How Computational Biologists Build Their Own Discovery Engine
Imagine trying to solve a million-piece puzzle where the pieces keep multiplying, changing shape, and come without a picture guide. This is the challenge modern biologists face in the age of genomics and big data.
Every day, powerful sequencing technologies generate enormous amounts of biological information.
Computational biologists develop algorithms to transform raw data into knowledge about health and life.
Yves Moreau and Jaap Heringa engineered a knowledge-sharing ecosystem that accelerated discovery 2 .
This is the untold story of how the architects behind scientific conferences build the collaboration engines that drive biology into the future.
While a single conference might appear as a unified event, it's actually a symphony of coordinated effort performed by multiple specialized committees. Think of these committees as the executive, circulatory, and nervous systems of the scientific community, each with distinct but interconnected functions 1 .
Conference Chair
From the University of Leuven, Belgium, serving as the visionary responsible for the overall scientific direction and success of ECCB10.
| Committee | Chair(s) | Primary Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Steering Committee | Michal Linial (Hebrew University) | Long-term vision, conference strategy across years |
| Local Organizing Committee | Gert Vriend, Yves Van de Peer, et al. | Local logistics, venue, regional coordination |
| Program Committee | Various Area Chairs | Scientific content, abstract review, session organization |
| Workshop & Tutorial Chair | Peter Van Loo | Specialized pre-conference educational sessions |
| Poster Committee | Peter Konings & Jaap Heringa | Poster presentations, student evaluations |
These committees transformed ECCB from a concept into a living scientific organism, with each group tackling different aspects of the conference 1 .
Just as scientific papers undergo rigorous peer review, so did every presentation at ECCB10. The conference implemented a sophisticated filtering system to ensure only the highest quality research would be shared 1 .
Researchers submit abstracts and papers for consideration
Submissions assigned to relevant area chairs based on topic
Expert reviewers evaluate scientific merit and novelty
Program committee selects best submissions for presentation
The program committee was organized into specialized areas mirroring the cutting-edge domains of computational biology:
| Research Domain | Area Chairs |
|---|---|
| Sequence Analysis | Des Higgins, Geoff Barton |
| Comparative Genomics | Martijn Huynen, Yves Van de Peer |
| Protein & Nucleotide Structure | Anna Tramontano, Jan Gorodkin |
| Gene Regulation | Jaak Vilo, Zohar Yakhini |
| Genomic Medicine | Yves Moreau, Niko Beerenwinkel |
This organizational structure allowed for precise expertise matching – ensuring that submissions about protein folding were evaluated by protein experts, while genomics papers were reviewed by genomics specialists 1 .
Beyond the formal structure, the conference designers understood a crucial principle: breakthrough collaborations often begin in hallway conversations, not conference halls. They intentionally designed spaces and events to foster what they called "lower-pressure environments" – coffee breaks, poster sessions, and social events where students could interact with established researchers without the formal barriers of the lecture hall 4 .
Research has shown that early-career researchers find large conferences daunting, especially when presenting to field experts and potential employers. The ECCB10 organization addressed this by creating multiple presentation formats – allowing young scientists to build confidence in progressively more challenging settings 4 .
The ECCB10 committee wasn't just European in name alone; it represented a truly continental effort with participants from over a dozen countries. The steering committee alone included representatives from Israel, Denmark, Switzerland, UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, and Estonia 1 .
This geographic diversity wasn't accidental – it was intentional design. Different research communities across Europe had developed specialized expertise, and the conference served as a knowledge exchange hub where these distinct strengths could cross-pollinate.
| Country | Representatives | Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Yves Moreau, Kathleen Marchal | University of Leuven, University of Ghent |
| Netherlands | Jaap Heringa | Free University of Amsterdam, Radboud University |
| Israel | Michal Linial, Nir Ben-Tal | Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University |
| Germany | Thomas Lengauer, Martin Vingron | Max-Planck Institute, Saarland University |
| Switzerland | Philipp Bucher, Niko Beerenwinkel | University of Lausanne, ETH Zürich |
| United Kingdom | David Gilbert, Alfonso Valencia | University of Glasgow, European Bioinformatics Institute |
| France | Marie-France Sagot, Denis Thieffry | INRIA, Université Claude Bernard |
Perhaps the most impactful legacy of conferences like ECCB10 is their role in nurturing early-career scientists. The International Society for Computational Biology Student Council (ISCB-SC) recognized this potential by organizing satellite events around major conferences like ECCB. These student symposia were specifically designed as "a less stressful environment" where students could present unfinished work, get feedback from peers rather than competitors, and practice for the main conference 4 .
Practice in supportive environments
Connect with peers and mentors
Guidance from experienced researchers
Pathways to future opportunities
This "for the students, by the students" approach created a virtuous cycle – today's student attendees become tomorrow's committee members, eventually evolving into the conference chairs who guide the next generation 4 .
Behind every computational biology breakthrough lies a set of fundamental tools and resources. These are the building blocks that researchers like Moreau, Heringa, and their colleagues use to transform raw data into biological insights.
| Tool/Resource | Type | Primary Function | Real-World Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Sequence Alignment Tools | Software Algorithm | Compare biological sequences to identify patterns | PRALINE toolkit for protein family analysis 6 |
| Protein Structure Prediction | Computational Method | Predict 3D protein structure from sequence | Coarse-grained simulations for protein folding 6 |
| Network Analysis Tools | Software Framework | Map and analyze biological interaction networks | NatalieQ for protein-protein interaction querying 6 |
| Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis | Computational Pipeline | Process and interpret DNA/RNA sequencing data | Error analysis and variant detection tools 6 |
| Phylogenetic Analysis | Statistical Method | Reconstruct evolutionary relationships | Methods for comparative genomics and evolution 6 |
These tools represent the "pipettes and test tubes" of the computational biologist – the essential instruments that enable discovery in silico rather than in vitro.
As the final presentations concluded and the last posters came down, the true impact of ECCB10 continued to reverberate through the scientific community. The conference had successfully fulfilled its mission as a catalyst for collaboration, a nursery for new talent, and an engine of innovation.
Yves Moreau, Jaap Heringa, and their dozens of committee members demonstrated that organizing science is itself a science – one that requires careful design, strategic planning, and deep understanding of how knowledge grows through connection.
They built what one might call "collaboration infrastructure" – the invisible framework that enables visible breakthroughs. The committees themselves became a model for how to scale scientific collaboration across geographic and disciplinary boundaries 4 .
In the end, the story of ECCB10 reminds us that behind every great scientific discovery stand not just brilliant individuals, but the carefully designed platforms for connection that make collective breakthroughs possible. As computational biology continues to evolve at a breathtaking pace, the conference model pioneered by Moreau, Heringa and their colleagues ensures that the field will have both the ideas and the infrastructure needed to turn data into understanding, and information into insight.