[3dem] Announcement: wwPDB Workshop on mmCIF/PDBx for Programmers, 20/21 Nov-13, Cambridge (UK)

[Gerard DVD Kleywegt]

wwPDB Workshop on mmCIF/PDBx for Programmers
--------------------------------------------

What, why and how?
------------------
The world of the PDB will be changing rapidly and profoundly over the next few 
years. A major change will involve the transition from PDB to mmCIF/PDBx as the 
principal deposition and dissemination format (see 
http://www.wwpdb.org/news/news_2013.html#22-May-2013 and 
http://wwpdb.org/workshop/wgroup.html). To help software developers in the area 
of structural biology to make the transition and begin supporting the 
mmCIF/PDBx format in their own programs, wwPDB (http://wwpdb.org/) is 
organising a programmers workshop. This two-day event will include lectures by 
experts in mmCIF/PDBx (http://mmcif.rcsb.org/) and developers of 
language-specific libraries or packages (C/C++, Java, Python). Ample time will 
be devoted to tutorials and individual "code hacking", with the experts 
available to assist the workshop participants. Confirmed tutors include Paul 
Adams (Phenix), Eugene Krissinel (CCP4), Garib Murshudov (Refmac), Andreas 
Prlic (RCSB), Sameer Velankar (PDBe) and John Westbrook (RCSB).

When and where?
---------------
The workshop will be held at the EMBL-EBI (http://ebi.ac.uk/) in Hinxton, 
Cambridge, UK, on 20 and 21 November 2013.

How much?
---------
If you are selected as a participant, we expect you to pay for your own travel 
to and from Cambridge. However, there is no fee for this workshop, and we will 
provide accommodation (at the HolidayInn Express in nearby Duxford; 
http://www.hiexpresscambridgeduxford.co.uk/), lunches and a workshop dinner on 
the 20th (all thanks to generous funding from the Wellcome Trust to PDBe).

Who can apply and how?
----------------------
This workshop is intended for "high-powered" software developers in any area of 
structural biology and structural bioinformatics whose products process 
(read/write) PDB data - e.g., X-ray, NMR, 3DEM, SAXS/SANS, hybrid methods, 
visualisation, validation, modelling, docking, structure prediction, etc. To 
ensure a high ratio of tutors to workshop participants, the number of 
participants is limited to 15.

You can apply for the workshop by sending an e-mail to Sameer Velankar at PDBe 
(sameer at ebi.ac.uk) no later than 31 August 2013. Please include:

- a brief description of the software program(s) or package(s) you have 
developed or are developing, what it does, in which field, how many users, 
relevant publications, etc.;
- what programming language(s) you are specifically interested in;
- how you would benefit from this workshop;
- any specific topics or questions you would like to see addressed in the 
workshop.

If the workshop is oversubscribed, we will use the information and motivation 
provided by the applicants to select the participants.

Participants are expected to bring their own laptop with compilers etc. 
installed. No previous knowledge of mmCIF/PDBx is strictly needed, but 
participants who are aware of the basic principles of the format will probably 
gain more from the workshop.

Applicants will be informed by mid-September if they have been selected or not, 
or if they are on the stand-by list.

For informal inquiries about the workshop, please contact Sameer Velankar at 
PDBe (sameer at ebi.ac.uk).

Please feel free to distribute this announcement to other interested people or 
fora!


--Gerard Kleywegt & Sameer Velankar
   Protein Data Bank in Europe
   A member of the Worldwide Protein Data Bank

---
Gerard J. Kleywegt, PDBe, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK
gerard at ebi.ac.uk ..................... pdbe.org
Secretary: Pauline Haslam  pdbe_admin at ebi.ac.uk