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Scientific Program

ASM BIG Scientific Program

The ASM Bioinformatics, Genomics and Big Data Conference (ASM BIG) brings together researchers, bioinformaticians and data experts to explore the latest advances in genomics, bioinformatics and data-driven discovery in the microbial sciences. Join leading experts as they share innovative research, emerging technologies and practical applications that are shaping the future of microbiology.

Conference attendees

Program Schedule

All Sessions Are in Eastern time

Note: The following schedule is a long-form comprehensive look at the meeting, including session times, speakers and topics. Continental breakfast will be provided on Oct. 12-14, and luncheon will be provided on Oct. 12 and 13. 

For a quick overview of conference sessions and other events, please visit our Schedule-at-a-Glance.

Jump to Day:

Sunday, Oct. 11
Monday, Oct. 12
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Wednesday, Oct. 14

Sunday, Oct. 11

9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Empowering Your Microbial Research With Expert Tools and Resources: Unlock the Power of NCBI Data $


Offsite Location: ASM Headquarters

$ An additional $25 workshop fee applies. Advance registration is required, and space is very limited.
4–6 p.m.

Opening Keynote Session

  • 4–4:10 p.m. | Opening Remarks
    Todd Treangen, Ph.D., Rice University, Program Committee Co-Chair

  • 4:10–5 p.m. | Tumor-Infiltrating Bacteria and Their Impact on the Tumor Microenvironment and Therapeutic Response
    Keynote Speaker: Susan Bullman, Ph.D., University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  • 5–5:50 p.m. | Genome Language Modeling for Biological Discovery and Design
    Keynote Speaker: Brian Hie, Ph.D., Standford University
5:50–6 p.m.

Tribute Presentation
6–7:30 p.m.

Welcome Reception
 

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Monday, Oct. 12

8–8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
8:30–10 a.m.

Scientific Session I: Epidemiology, From Global to Local Surveillance

Session Moderator(s): Jasna Kovac, Ph.D., Penn State University; Anne Piantadosi, M.D., Ph.D., Emory University School of Medicine

  • 8:30–9 a.m. | The Evolutionary Footprints of Microbial Transmission
    Speaker: Samuel Sheppard, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • 9–9:15 a.m. | Q&A and Discussion
  • 9:15–10 a.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
10–11:30 a.m.

Poster Session #1 With Refreshments
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

An Overview of the NIH Human Virome Program
12:30–1:15 p.m.

Lunch Buffet
1:15–2 p.m.

Sponsored Lunch & Learn Presentation: Next Gen Diagnostics


Next Gen Diagnostics
2–3:30 p.m.

Special Interest Session: Featured Presentations by Travel Award Recipients

Session Moderator(s): Todd Treangen, Ph.D., Rice University; Lee Katz, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
3:30–5 p.m.

Poster Session #2 With Refreshments
5–6:30 p.m.

Scientific Session II: Multiomics in the Clinic

Session Moderator(s): Elodie Ghedin, Ph.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Emily Snavely, Ph.D., University of Virginia

  • 5–5:30 p.m. | Resolving Host Response at Cellular Resolution With Multi-Modal Foundation Models
    Speaker: Robert Sebra, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

  • 5:30–5:45 p.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 5:45–6:30 p.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
 

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Tuesday, Oct. 13

8–8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
8:30–10 a.m.

Scientific Session III: Data Sharing, Visualization & AI

Session Moderator(s): Arjun Prasad, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI); Julie Dunning Hotopp, Ph.D., Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland

  • 8:30–9 a.m. | From Data to Discovery: AI-Powered Analysis in BRC Analytics
    Speaker: Michael Shatz, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins

  • 9–9:15 a.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 9:15–10 a.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
10–11:30 a.m.

Poster Session #3 With Refreshments
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Featured Oral Abstracts



Session Moderator: Ahmed Moustafa, BPharm, Ph.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
12:30–1:15 p.m.

Lunch Buffet
1:15–2 p.m.

Sponsored Lunch & Learn Presentation: Illumina


Illumina
2–3:30 p.m.

Special Interest Session: Graph-Based Analysis of Microbial Genomes

Session Moderator(s): Julie Dunning Hotopp, Ph.D., Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland; Lee Katz, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
3:30–5 p.m.

