Kamila Malik is one of the beneficiaries of the competition for funding student and PhD candidates mobility within the HarSval project. She received 8130 PLN funding for the specialized course: Bioinformatics training in phylogenetic analysis. 

Enjoy reading her report below:

“Being a beneficiary of the HarSval project allowed me to participate in the Phylogenetic Methods Course organized by the Research School in Biosystematics – ForBio at the University of Bergen, Norway, from October 21-25, 2024. The course covered a wide spectrum of phylogenetic topics, ranging from building phylogenetic trees based on morphological features to complex analyses involving multiple molecular markers. The knowledge I acquired during the course enabled me to identify optimal evolutionary models for different datasets, define these models for use in specialized software, and apply various molecular clocks. During the bioinformatics training sessions, we tested a range of software tools to determine the most suitable ones for our research needs, including FASconCAT, AliView, Mesquite, MEGA, MrBayes, IQ-TREE, raxmlGUI, Figtree, BEAST2, and Tracer. Additionally, participating in this training allowed me to consult with experts regarding the results of my PhD thesis. This guidance has equipped me to independently develop challenging aspects of my research, utilizing the most appropriate phylogenetic tools. I also gained skills in creating phylogenetic trees in various digital graphic formats for publication. The course provided a solid foundation for understanding how different phylogenetic tree structures reflect distinct evolutionary processes, significantly enhancing my knowledge in evolutionary biology.“