SPS Summer School 2026: 20 young researchers from around the world trained in transcriptomics at the cellular-level (scRNAseq)

Over one week, twenty young researchers had the opportunity to deepen their theoretical and practical knowledge in single-cell RNA sequencing, a  key skill in SPS, while expanding their professional network.

The participants, 11 PhD students and 9 postdoctoral researchers, represented 16 different nationalities and came from laboratories in 10 countries, including Japan and the USA.

The program started with a session of flash talks and poster presentations, allowing organizers and participants to get to know each other and discuss their research projects. The week also featured lectures and courses led by scientists from the SPS network and invited speakers, covering all steps of a scRNAseq project in plants. The program was enriched by hands-on laboratory sessions, as well as workshops on bioinformatics and statistical analysis of RNA-Seq data.

In a friendly atmosphere, participants also enjoyed informal activities, such as the traditional pétanque tournament, dinner at a restaurant, a visit to the Versailles Palace, and an improvised wine-tasting.

Once again, the summer school was a huge success!
Feedback from participants was very positive: 

“The SPS Summer School 2026 has been the best I have attended so far”

“I appreciated the quality of the organization, the supportive atmosphere, and the fact that the organizers were very pedagogical and made the content easy to understand. The sessions were interesting and well structured, and it was a great opportunity to exchange with other participants.”

“The lectures were excellent, delivered by experienced experts in the field. There was a good balance between fundamental concepts and practical applications, making even complex topics easy to understand.”

“I really enjoyed the informal sessions, which give us an opportunity to interact with other participants, and learn about their research.”

The organizers were also very satisfied, because this summer school allowed them to interact in person and compare their expertise on single-cell analysis.

By organizing this summer school, SPS reaffirms its strong commitment to training young international researchers, as well as its members’ willingness to share their knowledge. An adaptation of the content of this summer school for SPS members is currently under consideration.