The Asia & Pacific Bioinformatics Joint Conference (APBJC) is a collaborative platform aimed at expediting the advancement of bioinformatics in the Asia & Pacific region. This joint initiative is primarily organized by the Japanese Society for Bioinformatics (JSBi), Asia - Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNET), International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB), the International Conference on Genome Informatics (GIW), and the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Conference (APBC). APBJC also benefits from the active involvement and support of numerous regional bioinformatics societies, reflecting a collective commitment to fostering progress and innovation in the field.

APBJC 2024 welcomes abstract submissions featuring research at the forefront of bioinformatics and computational biology. We encourage the submission of original work, whether it is in progress or has been previously published within the last 18 months, for consideration for oral and/or poster presentation.

All presentations are categorized based on scientific topics, ensuring a cohesive organization of talks and posters. Please ensure that your abstract communicates a scientific result and refrains from serving as an advertisement for any commercial software package or products.

APBJC 2024 embraces a broad interpretation of bioinformatics/computational biology. Topics of particular interest encompass, but are not limited to, the following:

SINGLE-CELL ANALYSIS:

Advancements in single-cell technologies have allowed researchers to delve deeper into understanding cellular heterogeneity, cell signaling, and gene expression at the single-cell level. Analyzing large-scale single-cell data poses challenges in computational methods, driving innovation in this area.

AI AND THEIR APPLICATIONS:

The application of machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence in various omics fields has been rapidly expanding. In genomics, these techniques aid in predictive modeling, variant calling, drug discovery, functional genomics, and interpreting complex biological data. They have also been prominent in protein structure prediction, as well as other omics fields such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and glycomics.

PROTEIN/RNA STRUCTURE ANALYSIS, PREDICTION AND DESIGN:

Cutting-edge computational methods are revolutionizing our ability to predict and design the structures of proteins and RNA molecules. These advancements hold immense potential for developing new drugs, understanding fundamental biological functions, and creating innovative therapeutics.

PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AND COMPUTATIONAL GENETICS:

Computational approaches are instrumental in analyzing large-scale genomic and clinical data to tailor treatments based on an individual's genetic makeup. Precision oncology, in particular, relies on computational biology for tumor profiling, drug sensitivity prediction, and identifying potential therapeutic targets.

METAGENOMICS AND MICROBIOME ANALYSIS:

Computational tools play a crucial role in studying complex microbial communities and their impact on human health, agriculture, and the environment. Analyzing metagenomic data involves developing algorithms for taxonomic classification, functional profiling, and understanding microbial interactions.

NETWORK BIOLOGY AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY:

Computational modeling of biological networks, such as protein-protein interactions, metabolic pathways, and gene regulatory networks, helps in understanding the underlying mechanisms of complex biological systems. Systems biology integrates computational and experimental approaches to study biological systems holistically.

DRUG DISCOVERY AND REPURPOSING:

Computational methods are extensively used in virtual screening, molecular docking, and drug-target interaction prediction. These approaches accelerate drug discovery and enable the repurposing of existing drugs for new therapeutic applications.

ETHICAL, LEGAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES(ELSI):

With the increasing volume of biological data being generated, there is a growing emphasis on addressing ethical concerns, ensuring data privacy, and developing frameworks for responsible data sharing and usage in computational biology research.

BIOINFORMATICS EDUCATION:

Bioinformatics education is fast advancing by reflecting substantial changes in the expanding research areas and educational tools.

OMICS-Based INFORMATICS:

Various informatics resources and technologies have been developed for omics data accumulated via high-throughput technologies.

DATABASES, ONTOLOGIES AND BIOCURATION:

To effectively manage the vast amounts of biological data generated by advanced measurement techniques, it is increasingly crucial to design interoperable and reusable biological databases, construct ontologies for precise data representation in life sciences, and refine biocuration workflows to enhance data quality and accessibility.

