Stars of the Show
Matt Loose
Professor at University of Nottingham
Jory Lietard
Assistant professor in Nucleic Acid Chemistry at the University of Vienna
Florian Kraft
Center for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Monika Čechová
Assistant professor – Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing, Masaryk University
Alexander Rotmann
Associate Director, FAS Team Central Europe at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Sebastian Ganschow
Field Applications Scientist – Genomics at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Petr Táborský
Nanopore Failure-driven Expert – Application Specialist – I.T.A.-Intertact, NGS GEEKS division
Fasten your seatbelts, the ride to the future begins in
Days
Hours
Minutes
Central European Nanopore Days
9.-11.2.2026 / UNIVERSITY CENTRE TELČ
“The future will pass through nanopores – so come see the future”
Come see the future with Nanopore sequencing!
Join us for the Central European Nanopore Days 2026, the pivotal kick-off, where the cutting-edge of technology meets biology. University Centre Telč, in the heart of Europe, welcomes both newcomers and seasoned scientists to explore the vast capabilities of nanopore sequencing. Engage in workshops, listen to expert talks, and participate in innovative poster sessions.
Nanopore sequencing is revolutionizing our understanding by revealing subtle biological nuances in the direct sequencing of DNA, RNA, and even proteins. Come and learn how you can use this tool in your research to achieve answers to your questions!
Whether you’re here to share your research, learn about the latest advancements, or network with pioneers, the Central European Nanopore Days is your gateway to the future for your research. Don’t miss the chance to see how missing details can change everything in our understanding of biology.
Quick Info
Keynote Speakers
Florian Kraft
Center for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine – Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
„Florian Kraft studied Biochemistry at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, and obtained his PhD at the Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena. He is currently working at the Center for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine at University Hospital RWTH Aachen. His research focuses on rare genetic diseases, integrating short- and long-read sequencing technologies to elucidate the molecular basis of inherited disorders. A particular emphasis of his work lies on epigenetic modifications and their role in regulating genome activity and disease mechanisms.”
Come and hear Florians’s talk:
Jory Lietard
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna
“Jory Lietard is an assistant professor in Nucleic Acid Chemistry at the University of Vienna. He got a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Bern and worked on the development of oligonucleotide therapeutics. He went to McGill University in Montreal, Canada, for a post-doc in the synthesis of modified nucleosides and joined the group of Mark Somoza at the University of Vienna in 2015 to work on the photolithographic synthesis of DNA and RNA microarrays. In 2020 he became Principal Investigator and in 2024 he entered a tenure track in Nucleic Acid Chemistry. His work focuses on the development of new types of high-density microarrays, specifically RNA and chemically modified nucleic acids, for the purpose of preparing complex sequence libraries, to interrogate RNA-binding proteins, and for therapeutic purposes.”
Come and hear Jory’s talk: Chemical libraries of long RNA oligonucleotides synthesized by microarray photolithography
Monika Čechová
Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University
“Monika Čechová has long been dedicated to researching the most complex and repetitive regions of human DNA. She played a significant role in the first complete sequencing of the human Y chromosome. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, where she focuses on studying the intergenerational inheritance of complex genomic regions, such as centromeres and telomeres. Her professional career bridges the fields of computer science and biology; she graduated in Applied Informatics and Bioinformatics, earned her PhD in Biology from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in the U.S., and subsequently spent over two years at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Monika Čechová is a laureate of the 2025 Czexpats Award and is actively involved in connecting the scientific community within the fields of bioinformatics and genomics in the Czech Republic.”
Come and hear Monika’s talk: Genetic and epigenetic variation in human centromeres across generations
Matt Loose
DeepSeq High Throughput Sequencing Centre, University of Nottingham
“Matt Loose is a computational biologist with a background in developmental biology, focusing on gene regulatory networks and large, complex genomes. He is a pioneer in long read Nanopore sequencing, having led the development of selective sequencing approaches such as Read Until, and has worked closely with Oxford Nanopore and others on developing high-throughput and ultra-long read methodologies. Matt was a key contributor to the Nanopore WGS Consortium, generating landmark human genome and transcriptome datasets. He leads the DeepSeq High Throughput Sequencing Centre at the University of Nottingham and now his work has focuses on rapid Nanopore-based diagnostics, including ROBIN, a tool enabling near real-time classification of brain tumours, potentially during surgery.”
