On 21 October 2026, the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) of FORTH hosted a mini-symposium highlighting the latest advances and applications of Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing in biological and biomedical research.
The event was co-organized by IMBB Mentoring, the IMBB Genomics Facility, and ELTA 90 Group, the exclusive distributor of Oxford Nanopore Technologies in Greece. This hybrid event brought together researchers from IMBB, the University of Crete, and beyond to explore the exciting possibilities offered by nanopore sequencing and its growing impact on genomic research.
The symposium featured insightful presentations by ONT application scientists Dr. Sebastian Ganschow and Dr. Heidi Yoko Jäger, who shared their expertise on the latest advances, capabilities, and emerging applications of nanopore sequencing.
IMBB researchers Dr. Frederic Verret and Dr. Anastasios Pavlopoulos also shared their experiences applying ONT technology in their research, highlighting its applications in diatom (epi)genomics and efforts to improve the genome assembly and annotation of the crustacean model Parhyale hawaiensis.
The symposium provided an excellent forum for exchanging ideas, exploring emerging applications, and discussing future research directions and collaborations within the IMBB and University of Crete research communities and beyond.
IMBB-FORTH extends its warmest thanks to the ONT application scientists and IMBB researchers for their insightful presentations and to everyone who attended and contributed to the lively discussions and success of the event. We also thank our co-organizers for their collaboration and support. We are particularly grateful to Fotis Lamprou and ELTA 90 Group for their invaluable contributions to making this event possible.
The event underscored the importance of collaborative initiatives in advancing genomic technologies and fostering new research directions in long-read sequencing. We look forward to continuing these scientific exchanges and exploring new opportunities for collaboration!
