Quest for Orthologs 9

Lausanne, 29th-30th August 2026

Welcome to the

Quest for Orthologs 9

29th-30th August 2026

About

The 9th edition of the Quest for Orthologs (QfO) meeting is a staple event in molecular evolutionary biology and genomics, bringing together researchers to advance methodological developments and the application of orthology. QfO is dedicated to developing large-scale methods for inferring orthology among fully sequenced genomes. The theme of the 2026 meeting is “Connecting Communities in the Quest for Orthologs.” By fostering collaboration between researchers, tool developers, and end-users, QfO aims to enhance the functional, evolutionary, and comparative understanding of genomes.

Hosted by the Department of Computational Biology of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, this meeting will welcome you in a friendly and relaxed environment on the shores of Lake Léman, with plenty of opportunities for discussing your work and exchange ideas with new friends and colleagues. Join us in Lausanne!

Speakers

Lucy J. Colwell
University of Cambridge

Erich Bornberg-Bauer
University of Münster

Katharina Hoff
University of Greifswald

Ekaterina Osipova
Harvard University

To Register or submit an abstract, click here:

Submit

Updated Programme (tentative)

9:00 - 9:30
Registration
9:30 - 9:40
Welcome - Information

9:40 - 10:25

Ekaterina Osipova - Keynote 1

Harvard University
TBD
10:25 - 10:50
Coffee Break
10:50 - 11:02

Odile Lecompte - Selected Short Talk

University of Strasbourg
A Comparative Genomic Framework for Myriapoda: Insights into the Evolution of Diplopoda and Chilopoda
11:02 - 11:14

Vinita Lamba - Selected Short Talk

University of Arkansas
Gene Loss under Constant Cold Identifies "Natural Knockout” in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes
11:14 - 11:26

Natasha Glover - Selected Short Talk

University of Lausanne
Functional expansion through ancestral gene gains followed by losses during tomato domestication: insights from carotenoid biosynthesis
11:26 - 11:38

Aaron Wacholder - Selected Short Talk

ETH Zurich
Resolving the origins of taxonomically restricted genes
11:38 - 11:50

Irene Julca - Selected Short Talk

Aarhus University
Towards Comparative QTLomics
11:50 - 13:20
Lunch Break

13:20 - 14:05

Erich Bornberg-Bauer - Keynote 2

University of Münster
TBD
14:05 - 14:30

Dannie Durand - Selected Talk

Carnegie Mellon University
A Locus Model of Multidomain Orthology

14:30 - 14:55

Nicola Bordin - Selected Talk

Università degli Studi di Padova
Shining light on structure and function in the dark protein universe
14:55 - 15:20
Coffee Break
15:20 - 16:05

Lucy Colwell - Keynote 3

University of Cambridge
TBD
16:05 - 16:17

Ogun Adebali - Selected Short Talk

Sabanci University
Exploring protein variants and associated disorders through phylogenetic approaches
16:17 - 16:29

Dave Moi - Selected Short Talk

N/A
Phylogenetic profiling using graph neural networks.
16:29 - 16:41

Song Li - Selected Short Talk

N/A
PLM-OMG: Protein Language Model-Based Ortholog Detection for Cross-Species Cell Type Mapping

16:41 - 16:44

Ali Yazdizadeh Kharrazi - Flash Talk

University of Lausanne
OrthoXML-tools: a toolkit for manipulating OrthoXML files for orthology data
16:44 - 16:47

Alanis Garcia - Flash Talk

University of Cordoba
In-silico characterization and orthology analysis of the AA13 family in the trans-kingdom pathogen Fusarium oxysporum
16:47 - 16:50

Pegah Taklifi - Flash Talk

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Uncovering the Selective History of Copy Number Variations in Birds
16:50 - 16:53

Fabien Sassolas - Flash Talk

University of Münster
Clade-specific deep-learning genome annotation for arthropods: from Insecta to Arachnida
16:53 - 16:56

Shakunthala Natarajan - Flash Talk

University of Bonn
DupyliCate: mining, classifying, and characterizing gene duplications
16:56 - 16:59

Martin Schoenstein - Flash Talk

University of Strasbourg
Profylo: A Python Package for Phylogenetic Profile Analysis
16:59 - 17:02

Silvia Prieto - Flash Talk

University of Lausanne
Microsynteny and functional relatedness: insights into eukaryotic genome evolution
17:02 - 17:05
Closing remarks
17:05 - 18:00
Poster Session
18:00 - 19:00
Break
19:00 - ∞)
Social Cruise Dinner

09:30 - 10:15

Katharina Hoff - Keynote 4

Universität Greifswald
TBD
10:15 - 10:40

Yury Malovichko - Selected Talk

Senckenberg Society for Nature Research
TOGA2 delivers scalable and precise gene annotation and ortholog identification across vertebrate genomes
10:40 - 11:05
Coffee Break

11:05 - 11:17

Jonathan Holmes - Selected Short Talk

University of Oxford
OrthoFinder: Improved phylogenetic ortholog inference with enhanced accuracy and scalability
11:17 - 11:29

Felix Langschied - Selected Short Talk

Goethe University Frankfurt
Targeted ortholog search in unannotated genome assemblies with fDOG-Assembly
11:29 - 11:41

