Your browser does not support or is disabling JavaScript.

stamp
MENU
 

EMBO Workshop

Molecular mechanisms of selfish elements and strategies

08 – 11 February 2026 | Bern, Switzerland

  • Registration Deadline
  • 31 January 2026
  • Abstract Submission Deadline
  • 31 January 2026
  • Chosen Participants Will Be Notified By
  • 5 January 2026
  • Payment Deadline
  • 20 January 2026

Apply now!

Use #EMBOselfishElements

About the Workshop

Certain genes, chromosomes, organelles, or entire sets of chromosomes can bias their transmission to the next generation, propagating themselves at the expense of the rest of the genome. Referred to as selfish genetic elements, these have been recognized for decades, although the molecular mechanisms underlying their behaviour remain poorly understood.

Two main challenges have contributed to this knowledge gap. First, many selfish elements reside in repetitive and structurally complex regions of the genome, which were historically difficult to resolve due to limitations in sequencing technologies and computational tools. Second, molecular biology research has focused on a small number of model organisms, overlooking the diversity of selfish elements in other lineages.

Recent advances—including affordable high-throughput sequencing and precise genome editing—have made it possible to study selfish genetic elements across a broader phylogenetic spectrum. These studies reveal that selfish elements are not rare exceptions but are widespread and mechanistically diverse. However, the rapid expansion of the field has led to fragmentation, with different types of selfish elements studied in isolation across specialized communities.

This EMBO Workshop aims to highlight discoveries in the molecular biology of selfish genetic elements and foster dialogue and collaboration among the communities working on these systems.

Illustration credit: Oriane Masserey


About EMBO Courses and Workshops

EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender).

Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.

 
 

Programme

 

Registration

  • Registration Deadline
  • 31 January 2026
  • Abstract Submission Deadline
  • 31 January 2026
  • Chosen Participants Will Be Notified By
  • 5 January 2026
  • Payment Deadline
  • 20 January 2026

 

  • STUDENT/POSTDOCS CHF 360
  • ACADEMIC CHF 565
  • INDUSTRY CHF 1200

Registration includes:

  • In-person attendance and access to all talks
  • Poster sessions
  • Coffee breaks and lunches (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday).

Excluding accommodation

Registration information

Please note that registration through the EMBO website does not guarantee participation in the conference (see details below).

To encourage active discussion and closer interaction among participants, attendance is limited to 150 participants.

To foster scientific exchange and highlight early-career researchers, most participants will have the opportunity to present their work as either a contributed talk (37) or a poster (60). Successful presenters will be notified by 5 January 2026. A payment link will then be sent to finalize registration.

A limited number of places are available for non-presenting participants. If you wish to attend without presenting—or to secure a spot even if your abstract is not selected—you should briefly explain (max. 150 words) why attending this conference is important to you (in the registration form). You will then receive a payment link to finalize your registration.

Payment

All registered participants will receive an email with a link for payment.

Cancellation Policy

For administrative reasons, we will not be able to provide any reimbursement. In case of uncertainty, we suggest you to pay your subscription fees close to the deadline.

Selection criteria

All abstracts will be anonymized and evaluated by two independent reviewers based on scientific novelty and impact. The average of the two scores will determine the ranking. In cases of significant discrepancy between the two evaluations, a third reviewer will provide an additional assessment.

Top-ranked abstracts will be selected for oral presentations, while the next tier will be assigned poster presentations. Among the highest-scoring posters, a subset will also be invited to give a flash talk. Throughout the selection process, we will strive for balanced representation across gender, career stage, and country of affiliation. Where imbalances are identified, we will use ties or lower-ranked abstracts to promote greater inclusivity.

We will also ensure broad representation of selfish elements and study systems, in order to bridge gaps between different scientific communities.

Abstract guidelines

Each abstract should include a title, all authors, affiliations and the main text (limited to 250 words).

Poster specifications

Posters must be in portrait layout and have a maximum size of 841mm x 1189mm (width x height), corresponding to A0 size. More information will be provided after poster selection.

Travel grants and registration fee waivers

Travel grants and registration fee waivers are available for participants.