EVOLUTIONARY, COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND PHYLOGENETICS:

New discoveries as well as groundbreaking methods are being made for comparing genomic data and revealing the evolutionary histories and relationships of diverse species.

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY AND ENGINEERING:

Engineering biology enabling the intentional design, manufacture and deployment of living cells, cell systems, and other biological processes to create materials and products for benefiting humanity.

GENERAL COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY:

Other topics related to computational biology not listed above.

OTHERS:

Other topics not listed above

Guidelines for Multiple talks

To ensure diverse content and maximize participation, the same oral presentation is not permitted to be delivered more than once at APBJC 2024. However, research may be presented in both oral and poster formats. While having the same individual present two (or more) distinct talks is allowed, it is not encouraged. Furthermore, while a presenting author is welcome to present more than one poster, these should not be posters which are scheduled in the same poster session. We strongly encourage labs to engage multiple lab members to foster a collaborative and comprehensive representation of their research efforts.

Abstracts: Deadlines

Any recent research, published or unpublished, is eligible for submission and should be received by July 7. Acceptance notifications will be sent no later than July 28. The conference will accept late poster abstracts beginning July 30 and ending August 7.

Abstracts: Submission Guidelines

The presenter should be identified during the submission process. Presenters of accepted abstracts are required to make the presentation themselves, and must register and pay to attend the conference.

Submitters may choose to have their submission reviewed for: (i) talk only, (ii) talk and poster or (iii) poster only. If you select talk and poster, and are unsuccessful for a talk, your abstract will automatically be considered for a poster presentation. Submissions must be received by July 7.

Participants who opt for (i) talk only or (ii) talk and poster are required to submit:

Both a 200-word abstract to be posted on the conference website AND a long abstract of up to two (2) pages in PDF format.

Participants who opt for (iii) poster only are required to submit:

A 200-word abstract to be posted on the conference website.

• All abstracts must be submitted using the conference submission site by the abstract deadline: July 7.
• The 200-word abstract should be a brief and concise summary of the background/motivation for the study, method and result(s), as well as conclusion/statement of significance. The abstract is submitted through the EasyChair submission system.
• Accepted abstracts (maximum 200 words) will be posted on the conference web site.
• For authors requesting a talk you should upload a long abstract of up to two (2) pages in PDF format during the submission process, to provide additional details including figures and graphics that support the main points of the abstract. *Do not submit more than two pages*
• Your abstract must not contain your title/position or any personal information (e.g. affiliation). These details will be collected through the EasyChair submission system.
• Selected Abstract talks will be presented in tracks that run in parallel at the conference.

Abstracts: Review Criteria

All submissions will be evaluated by a program committee. Submitters may choose to have their submission reviewed for talk only, talk and poster, or poster only. If you select talk and poster and are unsuccessful for a talk, your abstract will automatically be considered for a poster.

Posters advertising commercial software and products will be rejected and/or removed from the conference without notice.

Presentation Commitment

We strongly encourage in-person presentations at the conference venue for all abstracts accepted for oral presentation at APBJC 2024. However, we recognize that certain circumstances may prevent presenters from attending in person. For presenters facing challenges related to maternity/paternity leave, family care responsibilities, personal/medical disability, illness, financial constraints, or potential visa issues, APBJC 2024 offers remote presentation options. If your abstract is accepted for oral presentation and you are unable to present in person, we require you to submit a waiver request at the time of acceptance. Please send your request to presentationwaiver@iscb.org no later than September 1.

Note that all oral presentations will be recorded to be made available via a content capture system.

We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a diverse and inclusive participation at APBJC 2024.

Travel fellowship

The participants who belong to one of 3 host societies (JSBi,ISCB, and APBioNET) and also be accepted his/her talk can apply for the travel fellowship.

Please choose the travel fellowship request when you submit your talk. THE DEADLINE OF ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS 7th JULY.

We will inform the necessary procedure for applying the travel fellowship to whom the talk abstract is accepted. The fellowship will be carefully considered and decided by Program committee and Steering committees.

Submission Here