On June 15, 2026, the CRC1709 INF Project successfully hosted its second INF In-Person Workshop in Heidelberg, bringing together Data Management Officers (DMOs) and members of the INF team for an intensive three-hour exchange on research, computational needs, and future infrastructure development.
Introduced in March 2026, this workshop format was designed as a regular forum where different CRC1709 projects can meet face-to-face with each other. By inviting different DMOs to Heidelberg for a focused three-hour session, the initiative aims to identify technical bottelnecks, foster dialogue, strengthen connections across projects, and better align data management support with the evolving scientific needs of the consortium.
A central aspect of the workshop is the opportunity for participants to present their ongoing research activities, share unpublished data and current analytical approaches, and discuss challenges encountered in their day-to-day work. At the same time, these meetings provide a platform for jointly identifying the types of support and infrastructure that researchers require from the INF Project.
During this second workshop, four DMOs presented their respective proejcts and engaged in lively discussions with the group:
Specifically, the DMOs shared their current research activities spanning diverse areas of acute myeloid leukaemia research, including:
- the genetic and epigenetic landscape of AML,
- therapeutic vulnerabilities of chemotherapy-resistant stem cells,
- the development of a bone marrow plasticity atlas,
- and the integration of multimodal approaches combining imaging, proteomics, and single-cell technologies.
The workshop also included discussions on several cross-project topics, including the development of the CRC1709 Plasticity Atlas, data harmonization and interoperability, central data storage solutions, and the prioritization of high-impact use cases for the first funding phase of CRC1709.
Another important milestone achieved in recent weeks has been the successful establishment of a UKHD Windows account for a DMO based at DKFZ. While seemingly technical in nature, this development represents a significant step forward for CRC1709. For the first time within the consortium, a DMO from an external partner institution has been granted access to the UKHD infrastructure required to actively participate in cross-site data integration and collaborative analyses.
This achievement lays the groundwork for a more interconnected approach to data science within CRC1709. Rather than analyzing datasets in isolation, future efforts will increasingly focus on jointly exploring and integrating data generated across different projects and institutions.
In this context, all DMOs from non-UKHD partner institutions were encouraged to initiate the application process for UKDH access. Expanding this shared infrastructure will be essential for enabling seamless collaboration and unlocking the full potential of the consortium’s multimodel datasets.
By creating an open environment for exchange and feedback, the INF In-Person Workshops continue to strengthen collaboration across the consortium and ensure that data infrastructure development remains closely conencted to the scientific questions emerging from the projects themselves.
We thank all participants for their valuable contributions and look forward to welcoming the next group of DMOs to Heidelberg.
