Germany
Tomas Helikar, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, United States
Nicolas Le Novere, Babraham Institute, United Kingdom

TransMed: Translational Medicine Informatics & Applications

Bissan Al-Lazikani, The Institute of Cancer Research, United Kingdom
Wei Gu, Luxembourg Centre For Systems Biomedicine
Venkata Satagopam, University of Luxembourg

VarI: Variant Interpretation

Yana Bromberg, Rutgers, United States
Hannah Carter, UCSD, United States
Emidio Capriotti, University of Bologna, Italy

General Computational Biology

Laxmi Parida, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, United States

Posters Committee

Chair: Casey Greene, University of Pennsylvania, United States
Co-chair: Arjun Krishnan, Michigan State University, United States

Technology Track Committee

Chair: Dominic Clark, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, United Kingdom
Co-chair: Jean-Francois Tomb, University of Delaware, United States

Travel Fellowship Committee

Chair: Lucia Peixoto, Washington State University, United States
Co-chair: Catherine Putonti, Loyola University Chicago, United States

Tutorials Committee

Chair: Michelle D. Brazas, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Canada
Co-chair: Lonnie Welch, Ohio University, United States

Student Council Chairs

Yana Bromberg, Rutgers University, United States
Eli Draizen, National Institutes of Health, United States
Numrah Fadra, University of Minnesota , Mayo Clinic
Predrag Radivojac, Indiana University, United States

Communities of Special Interest (COSI) Leadership

ISCB COSI Committee Chair
Christine Orengo

ISCB Board of Directors COSI Representative
Francisco De La Vega

3DSIG: Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biophysics
Rafael Najmanovich

BIOINFO-CORE
Madelaine Gogol
Brent Richter

Bio-Ontologies Michel Dumontier
Karin Verspoor

BioVis: Biological Data Visualizations
Jan Aerts
Nils Gehlenborg

CAMDA: Critical Assessment of Massive Data Analysis
David Kreil
Pawel Labaj

CompMS: Computational Mass Spectrometry
Oliver Kohlbacher

Education: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Education and Training
Teresa Attwood
Fran Lewitter
Lonnie Welch

EvolCompGen: Evolution & Comparative Genomics
Christophe Dessimoz

Function: Gene and Protein Function Annotation
Iddo Friedberg

HiTSeq: High Throughput Sequencing Algorithms & Applications
Francisco De La Vega
Dirk Evers

IRB: Integrative RNA Biology
Yoseph Barash
Alex Bateman

JPI: Junior Principal Investigators
Casey Greene
Lucia Peixoto

Microbiome
Alice McHardy
Thomas Rattei
Alexander Sczyrba

MLCSB: Machine Learning in Computational and Systems Biology
Karsten Borgwardt
Katharina Heinrich

NetBio: Network Biology
Alexander Pico
Natasa Przulj

OBF/BOSC: Open Bioinformatics Foundation/Bioinformatics Open Source Conference
Peter Cock
Nomi Harris

RegSys: Regulatory and Systems Genomics
Manolis Kellis
Lonnie Welch

SysMod: Computational Modeling of Biological Systems
Tomáš Helikar
Nicolas Le Novre

TransMed: Translational Medicine Informatics & Applications
Venkata Satagopam

VarI: Variant Interpretation
Hannah Carter
Emidio Capriotti
Yana Bromberg

GETTING AROUND

Chicago's First Lady Architecture Cruise Credit: Adam Alexander Photography

Links within this page:
Transit Authority - Metra - Taxis - Water Taxis - Bike - Parking - RideScout

Find your way around the city once you are here.

Chicago is a walking city with an easy-to-navigate downtown grid. Madison Street divides the city north and south, while State Street divides it east and west. The State/Madison intersection marks the origin of Chicago's address grid system. Addresses are relative to the distance from that mark, with eight blocks to every mile. So an address of 3600 North Clark means that it is 36 blocks north of Madison.

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system – serving the City of Chicago and 40 neighboring communities by rail and bus. Pay cash for single trip rides or purchase a reloadable Ventra Transit Card or Unlimited Ride Pass for added savings.

For full fare information, transit card retailers and maps, visit the Chicago Transit Authority website at transitchicago.com. Also look to their site for the latest updates to train schedules and routes that may affect your travel plans.

