Computational Immunology Summer School University of Tartu

Overview

On-site in Tartu 28 July - 6 August 2025

Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoires (AIRRs) are key to the immune system's ability to recognise and combat diverse pathogens. These antigen-specific receptors, expressed by T and B cells, are generated through intricate genetic recombination processes. Their analysis is critical for understanding immune diversity, discovering disease biomarkers, developing personalised immunotherapies, and designing vaccines.

This programme is tailored for students with a basic knowledge of R and command-line tools, offering a comprehensive foundation in AIRR data analysis while also delving into advanced secondary analysis techniques. Participants will gain both theoretical insights and hands-on experience with cutting-edge computational tools and laboratory protocols.

Highlights:

• Core Topics: T-cell repertoire diversity mechanisms, wet-lab protocols, and computational approaches for AIRR analysis.
• Hands-On Learning: Solve practical challenges using real-world AIRR data through interactive notebooks and project-based workshops.

• Tool Training: Practical sessions with advanced tools such as MICXR, GLIPH2, ALICE, and others.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand the mechanisms behind adaptive immunity

• Understand the principles of bulk and single-cell immune repertoire assays

• Analyse diversity metrics, clonal distributions, and antigen specificity

• Conduct independent analyses of immune repertoire data

Accreditation

Every seven years, all Estonian higher education institutions must undergo external evaluation – institutional accreditation. The latest assessment took place in 2022. The assessment council of the Estonian Quality Agency for Education decided to accredit the University of Tartu for the next seven years (2023-2029).