Sina Majidian - Selected Short Talk

Chalmers University of Technology
FastOMA for orthology inference
11:41 - 11:53

Ikuo Uchiyama - Selected Short Talk

NIBB Okazaki
Large-scale ortholog classification of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) using MBGD
11:53 - 12:05

Evgenia Kriventseva - Selected Short Talk

University of Geneva
Scaling orthology: expanding the OrthoDB and BUSCO ecosystem
12:05 - 13:35
Lunch Break

13:35 - 14:00

Alan Bridge - Selected Talk

Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Connecting chemistry and orthology through UniProtKB and Rhea
14:00 - 14:20

Laurence Belcher - Selected Talk

University of Oxford
OrthoSim: Training Realistic Simulations with Complete Ground Truth for Benchmarking
14:25 - 14:37

Sebastian Beier - Selected Short Talk

Jülich Research Centre
Orthology-aware functional annotation of land-plant proteomes: the Mercator4 framework and the PubPlant genome resource
14:37 - 14:49

Travis Wheeler - Selected Short Talk

University of Arizona
nail: fast and sensitive profile HMM search with reliable scoring for family-based annotation
14:49 - 15:01

Paul Thomas - Selected Short Talk

Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
PAN-GO functionome in 2026: orthologs, paralogs and gene functions
15:01 - 15:30
Coffee Break
15:30 - 17:00
Round table
17:00
Goodbyes!

Practical information

Dates

Abstract submission deadline
15th May 1st June 2026 [Monday]
Abstract acceptance date
15 June 2026
Registration deadline
1st July 2026
Conference dates
29th-30th August 2026
Social dinner
29th August 2026

Registration fees

Fee
Student/post-doc
100 CHF (travel awards available)
PI
100 CHF
Industry
100 CHF

Venue

Address

Genopode, UNIL
Genopode, CH-1015 Ecublens

How to reach

The nearest international airport is Geneva Airport, located 60 km from Lausanne. Geneva Airport is serviced by numerous airline companies providing connections with European cities like Paris, London, and Frankfurt, as well as a few non-European destinations. To get from Geneva Airport to Lausanne, attendees can use the train from Geneva Airport to Lausanne train station (~45 minutes) Alternatively, Lausanne can be reached by car from Geneva Airport in approximately 45 minutes

Lausanne is well connected by train to all major cities in Switzerland. The main train station is located in the city center and offers frequent connections to cities like Zurich, Bern, and Geneva. Please see Swiss Railways website to access train schedules.

How to get to Genopode from downtown Lausanne
  • Metro M2 + M1 From Lausanne-Flon or Gare (main train station), take Metro M2 to "Lausanne-Flon"
    Transfer to Metro M1 (direction: "Renens") Get off at UNIL-Sorge station (~12 minutes)
    Walk ~5 minutes across the campus to the Genopode (towards the lake)
  • Direct Bus (TL Bus Line 1)
    Take Bus from downtown. Get off near Ecublens VD, Champagne
    (journey ~16–18 minutes) Walk ~2 minutes to the Genopode
  • Taxi or Uber
    Distance: ~6 km from downtown. Duration: ~10 minutes by car
    Estimated cost: CHF 30–35

Other accommodation options

A large number of hotels located right in the city centre, not far from the venue, close to Lake Léman:

Hôtel Alpha-Palmiers ★★★★

Address: Rue du Petit-Chêne 34, 1003 Lausanne.

Hôtel Agora ★★★

Address: Avenue du Rond-Point 9, 1006 Lausanne.

Hôtel des Voyageurs ★★★

Address: Rue Grand-Saint-Jean 19, 1003 Lausanne.

Hôtel Elite ★★★

Address: Av. Sainte-Luce 1, 1003 Lausanne.

Auberge de Jeunesse de Lausanne

Address: Chem. du Bois-de-Vaux 36, 1007 Lausanne.

Hôtel du Marché

Address: Rue Pré-du-Marché 42, 1004 Lausanne.

About the Area

The University of Lausanne (UNIL) is nestled along the picturesque shores of Lake Léman in Switzerland. The campus is a vibrant hub of academic and social activity, surrounded by lush greenery and stunning views of the lake and mountains. With modern facilities, including libraries, sports centers, and cafes, students have everything they need within walking distance. The nearby city of Lausanne offers a rich cultural experience with museums, theaters, and a lively nightlife. Whether you're attending a lecture or enjoying a leisurely stroll by the lake, the UNIL campus provides an inspiring and welcoming environment for all.

Organizers

  • Natasha Glover
    Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
  • Sina Majidian
    Chalmers University of Technology
  • Stefano Pascarelli
    University of Lausanne
  • Dannie Durand
    Carnegie Mellon University
  • Irene Julca
    Aarhus University
  • Evgenia Kriventseva
    University of Geneva
  • Felix Langschied
    Goethe University
  • Odile Lecompte
    University of Strasbourg
  • Yannis Nevers
    University of Strasbourg
  • Aida Ouangraoua
    University of Sherbrooke
  • Silvia Prieto Banos
    University of Lausanne
  • Damian Szklarczyk
    University of Zurich
  • Travis Wheeler
    University of Arizona

Contacts

qfoteam@gmail.com

Poster

QfO9 Poster

Sponsors