‘L' Trains: Not all of Chicago's eight ‘L' lines are "elevated." They do, however, connect the city via above-ground, street-level and subway trains and serve 144 rail stations all over town, making the ‘L' one of the most efficient and affordable methods of transportation available. Two lines operate 24 hours a day: the Blue Line, which connects the airport and downtown, and the Red Line, with service between the North and South Sides via downtown.

Buses: More than 100 routes lace the city; buses stop every few blocks. Several lines operate 24 hours a day. Exact change is required for cash fare.

Full Fare with Cash (bus only)
Acceptable on buses using exact change only in dollar bills or coins; no transfers available.

• Single ride: $2.25

Single Ride Disposable Ventra Ticket (bus and rail)
Ventra Tickets are good only for a limited time and cannot be loaded again once used up. Includes a full fare and two transfers (a $2.50 value), plus a $0.50 limited-use media fee.

• Single ride: $3.00

1-Day Disposable Ventra Ticket (bus and rail)
Ventra Tickets are good only for a limited time and cannot be loaded again once the value is used up. Includeds unlimited rides within 24 hours of activation.

• Unlimited rides for 24 hours: $10.00

Full Fare with Reloadable Ventra Card (bus and rail)
Transfers must occur within two hours of the first ride. Available online and at rail station vending machines.

• First ride: $2.00 (bus)
• First ride: $2.25 (rail)
• First transfer: $0.25
• Second transfer: FREE

O'Hare Station Fare (rail)
Effective January 14, 2013, a $5 O'Hare rate applies to riders paying full fare from the O'Hare Blue Line Station.

• First ride if starting at O'Hare: $5.00
• First transfer: $0.25
• Second transfer: FREE

Unlimited Ride Passes (bus and rail)
Activated on first use, passes allow unlimited rides for the specified time, offering the best travel value.

• 1-Day CTA Fun Pass: $10.00
• 3-Day CTA Pass: $20.00
• 7-Day CTA Pass: $28.00

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METRA COMMUTER RAIL

The high-speed Metra commuter rail train connects outlying suburbs to downtown and is an easy way to get into the heart of the city fast. For exact fares and route maps, visit the Metra website at metrarail.com.

Fares
• Single trip: $2.75 and up based on zones traveled
• 10-ride pass: $27.50 and up based on zones traveled

- top -

TAXIS

Taxis are plentiful and easy-to-hail downtown and at the airports, and offer a convenient way to get around the city. Credit cards are accepted in all cabs by city mandate. It is standard to tip the driver about 15-20% of the fare, plus $1-2 per bag if the driver helps you with luggage. Please note that all fares are subject to change. Sample taxi fare between downtown and O'Hare Airport is $40-50, and between Midway Airport is $30-35.

You can also electronically hail (E-Hail) a taxicab through a mobile app. CHICABS offers safe and secure options for a Chicago taxicab ride. CHICABS approved apps ARRO and CURB also let passengers electronically pay (E-Pay) for the taxicab fare through the app.

Fares
• Taxis charge a base rate of $3.25, plus $1.80 for each additional mile and $0.20 for every 36 seconds of time elapsed.
• If a gas surcharge is in effect, a sign will be displayed inside the taxicab and a surcharge may apply. Tolls are an extra charge. Taxis charge $1 for the first additional passenger over age 12 and under age 65; each additional passenger after that is $0.50.

- top -

WATER TAXIS

For fast, affordable and fun connections between Chicago's top tourist destinations, Chicago Water Taxi by Wendella Boats and Shoreline Water Taxi are the perfect combination of sightseeing and convenient transportation. During the warm weather season, travel on these fun water rides to popular visitor sites such as Chinatown, Museum Campus, Willis Tower, Michigan Avenue, Union Station and more. For exact fares and route maps, visit chicagowatertaxi.com or shorelinesightseeing.com/water-taxi.

Fares
• Single ride: $3.00-8.00
• Day pass: $11.00-29.00

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CHICAGO BY BIKE

For cyclists, information on Chicago's bike sharing program Divvy, local bike lanes and bicycle rack parking is available at chicagocompletestreets.org.