Come and hear Matt’s talk: Rapid diagnostics with Nanopore: CNS and beyond
Sebastian Ganschow
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
“Sebastian is a molecular biologist and bioinformatician. He received his PhD in forensic genetics from the Bielefeld University, Germany. Since 2015, he focused on the application of next-generation sequencing technologies across different areas of life sciences. As a field applications scientist, Sebastian provides technical support to Nanopore customers. He assists in the development of sequencing workflows and delivers Nanopore trainings to ensure the success of sequencing projects.”
Come and hear Alex’s and Sebastian’s talk:
Alexander Rotmann
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
“Dr. Alexander Rotmann is a life sciences leader with over 20 years of experience spanning scientific research, technical support, and global customer enablement. He currently serves as Associate Director of the FAS Central Team at Oxford Nanopore Technology.
Previously, he spent eight years at Thermo Fisher Scientific, progressing from Senior Technical Support Scientist to Manager of Technical Support, overseeing teams, delivering expert support in NGS sequencing and qPCR, and building impactful training programs. Earlier, he held technical support roles at Life Technologies, providing international customer training and remote expertise across CE, NGS sequencing, and molecular biology applications.
Dr. Rotmann career is grounded in strong scientific research experience, including postdoctoral work at the University of Heidelberg on antimalarial drug resistance, and doctoral research at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where he earned his PhD in Pharmacology and MSc in Biology.”
Come and hear Alex’s and Sebastian’s talk:
Petr Táborský
NGS Geeks Division of I.T.A.-Intertact
“Petr Táborský previously focused on the diversity and phylogeny of anaerobic protists. He graduated from the Faculty of Science, Charles University, and worked in Canada and at the Parasitological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in České Budějovice. After moving to NGS Geeks, he focuses on the applied use of Oxford Nanopore technologies and on implementing workflows for the practical deployment of long-read sequencing. Through work on diverse customer projects, he has accumulated extensive experience—including bunch of mistakes he has seen or made himself—which he uses to help customers avoid pitfalls and accelerate the path to reproducible results. He is a recipient of the Vakovlk Award for a paper published in the highest–impact-factor journal among PhD students of the Department of Zoology, and he participated in the STARS program for talented students of the Department of Zoology. His hands are pure gold in the lab.”
Come and hear Petr’s talk: FAQ vs. F**k ups: The Final Frontier Between Wisdom and Blunders
Program
Program Highlights
This year’s programme will cover a broad range of cutting-edge topics in genomics and sequencing technologies, including:
- Genome structure, centromeres, and complex genomic regions
- Epigenetics and DNA methylation analysis
- RNA biology and synthetic RNA technologies
- Human genetics and rare disease clinical research
- Environmental genomics and metagenomics
…and much more.
What can you expect above all the serious stuff?
FAQ vs. F**k ups: The Final Frontier Between Wisdom and Blunders – talk about things sometimes going pearshaped, even when you are an NGS Hero!
Short morning jogging for long read day
PubQuiz
Commented walk through historical centre of the city Telč
And also social evening, lunch, and lots of coffee.
Too excited to sleep? Come hang out for a pre-meeting beer on Sunday! We’ll be at Panský dvůr starting at 19:00.
7:30-8:00
Short morning jogging for Long-read day (~5km)
9:00
Registration
9:00-11:00
Workshop – you can join any time
11:30-13:00
Lunch
13:00-13:15
Welcome speech
13:20-14:20
Alexander Rotmann + Sebastian Ganschow
Oxford Nanopore Technologies News
14:20-14:40
Jory Lietard
Chemical libraries of long RNA oligonucleotides synthesized by microarray photolithography
14:40-15:15
Coffee Break
15:30-15:45
Matěj Lexa
G-quadruplex annotation and mutational dynamics in long-read based human genome assemblies.
