Working with AI agents for scholarly tasks for PIs and team leaders

Working with AI agents for scholarly tasks for PIs and team leaders

02 December 2026

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II | room L5

Artificial Inteligence
generative AI
live training

Working with AI agents for scholarly tasks for PIs and team leaders

Target Audience:
All VIB staff
Location:

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II | room L5

Duration:

2nd December 2026, 14h00-18h00

General context

Note: This is an internal course.

Agents allow you to go beyond simple chat-based interactions. In this sessoin you'll learn how to move from chat-based interaction to design structured agentic workflows. 

Using rich context, and skills combining with a supervised step procedure you will be able to draft a paper introduction and explore with your own examples.

We also help you unlock the power of agentic coding Claude and GitHub Copilot, you will learn to write effective prompts and leverage LLMs for multi-file coding tasks. 

Learning outcomes
  • Explain key concepts and terminology related to agentic coding (agents, planning, loops, tools, guardrails)
  • Describe the agent loop (goal → plan → act → observe → revise) and its implications for software development
  • Summarize common failure modes and risks of agents
  • Create and reuse Skills files and onther context related documents to levarage agents work
Approach

The course features a mix of explanations, live demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, giving you the opportunity to apply LLMs to real-world cases.

To follow along effectively with this course you need to have a GitHub Copilot license or a Claude license.

Tip: For GitHub Copilot educators can apply for a free Pro license through GitHub Education.  

Event intended for

Group and team leaders

Required skills

Required

  • Familiarity with chat-based LLM tools
  • Basic programming experience (Python or other)
  • GitHub copilot license

Advised

  • Familiarity with Git is advisable
  • Experience with prompting is advised
  • Claude license (pending availability)
Software demonstrated
  • Copilot agent
  • GitHub Copilot (code)
  • Claude (upon availability)
  • Copilot studio (upon availability)

     

VS Code will be used with Claude/Github Copilot installed

Extra information

AI methods used

This course focuses on the application of large language models (LLMs) and agent-based AI workflows for drafting and coding tasks.

Trainers

Bruna Piereck
VIB Training & Conferences - Trainer picture - Bruna Piereck
VIB Training & Conferences / ELIXIR, BE

Bruna Piereck is a bioinformatics trainer at VIB and ELIXIR-BE training coordinator deputy. She obtained a Master and PhD degree in Molecular Genetics, with a focus on Bioinformatics from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, in 2019. During her PhD, she had the chance to collaborate with the university of Luxembourg and the McGill university in Quebec Canada for a short time. Ever since she has been involved with teaching and research and Since March 2022, she joined VIB with the mission of teaching and assist other trainers in a variety of topics.

Contact Bruna Piereck :
Alexander Botzki
VIB Training & Conferences / ELIXIR, BE

Alexander Botzki at the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology, Belgium has with his group the mission of providing technology training in domains of VIB Technologies, Bioinformatics & AI, Software Development, and Research Data Management. Between 2014 and 2022, he was head of the VIB Bioinformatics Core. From September 2009 to July 2014, he was responsible for the roll-out of E-Notebook (electronic lab notebook) to VIB's researchers within 75 research groups.

Before joining VIB, Alexander worked on various computational biology projects for Algonomics (bought by Lonza, 2008-2009) and DevGen (now Syngenta, from 2006-2008). During Alexander's PostDoc at Sanofi Aventis in Strasbourg, he executed various virtual screening campaigns on the compound selection of the merged enterprise. He received his doctoral degree with the group of Prof. Dr. Armin Buschauer (University of Regensburg, Germany) on 'Structure-based design of hyaluronidase inhibitors'.

Contact Alexander Botzki :

Program

Concepts and possibilities

Agents for drafting

Agents for coding

Practical info

Location & Venue

02 December 2026

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II

Technologiepark 75
9052 Zwijnaarde
Belgium

Public transport

02 December 2026

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Public transport

From Ghent Sint-Pieters station, you can take a bus to Technologiepark. Please check Routeplanner De Lijn for schedules.

Bike

02 December 2026

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Bike

Looking for a custom cycling route? Try the online cycling route planner to easily and quickly identify the fastest, safest and/or most scenic route to any destination in Ghent.
Cycling route planner
 

Shared bicycles:

Several providers are active in the area.
Take a look at their platforms:
- Indigo Weel Pro app
- Bluebike
- DOTT
- BOLT eBikes
- Donkey Republic

There are also some public bicycle pumps at the park.

Route description

02 December 2026

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Parking

Route description

There is only one entrance to Technologiepark. At the entrance, please take a ticket  - Parking is only allowed in regular parking spots (for instance in front of the building) and in the parking tower. Parking alongside the roads or in other places where there is no regular parking is prohibited.

Venue contact

02 December 2026

Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II