In Episode 52 of the Nextflow podcast, Phil Ewels is joined by Ziad Al Bkhetan and Steven Manos from the Australian BioCommons to explore how Nextflow and Seqera Platform are transforming bioinformatics research across Australia.
Discover how the Australian BioCommons emerged as a national infrastructure investment to support molecular life sciences researchers, building digital platforms and tools that serve diverse research communities - from genome assembly to proteomics. Learn about their journey from identifying Nextflow as the leading workflow management system in Australia to successfully deploying Seqera Platform for over 90 users across 18+ research institutions.
The conversation covers fascinating success stories including the collaborative development of the nf-core/proteinfold pipeline, supporting structural biology researchers with advanced protein folding tools, and the innovative Ozark community phylogenetic trees workflow. Steven and Ziad share insights on overcoming challenges like integrating web platforms with traditional HPC infrastructure at Australia's tier-one supercomputing facilities (NCI and Pawsey), and building hybrid compute environments that seamlessly span local HPC and cloud resources.
Key highlights include Australia's growing contribution to the global nf-core community, culminating in their first official participation in the March 2025 nf-core hackathon with a dedicated Sydney hub. The team also discusses practical advice for other countries looking to establish national Nextflow services, emphasizing the importance of building local expertise and community engagement.
For Australian researchers interested in accessing these services, visit biocommons.org.au to learn more about available platforms, training opportunities, and community resources.
00:00 Podcast Ep 52: BioCommons
00:06 Welcome
00:41 Ziad - introduction
01:36 Steven - introduction
03:40 Introduction to Australian BioCommons
08:13 Nextflow usage in Australia
09:05 BioCommons collaboration with Seqera
12:24 Compute infrastructures in Australia
15:05 Nextflow support & training
16:43 Highlights and lowlights
19:11 Protein fold
21:50 Ozard Community
23:39 Automation with Seqera Platform
25:52 Nextflow Communty in Australia
29:27 2025 nf-core hackathon
31:57 Future plans for Nextflow & Seqera Platform
33:04 Tips for building a National Nextflow platform
36:21 Next steps
37:51 Wrap up
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