Selection of awardees is handled directly by the organizers. EMBO travel grants and registration fee waivers are allocated on the basis of the quality of the submitted abstract.

Applicants do not need to apply separately for these but should indicate on the registration form if they wish to be considered.

Additional travel grants are available for EMBC Associate Member States Chile, India, Singapore and Taiwan.

Child care grants

EMBO Courses and Workshops offers grants to offset additional childcare costs incurred by participants or speakers when participating at any EMBO Courses and Workshop funded meeting. Eligible costs include fees for a caregiver or child-care facility, travel costs for a caregiver, or travel costs for taking the child to the meeting etc. Please indicate on the registration form whether you would like to be considered for the grant. Please also describe how you intend to use the childcare grant and specify the sum that you will need.

Accessibility grants

EMBO offers accessibility grants to support participants at EMBO Courses & Workshops with any access needs. These grants cover up to 500 Euros for any additional costs e.g. to adapt the conference environment, or to be accompanied by someone to assist them where necessary.

Participants with access needs may apply for a grant via the registration system of the related EMBO event, or by emailing the organizers of the related EMBO event directly.

Code of conduct

Anti-harassment and non-discrimination policy

At EMBO, we believe that harassment and discriminatory behaviour are unacceptable in any setting.

Media and communications policy

Recording or communication of the presented data needs to be agreed upon by all concerned.

EMBO's code of conduct is applicable for all participants of this EMBO meeting and can be found here.

 

Contact

Lena Kolecek

Email: lena.kolecek@unil.ch​

 

 

Venue

Hotel Bern in Zeughausgasse 9, 3011 Bern

Accommodation

We pre-booked rooms in Hotel Bern (8-12 december), but only a limited number are available. Please directly contact Hotel Bern, by email (reception@hotelbern.ch) or by telephone (+41 (0) 31 329 22 22) and use the code word EMBO_S26. These rooms can either be used for single use (181 CHF / night) or for double use (209 CHF / night).

The venue’s central location ensures easy access to a wide range of nearby hotels, all within walking distance. Options include Kreuz Bern Modern City Hotel (2 minutes, 110 meters), Stay KooooK Bern City (2 minutes, 120 meters), Hotel Glocke (2 minutes, 190 meters), Hotel Savoy Bern (5 minutes, 350 meters), and Hotel Bären am Bundesplatz (5 minutes, 400 meters), among others. These hotels range from three to four stars and offer a broad pricing spectrum (80–220 euros per night for a single room), accommodating various budgets. All these alternative accommodation are within walking distance.

Transport

Hotel Bern is located at walking distance from Bern’s main train station (8 min walk, 550 meters). The city of Bern is centrally located in Switzerland, offering convenient access from all major Swiss airports: 1 hour 13 minutes by direct train from Zurich Airport, 2 hours 1 minute by direct train from Geneva Airport, and 1 hour 33 minutes from Basel Airport (including the airport shuttle to the train station).

For more information on public transports in Bern or Switzerland in general, you can use the SBB website (also available as an app on most operating systems).

Sustainability at the meeting

The EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme assesses meetings based on the proposal and implementation of sustainability measures. Meetings can earn points across a range of measures, with each measure assigned a point value from one to five. These points classify the meeting into one of three sustainability levels, reflecting the organizers' commitment to enhancing the sustainability of their event. More information on the EMBO Courses & Workshops Sustainability Badge can be found here.

Switzerland was chosen for its central location in Europe, allowing most participants to travel by train rather than by air. The venue in Bern is an 8-minute walk (550 meters) from the main train station, and all conference activities will take place within the same building. This eliminates the need for local transport and minimizes emissions during the meeting.

The hotel holds the Swisstainable Level I “Committed” certification, reflecting compliance with national sustainability standards. All attendees will be asked to report their travel route and mode of transport and may voluntarily contribute to a certified carbon offset project.

All meals will be vegetarian and locally sourced. To further reduce waste, we will reuse badge holders, provide all documents in digital format, and avoid distributing promotional materials or give-aways. These measures aim to minimize the meeting’s overall environmental footprint, extending beyond travel-related emissions.

Molecular Systems Biology