Machine Learning Approaches for Building Virtual Cell Models

Dear all,

Please note that there will be no project component in this year’s seminar. Your final grade will be based solely on your presentation and the written essay.

While some of the essay requirements were introduced in the introductory slides, below are the most important points to keep in mind:

• Length: 4 pages (± 0.5 pages)

• Use feedback: Consider the feedback you received on your presentation. Were there interesting questions or points raised during the discussion that you can build on?

• Be critical: Do NOT simply retell the story of the paper. Instead, critically engage with the research question and how it is addressed.

• Focus selectively: Build on aspects of the paper that you find particularly interesting or worth further investigation. You are not expected to comment on every part of the paper.

• Style and tone: Write in an appropriate academic style and tone (see: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/academicwriting). Scientists write in a clear and straightforward manner—the goal is to clearly outline your thinking, not to write a novel.

Deadline for essay submission: 01.03.26, 11:59PM. The submission will be opened today and stay open until the due date. If anything is unclear, please get in touch.

Best,

Your Virtual Cell Seminar team

Dear all,

This is a friendly reminder to submit your critical questions on in-CAHOOTTS and GEARS for the upcoming session on Wednesday. The second presentation on GEARS should have been presented on 12.11.25, but the student the paper was assigned to left the course. That's why GEARS is presented in the next session. If you already submitted your questions regarding GEARS on the last date, you are not required to upload them again. In case you have not submitted questions regarding GEARS in the past, this is a good opportunity to upload them now.

Please upload your pdf file to the CMS upload slot that has just been opened today and will be closed tomorrow, 23:59 CEST.

Best,

Your Virtual Cell Seminar team

Dear all,

We would like to kindly ask you to take a few minutes to evaluate our seminar using the link below:

https://qualis.uni-saarland.de/eva/?l=161498&p=ynkx9n

Your feedback is very important and helps us improve the course for future students. All responses are anonymous.

Thank you very much for your time and participation throughout the seminar.

Best,
Your Virtual Cell Seminar team

Dear all,

This is a friendly reminder to submit your critical questions on Diversity by Design and PerturbQA for the upcoming session on Wednesday.

Please upload your pdf file to the CMS upload slot that has just been opened today and will be closed tomorrow, 23:59 CEST.

Best,

Your Virtual Cell Seminar team

Dear all,

This is a friendly reminder to submit your critical questions on STATE and MORPH for the upcoming session on Wednesday.

Please upload your pdf file to the CMS upload slot that has just been opened today and will be closed tomorrow, 23:59 CEST.

Best,

Your Virtual Cell Seminar team

Dear all,

This is a friendly reminder to submit your critical questions on Systema and Well-Calibrated Metric Benchmarking for the upcoming session on Wednesday.

Please upload your pdf file to the CMS upload slot that has just been opened today and will be closed tomorrow, 23:59 CEST.

Best,

Your Virtual Cell Seminar team

Dear all,

We have assigned a paper to each student, taking your preferences into account as best as possible. You can find your assigned paper and corresponding presentation date in the paper schedule.

Additionally, LSF registration for the seminar is now open. Please make sure to register within the next two weeks if you wish to participate.

All the best,
Your Virtual Cell Seminar Team