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PARKING

Click here to access an interactive parking map of downtown Chicago to search for public parking lots and garages by address and points of interest.

Want to pay for parking in advance? Find the perfect Chicago parking spot by comparing price, location, and amenities. Reserve your spot now.

• Parking Panda
• ParkWhiz
• SpotHero

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RIDESCOUT

Looking for a way to figure out the best of all your Chicago transportation options? Download the free mobile app RideScout for real-time information right on your phone. From Divvy bike ride share stations and CTA train/bus routes, to parking spots for your car or taxi pick ups — one simple view provides total transportation time, cost and nearest point to access.


Information provided by:

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EXPLORING CHICAGO

The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago in the Willis Tower Credit: Skydeck Chicago

For information, please click here.

GETTING HERE

The entrance to Chicago's Navy Pier Credit: Skydeck Chicago

Links within this page: Plane - Car - Bus - Train - Motorcoach

Traveling here via plane, automobile, or train.

Situated squarely in the center of the country, Chicago is easy to travel to from virtually everywhere. Thanks to thousands of flights options at two international airports, six class-one railroads, a vast network of major highways and a wide variety of airlines, it is one of the most cost-competitive and convenient cities for domestic and international travel.

GETTING HERE BY PLANE

O'Hare International Airport, located 17 miles from downtown, is one of the largest airports in the world. It is North America's major international gateway airport, servicing over 67 million passengers to and from over 200 destinations around the globe.

Midway International Airport is located 10 miles from downtown Chicago and offers another convenient travel option for visitors. It is the nation's premier point-to-point airport, offering value-oriented leisure and business travel to over 60 destinations.

Visit flychicago.com for details on parking, amenities, flight status, terminal maps and more for both O'Hare and Midway airports.

• Average Domestic Flight Times to Chicago
• Average International Flight Times to Chicago

Both airports offer plentiful taxi service to downtown and the suburbs. Rates range from $40-50 from O'Hare, and $30-40 from Midway. Rates vary based on travel time and are subject to change.

The Chicago Transit Authority serves both airports for easy and economical travel between downtown and Chicago neighborhoods using the 'L' train. The 24-hour CTA Blue Line connects directly to O'Hare and the CTA Orange Line connects directely to Midway. Read more on getting around Chicago with public transportation or visit transitchicago.com/airports for full fare information and maps.

GO Airport Express provides shared ride services to all downtown/suburban hotels and many businesses. Pair fares and group discounts are available along with customized reservation portals for your groups.

Many major car rental companies have facilities at the O'Hare and Midway Airports, including Avis, Alamo, Budget and Hertz. Please visit specific rental company websites for details.

Limousine and chauffer agencies prefer that all customers reserve cars at least 48 hours in advance although cars can occasionally be ordered with a two-hour notice. Click here for a list of available transportation services.

GETTING HERE BY CAR

With it's central geopgraphic location and status as a hub for major interstates, Chicago is convenient to drive to from every region in the country. In fact, more than 20 million people live within a three-hour drive of the city.

• Average Drive Times to Chicago

Chicago is accessible via several major interstates and highways: I-90 (Kennedy Expressway), I-94 (Dan Ryan Expressway), I-55 (Stevenson Expressway), I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway), I-294 (Tri-State Tollway).

Use this fully-interactive parking map to search for parking options in downtown Chicago.

GETTING HERE BY BUS

Greyhound Lines, Inc. is the largest provider of intercity bus transportation, serving more than 3,800 destinations with 13,000 daily departures across North America. Greyhound has five metro-Chicago locations, including two 24-hour stations and 20 express routes to major US cities.

Megabus.com is the first, low-cost, express bus service to offer city-to-city travel for as low as $1 via the Internet. Since launching in April 2006, megabus.com has served more than 22 million customers throughout more than 120 cities across North America.

GETTING HERE BY TRAIN

Amtrak serves Chicago with about 50 trains arriving and departing daily. With 21,000 route miles in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces, the national rail operator Amtrak offers more than 300 trains each day—at high speeds up to 150 mph—to more than 500 destinations.

The South Shore Line services Chicago through Northern Indiana to the South Bend Airport. If you are planning a trip involving a large group like a school function please call for groups rates 219-874-4221 ext. 245 at least one month prior to your date of travel.

