Meals & Accommodations at the Queen's University Biological Station for participants is included in the registration fee.
| DAY | TIMES | ACTIVITY |
| Monday | Late afternoon | Arrival at QUBS |
| 5:30-6:30 PM | Dinner | |
| 7:00-8:00 PM | Welcome to QUBS | |
| Tuesday | 7:30-8:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00-10:15AM | Presentation. Overview of eDNA | |
| 10:15-10:30AM | Break | |
| 10:30-12:00 | Introduction to qPCR, ddPCR, metabarcoding | |
| 12:00-1:00PM | Lunch | |
| 1:00-2:15PM | Presentation: Sampling protocols, sample transport, and storage.+ water filtration methods | |
| 2:15-2:30PM | Break | |
| 2:30-5:30PM | Field practicum: Sampling water, sediment, and soil + metadata collection + water filtration . | |
| 5:30-6:30PM | Dinner | |
| 7:00-8:00 PM | Guest research talk Dr. Elizabeth Clare (York University) | |
| Wednesday | 7:30-8:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 8:00 - 9:40 | DNA extraction of samples collected the day before - (QIAGEN Powerwater kit, QIAGEN Powersoil kit) | |
| 9:40-9:45 AM | Break | |
| 9:45-noon | Bio-RAD ddPCR & qPCR demo : prepare qPCR & ddPCR mastermix, generate droplets and start the PCR reaction (qPCR and ddPCR). | |
| noon-1PM | Lunch | |
| 1-3:30 PM | Bio-RAD Lecture, PCR plate in the ddPCR reader and discuss/analyze the data (qPCR and ddPCR) | |
| 3:30-4:00 PM | Break | |
| 4:00-5:00 PM | Data analysis & interpretation qPCR & dPCR more in details = exercise (how to interpret results showing different case scenario?) | |
| 5:30-6:30 PM | Dinner | |
| 7:00-8:00 PM | QUBS weekly seminar. Dr. Robert Hanner (Guelph University) | |
| Thursday | 7:30-8:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 8:30 - 9:30 AM | Lab practicum. Polymerase chain reaction: prepare mix and run PCR | |
| 9:30 -10:00 AM | Break | |
| 10:00 - 11:30 | While PCR is running, lecture on quantification methods (nanodrop, qubit) + start preparing gel | |
| 11:30- 12:30 | Loading & Running agarose gels, Estimating insert size. | |
| 12:30 -1:30 PM | Lunch | |
| 1:30-3:00 PM | Bioinformatics analysis & interpretation of metabarcoding results. Part 1 | |
| 3:00-3:30 PM | Break | |
| 3:30-5:30 PM | Bioinformatics analysis & interpretation of metabarcoding results. Part 2 | |
| 5:30-6:30 PM | Dinner | |
| 7:00-8:30 PM | Debrief & summary. Exam. Workshop evaluation. | |
| Friday | 7:30-8:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00-10:00 AM | Exam results+ Depart |