Training Academy

Welcome to the Genome Detectives Training Academy!

Have you got what it takes to become a Genome Detective Inspector and earn your badge?

At the Genome Detectives Training Academy, you'll learn more about curation and bacterial genomics by solving the genome mysteries below. As you work your way through the puzzles you'll rise through the ranks of the Academy until you become a Genome Detective Inspector. Happy curating - and good luck!

If you're completely new to Genome Detectives, we recommend having a go at classifying some sequences on Zooniverse first, before you come back to this page. Confused about what curation is? Click here.

Now it's time to enrol in the Genome Detectives Training Academy!

Get started by having a look at the how-to guides: Downloading Alleles from PubMLST and Opening Allele Sequences in MEGA.

Once you're ready, head over to Example A (click here) and have a go at solving the mystery - you'll find a video walkthrough to help at the top of that page. Then you can have a go at Example B (click here).

When you've had a go at the Examples, start working through the beginner curation puzzles below:

Beginner Curation Puzzles:

Image of isolate 2371 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene ACIN10555. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red. There is an additional stop codon.

Puzzle 1 - Easy - Acinetobacter

08 February 2023

Image of isolate 80415 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP1443. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red. There is an internal stop codon.

Puzzle 2 - Easy - Campylobacter

23 February 2023

Image of isolate 50469 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS0012. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green and a stop codon highlighted red. There is an internal stop codon.

Puzzle 3 - Easy - Neisseria

15 February 2023

Image of isolate 50102 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS0362. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red. There is an internal stop codon.

Puzzle 4 - Easy - Neisseria

13 April 2023

Image of isolate 80465 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP0531. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red. There is an internal stop codon.

Puzzle 5 - Easy - Campylobacter

14 April 2023

Image of isolate 54238 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS0394. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red. There is an internal stop codon.

Puzzle 6 - Easy - Neisseria

23 February 2023

Image of isolate 50101 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS1956. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 7 - Easy - Neisseria

16 February 2023

Congratulations – you've passed the first stage of Training and you're now officially enrolled in the Genome Detectives Academy!

Click here to download your enrolment certificate.

Have you got what it takes to become a Detective Sergeant? Have a go at the intermediate curation puzzles below to find out!

Intermediate Curation Puzzles:

Image of isolate 79118 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP0061. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There are additional stop codons.

Puzzle 1 - Intermediate - Campylobacter

16 February 2023

Image of isolate 2696 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene ACIN00725. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 2 - Intermediate - Acinetobacter

16 February 2023

Image of isolate 50488 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS1072. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 3 - Intermediate - Neisseria

17 February 2023

Image of isolate 80415 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP0593. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There are internal stop codons.

Puzzle 4 - Intermediate - Campylobacter

14 April 2023

Image of isolate 50482 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS0514. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There are internal stop codons.

Puzzle 5 - Intermediate - Neisseria

25 March 2023

Image of isolate 79114 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP0713. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There are internal stop codons.

Puzzle 6 - Intermediate - Campylobacter

23 February 2023

Image of isolate 3063 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene ACIN00725. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There are internal stop codons.

Puzzle 7 - Intermediate - Acinetobacter

15 March 2023

Image of isolate 50481 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS2934. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There is an additional stop codon

Puzzle 8 - Intermediate - Neisseria

25 March 2023

Image of isolate 50128 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS0309. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 9 - Intermediate - Neisseria

13 April 2023

Congratulations on solving all those mysteries – you're now a Genome Detective Sergeant!

Cartoon drawing of police badge with title Genome Detective Sergeant. Badge is blue with a yellow star.

Are you ready to finish your training and become a Genome Detective Inspector? Try the difficult curation puzzles below!

Difficult Curation Puzzles:

Image of isolate 7439 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene ACIN10555. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 1 - Hard - Acinetobacter

23 February 2023

Image of isolate 54264 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS1927. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 2 - Hard - Neisseria

15 March 2023

Image of isolate 2667 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene ACIN00715. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is not a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 3 - Hard - Acinetobacter

31 March 2023

Image of isolate 80461 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP0602. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red. There are internal stop codons.

Puzzle 4 - Hard - Campylobacter

14 April 2023

Image of isolate 2661 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene ACIN12090. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 5 - Hard - Acinetobacter

23 February 2023

Image of isolate 51107 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene NEIS1927. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There not a stop codon highlighted red.

Puzzle 6 - Hard - Neisseria

20 January 2023

Congratulations! There's now one final case to solve before you earn your Genome Detective Inspector badge… click here.

How-to guides:

Downloading Alleles from PubMLST

Opening Allele Sequences in MEGA

Examples:

Image of isolate 80811 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP2021. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is not a stop codon highlighted red.

Example A

15 February 2023

Image of isolate 79117 DNA sequence (yellow) for gene CAMP1518. Amino acids for each of the three frames is shown above the sequence. There is a start codon highlighted in green. There is a stop codon highlighted red.

Example B

15 February 2023