15:45-16:30
Monika Čechová
The bioinformatics in the era of complete T2T human genomes
16:30-19:00
Posters / coffee / playground / bioinformatic consultation
19:00-1:00
Social evening
9:00
Registration
7:30-8:00
Short morning jogging for Long-read day (~5km)
8:00-10:00
Morning coffee (Breakfast not included)
9:30-10:00
Molecular tools for NGS (Vazyme Biotech)
Human Genetics block
With keynore speaker Florian Kraft
11:30-13:00
Lunch
Oncogenetics block
with keynote speaker Matt Loose
15:15-16:30
Panel discussion
19:00-22:00
Dinner + PubQuiz
8:00-8:30
Short morning jogging for Long-read day (~5km)
8:30-9:30
Morning coffee (Breakfast not included)
Petr Táborský
FAQ vs. F**k ups: The Final Frontier Between Wisdom and Blunders
Microbiology / basic research
Keynote speaker TBA
11:00-11:20
Workshop evaluation
11:20-13:00
Lunch
Farewell
Good job! You made it.
You are a Hero!
News
Registration open now!
1.11.2025
Register now to be part of CENDa!
Engage in workshops, listen to expert talks, and participate in innovative poster sessions.
Still few spots left
10.1.2026
Don’t miss your chance to share your research with CENDa community. We are accepting abstracts for your oral talks until 21st of January 2026.
Venue
University Centre Telč
Located in the picturesque town of Telč, the university centre serves as both educational and cultural hub. The centre was established by Masaryk University in the former Jesuit College complex.
The carefully renovated historical compound constitutes an excellent environment for the implementation of higher education: the lecture rooms, office spaces, library, café and accommodation facilities are all filled with a unique atmosphere.
For advice on how to get to the Venue, do not hesitate to reach us. We are here to help!
Náměstí Zachariáše z Hradce 2
588 56 Telč, Czech Republic
How to get there
Accomodation
Please note that all participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodations. Should you need recommendations or require any assistance, please feel free to contact us.
We’re here to help!
You can order breakfast at Panský dvůr Telč.
See Our suggestions for contact info →
Our suggestions
Panský dvůr Telč
For conference attendees 20% off. Key word “Nanopore”. Booking by email.
Accomodation at the University Centre
Organizers
I.T.A.-Intertact
NGS Geeks Division
We are part of the I.T.A.-Interact family – supplier of laboratory instruments, reagents and laboratory plastics.
You probably know them already, but for the record: they excel in flow cytometry, have been on the market since 1996 and represent manufacturers such as SONY Biotechnology, Zybio and Thermo Fisher.
Contacts
CEITEC
Core Facility Genomics
Core Facility Genomics (CFG) provides genomic analysis services and access to cutting-edge genomic instrumentation. Our main technologies include massively parallel sequencing using Illumina and nanopore sequencing, and high-throughput and digital PCR. We also have access to additional instrumentation, including cell sorters, flow cytometers, and Laser Capture Microdissection, through our partnership with CEITEC Center of Molecular Medicine. We can also serve as a technological platform for the organization of workshops of various sizes, collaborating with various suppliers and application specialists.
Partners
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ goal isto bring the widest benefits to societythrough enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere.
The innovative nanopore-based sensingtechnology provides real-time, accurate, accessible, and scalable analysis of DNA and RNA. Used in more than 125 countries, it aids in understanding human, plant, animal, bacterial, viral, and environmentalbiology, as well as a range of diseasesincluding cancer, and has significant potential impacts in healthcare, food, and agriculture.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies products are not intended for use for health assessment or to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure, or prevent any disease or condition.
Vazyme
Vazyme is a global technology and service provider dedicated to the design, manufacture, and application of bioactive proteins in life science, in vitro diagnostics, bio-medicine, and others. Producing all core materials in-house and adhering to GMP quality control standards, Vazyme endeavor to maintain a stable and sufficient supply of top-quality products for global customers.
