nf-core Hackathon: Collaborative development in Heidelberg

As part of the global nf-core hackathon, GHGA hosted a local site in Heidelberg, bringing together researchers and developers for a day of collaborative work on community-driven bioinformatics pipelines. The event provided an opportunity to contribute to ongoing projects while strengthening connections within the open science community.

GHGA proudly backed this event for the third consecutive year. Active participation in and advancement of open science are core values for GHGA. Hackathons create an environment in which participants at different experience levels can engage with shared tools and workflows, while contributing to their ongoing improvement.

Our local team concentrated on two specific tools this year: the nf-core/variantbenchmarking pipeline and the GHGA AQuA pipeline. The results were fantastic. The group resolved several persistent issues and advanced both projects well beyond our expectations.

Work on the nf-core/variantbenchmarking pipeline was carried out in close coordination with both local and remote contributors. During the hackathon, we successfully added new benchmarking tools and nf-tests. We also spent time adapting subworkflows and local modules to the new Nextflow syntax.

The GHGA AQuA pipeline, a dedicated quality control tool for GHGA,was mainly advanced in collaboration with GHGA members. Key activities included improving the QC tools, finalising the MultiQC adaptation and converting metadata.json files to standard samplesheets. Several successful runs were also completed.

The hackathon also provided an important space for knowledge exchange. New participants were introduced to Nextflow and the nf-core framework, while more experienced contributors provided guidance and shared practical insights. Informal interactions, whether over pizza or coffee, supported networking and sparked ideas and collaborations that extend beyond the event itself. 

We are already excited for the next one!