Poster Session #4 With Refreshments
5–6:30 p.m.

Scientific Session IV: Microbial Ecology, Systems Biology & the Microbiome

Session Moderator(s): Daria Van Tyne, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh; Timothy Read, Ph.D., Emory University School of Medicine

  • 5–5:30 p.m. | The Genomics of Bacterial Adaptation During Human Infections
    Speaker: Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

  • 5:30–5:45 p.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 5:45–6:30 p.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
 

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Wednesday, Oct. 14

7:45–8:15 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
8:15–9 a.m.

Sponsored Breakfast Symposium: ATCC
ATCC Logo
9–10:30 a.m.

Scientific Session V: Methods, Tools & Algorithms

Session Moderator(s): Laura Carroll, Ph.D., Umeå University; Todd Treangen, Ph.D., Rice University

  • 8:30–9 a.m. | Computational Challenges in Population-Scale Microbial Genomics
    Speaker: Christina Boucher, Ph.D., University of Florida

  • 9–9:15 a.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 9:15–10 a.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
10:30–10:45 a.m.

Morning Break
10:45–11:15 a.m.

When Tests Don’t Fit the Rules: Regulatory Challenges for Agnostic mNGS Diagnostics in Infectious Diseases



Session Moderator: ASM Health Unit
11:15 a.m.–12 p.m.

Meeting Wrap-Up

Julie Dunning Hotopp, Ph.D., Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland
Program Committee Co-Chair

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Pre-Conference Activities

Enhance your ASM BIG 2026 experience by joining us for one of two pre-conference activities designed to provide opportunities for hands-on learning, collaboration, and connection within the microbial bioinformatics and genomics community. Both activities will take place at ASM Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and not at the conference venue. Explore the Hackathon and NCBI Workshop below for additional details, registration information, and participation requirements.
asm-big-02026-pre-conference-events


ASM BIG 2026 Hackathon

Date and Time: 
Thursday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 9, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. ET

Offsite Location: ASM Headquarters

Registration: space is very limited, and participation is by application.

Join researchers, bioinformaticians, software developers, data scientists, microbiologists and other members of the scientific community for a collaborative, hands-on hackathon held prior to ASM BIG. Working in small, interdisciplinary teams, participants will tackle real-world challenges in bioinformatics, genomics and microbial data science while contributing to community-driven projects, sharing expertise and building new connections.

The hackathon is open to participants of all experience levels. Whether you have programming experience, domain expertise or simply an interest in collaborating and learning, diverse perspectives are encouraged and valued.

Submit an Application


Empowering Your Microbial Research With Expert Tools and Resources: Unlock the Power of NCBI Data

Date and Time: Sunday, Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET

Offsite Location: ASM Headquarters

Registration: an additional $25 workshop fee applies. Advance registration is required, and space is very limited.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has developed several resources supporting data sharing for pathogenic bacteria and viral sequences. In this hands-on workshop we will showcase a suite of services designed specifically for researchers working with pathogenic bacteria. Whether you are new to genomic data analysis or an experienced scientist looking for advanced analysis tools, this workshop brings together everything you need to optimize your workflow and drive impactful discoveries.

  • Gain practical skills for searching, retrieving and analyzing genomic and metagenomic datasets with powerful NCBI resources like Datasets, Sequence Read Archive (SRA) and Pathogen Detection.
  • Experience hands-on sessions with SRA Toolkit, STAT, HRRT and cutting-edge technologies for outbreak investigation and antimicrobial resistance research.
  • Network with fellow scientists and NCBI experts to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving field.

Bring your laptop! This hands-on workshop is ideal for microbiologists, bioinformaticians, public health professionals and anyone seeking to enhance their research capabilities through comprehensive data resources and analysis workflows.

To add the NCBI Workshop to your existing ASM BIG registration:

  1. Log in to your ASM account.
  2. Navigate to My Events.
  3. Select ASM Bioinformatics, Genomics and Big Data Conference (ASM BIG).
  4. Click Add Tracks/Sessions.
  5. Check the box next to NCBI Workshop.
  6. Click Save/Add to Cart.
  7. Complete checkout and payment to finalize your workshop registration.

Add NCBI Workshop in MyASM


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