GETTING HERE BY MOTORCOACH

Click here to access parking information, resources and drive times for visiting Chicago by motorcoach.


Information provided by:

GETTING AROUND

Chicago's First Lady Architecture Cruise Credit: Adam Alexander Photography

Links within this page:
Transit Authority - Metra - Taxis - Water Taxis - Bike - Parking - RideScout

Find your way around the city once you are here.

Chicago is a walking city with an easy-to-navigate downtown grid. Madison Street divides the city north and south, while State Street divides it east and west. The State/Madison intersection marks the origin of Chicago's address grid system. Addresses are relative to the distance from that mark, with eight blocks to every mile. So an address of 3600 North Clark means that it is 36 blocks north of Madison.

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system – serving the City of Chicago and 40 neighboring communities by rail and bus. Pay cash for single trip rides or purchase a reloadable Ventra Transit Card or Unlimited Ride Pass for added savings.

For full fare information, transit card retailers and maps, visit the Chicago Transit Authority website at transitchicago.com. Also look to their site for the latest updates to train schedules and routes that may affect your travel plans.

‘L' Trains: Not all of Chicago's eight ‘L' lines are "elevated." They do, however, connect the city via above-ground, street-level and subway trains and serve 144 rail stations all over town, making the ‘L' one of the most efficient and affordable methods of transportation available. Two lines operate 24 hours a day: the Blue Line, which connects the airport and downtown, and the Red Line, with service between the North and South Sides via downtown.

Buses: More than 100 routes lace the city; buses stop every few blocks. Several lines operate 24 hours a day. Exact change is required for cash fare.

Full Fare with Cash (bus only)
Acceptable on buses using exact change only in dollar bills or coins; no transfers available.

• Single ride: $2.25

Single Ride Disposable Ventra Ticket (bus and rail)
Ventra Tickets are good only for a limited time and cannot be loaded again once used up. Includes a full fare and two transfers (a $2.50 value), plus a $0.50 limited-use media fee.

• Single ride: $3.00

1-Day Disposable Ventra Ticket (bus and rail)
Ventra Tickets are good only for a limited time and cannot be loaded again once the value is used up. Includeds unlimited rides within 24 hours of activation.

• Unlimited rides for 24 hours: $10.00

Full Fare with Reloadable Ventra Card (bus and rail)
Transfers must occur within two hours of the first ride. Available online and at rail station vending machines.

• First ride: $2.00 (bus)
• First ride: $2.25 (rail)
• First transfer: $0.25
• Second transfer: FREE

O'Hare Station Fare (rail)
Effective January 14, 2013, a $5 O'Hare rate applies to riders paying full fare from the O'Hare Blue Line Station.

• First ride if starting at O'Hare: $5.00
• First transfer: $0.25
• Second transfer: FREE

Unlimited Ride Passes (bus and rail)
Activated on first use, passes allow unlimited rides for the specified time, offering the best travel value.

• 1-Day CTA Fun Pass: $10.00
• 3-Day CTA Pass: $20.00
• 7-Day CTA Pass: $28.00

METRA COMMUTER RAIL

The high-speed Metra commuter rail train connects outlying suburbs to downtown and is an easy way to get into the heart of the city fast. For exact fares and route maps, visit the Metra website at metrarail.com.

Fares
• Single trip: $2.75 and up based on zones traveled
• 10-ride pass: $27.50 and up based on zones traveled

TAXIS

Taxis are plentiful and easy-to-hail downtown and at the airports, and offer a convenient way to get around the city. Credit cards are accepted in all cabs by city mandate. It is standard to tip the driver about 15-20% of the fare, plus $1-2 per bag if the driver helps you with luggage. Please note that all fares are subject to change. Sample taxi fare between downtown and O'Hare Airport is $40-50, and between Midway Airport is $30-35.

You can also electronically hail (E-Hail) a taxicab through a mobile app. CHICABS offers safe and secure options for a Chicago taxicab ride. CHICABS approved apps ARRO and CURB also let passengers electronically pay (E-Pay) for the taxicab fare through the app.

