Empowering the Next Generation of Computational Scientists: Highlights from Our August 2026 Workshops

Featured image is a group photo of the Leipzig Rosetta Workshop 2026 participants, tutors, and organizers.

This August, the Rosetta Commons community hosted two workshops that brought collaboration, learning, and innovation to our scientific community. Through these focused hands-on workshops, researchers and trainees gathered to grow their understanding of computational protein design and machine learning models.

How to Train Your Model Bootcamp/Hackathon 2026

Bookending Summer RosettaCon 2026, the How to Train Your Model Bootcamp/Hackathon took place from August 2-8, 2026. Designed as an open, highly interactive working space, the workshop brought together trainees creating their own models alongside experienced model builders. The goal was to provide dedicated time and space for attendees to ask questions, experiment, and fine-tune their work without the pressure of rigid lectures or assignments.

The week kicked off with fun icebreakers—including blind partner portraits—and wrapped up with 5-minute project presentations. Organizers hope these early-stage models will develop into larger, impactful projects in the near future.

Beyond the technical progress, the event proved invaluable for cross-group collaboration. As Rachel Clune, one of the event helpers, shared, “I think the biggest gain from this workshop is people from different Rosetta Commons groups getting to interact with each other.” 

Between working sessions, attendees bonded over group lunches on the University of Washington campus and at local spots. Additionally, while their models were running in the background, participants attended Summer RosettaCon 2026 from August 3-7.

Leipzig Rosetta Workshop 2026

Hosted August 17-21, 2026 in the heart of Leipzig’s financial district at the ScaDS.AI headquarters, the Leipzig Rosetta Workshop focused on modern computational protein design methods aimed at creating real-world products—from peptide drugs and vaccines to molecular binders and enzymes.

The five-day program combined three days of cluster-based lectures and hands-on tutorials with two days of intensive project work guided by tutors. A key highlight was an industry-focused evening session featuring local startup AI-DT, which provided a tutorial on its Co-Scientist technology before everyone unwound with pizza and beverages.

The overwhelming response to the event left a lasting impression on the organizers. Reflecting on the participant group, Alex Zlobin, the head organizer, noted, “The cohort was simply tremendous, extremely positive, sociable, and eager to learn and network, suggesting many truly unique ideas. It was a joy and an honor to advise these people on how they can make their ideas come true.”

Building on this momentum, the organizing team continues to grow the network of young scientists in Europe who share an interest in computational protein design. They plan to host the workshop again in 2027.