Fares
• Taxis charge a base rate of $3.25, plus $1.80 for each additional mile and $0.20 for every 36 seconds of time elapsed.
• If a gas surcharge is in effect, a sign will be displayed inside the taxicab and a surcharge may apply. Tolls are an extra charge. Taxis charge $1 for the first additional passenger over age 12 and under age 65; each additional passenger after that is $0.50.

WATER TAXIS

For fast, affordable and fun connections between Chicago's top tourist destinations, Chicago Water Taxi by Wendella Boats and Shoreline Water Taxi are the perfect combination of sightseeing and convenient transportation. During the warm weather season, travel on these fun water rides to popular visitor sites such as Chinatown, Museum Campus, Willis Tower, Michigan Avenue, Union Station and more. For exact fares and route maps, visit chicagowatertaxi.com or shorelinesightseeing.com/water-taxi.

Fares
• Single ride: $3.00-8.00
• Day pass: $11.00-29.00

CHICAGO BY BIKE

For cyclists, information on Chicago's bike sharing program Divvy, local bike lanes and bicycle rack parking is available at chicagocompletestreets.org.

PARKING

Click here to access an interactive parking map of downtown Chicago to search for public parking lots and garages by address and points of interest.

Want to pay for parking in advance? Find the perfect Chicago parking spot by comparing price, location, and amenities. Reserve your spot now.

• Parking Panda
• ParkWhiz
• SpotHero

RIDESCOUT

Looking for a way to figure out the best of all your Chicago transportation options? Download the free mobile app RideScout for real-time information right on your phone. From Divvy bike ride share stations and CTA train/bus routes, to parking spots for your car or taxi pick ups — one simple view provides total transportation time, cost and nearest point to access.


Information provided by:

Program Menu

• Birds of a Feather
• BD2K Special Presentation
• ELIXIR Special Presentation
• COSI Tracks & Other Abstracts
  • 3DSIG
  • Bio-Ontologies
  • BioVis
  • CAMDA
  • CompMS
  • Education
  • EvolCompGen
  • Function SIG
  • General Computational Biology
  • HiTSeq
  • Microbiome
  • MLCSB
  • NetBio
  • RegSys
  • RNA
  • Sysmod
  • TransMed
  • Vari
• Town Hall
• ISMB Distinguished Keynote Speakers
• Posters
• Proceedings
• Schedule Overview
• Special Sessions
• Student Council Symposium
• Technology Tracks
• Tutorials
• Workshops

ISMB 2018 - About Us

The annual international conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) is the flagship meeting of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB). The 2018 conference is the 26th ISMB conference, which has grown to become the world's largest bioinformatics/computational biology conference.  The 2018 conference takes place July 6-10, in Chicago, IL, USA at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

ISMB brings together scientists from computer science, molecular biology, mathematics, statistics and related fields. Its principal focus is on the development and application of advanced computational methods for biological problems.

ISMB provides an intense multidisciplinary forum for disseminating the latest developments in bioinformatics/computational biology, fostering fresh dialogues and perspectives to learn about and shape the future of the field. In response to the increasing interest in the activities of the ISCB’s Communities of Special Interest (COSIs) who have previously organized the Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings at ISMB, ISMB 2018 will be organized with the active participation of the COSIs. In the second year of this organizational format, it will continue to  streamline sessions, highlight emerging or hot research areas, and have an outstanding scientifically effective program.

The conference format retains the key features that make ISMB a successful open conference, including proceedings talks and presentations that include highlights (previously published research) and late-breaking research. Each day of the four-day conference includes outstanding keynote lectures, technical tracks, COSI track presentations, a variety of workshops, special sessions, equal opportunities activities, a students’ council day and focused presentations on other important research area topics in computational biology. Some of these are around research communities which include: Critical Assessment of Metagenome Interpretation; Computational Immune Oncology; Machine Learning in Systems Biology; along with a Bioinformatics Core Workshop and Workshop on Education in Bioinformatics. The structure is intended to bring a new energy and flow to the conference by centering it thematically around the vibrant ISCB COSI communities. Further, with the COSIs more central to the conference, networking within and between the scientific communities will be greatly enhanced.

ISMB enables intensified community involvement and bolsters its reputation as the leading conference in the field, with the strongest scientific and technical program that showcases the best international developments in bioinformatics and computational biology.