10th Conference on
Constraint-Based
Reconstruction and Analysis
(COBRA2026)

March 17, 2026 to March 19, 2026
Seminaris Seehotel Potsdam | Germany

About The Event

COBRA 2026 invites all established and new members of the COBRA community to discuss the latest development in Constraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis. COBRA2026 will focus on constraint-based modelling at the interface of AI and plant science, while offering a forum for exchanges in advances in other areas of constraint-based modeling.

COBRA 2026 aims to attract and gather early-career as well as established researchers from computational biology, machine learning / AI, metabolomics, building a dialogue that can widen the applications of constraint-based modelling in agriculture and crop breeding. COBRA2026 keeps the emphasis on constraint-based modelling applications in microbiology, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and medicine, while establishing stronger relations with advances in machine learning, AI, and data science.

Day 1 – Interface between constraint-based modelling and AI in microbiology and biotechnology

Day 2 – Hybrid constraint-based modelling and AI for advances in plant sciences

Day 3 – Interface between constraint-based modelling and AI in medical applications

Each of these days will include three sessions on: (i) method / model development, (ii) applications, as well as (iii) challenges and new frontiers. This organization of the conference will foster cross-discipline interactions and will result in establishing new collaborations.

Where

Seminaris Seehotel Potsdam
An der Pirschheide 40 | 14471 Potsdam

When

17-19 March, 2026 Tuesday to Thursday

Program

Topic: Interface between constraint-based modelling and AI in microbiology and biotechnology.

-:00 – 09:45
+                                        University of California San Diego
-:45 – 10:15
-:15 – 10:45
-:45 – 11:00
-:00 – 11:15
-:30 – 14:15
-:15 – 14:45
-:45 – 15:15
-:15 – 15:30
-:15 – 17:00
+                                        École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
-:00 – 17:30

Topic: Hybrid constraint-based modelling and AI for advances in plant sciences.

-:00 – 09:45
+                                        Danforth Plant Science Center
-:45 – 10:15
-:15 – 10:45
-:45 – 11:00
-:00 – 11:15
-:30 – 14:15
-:15 – 14:45
-:45 – 15:15
-:15 – 15:30
-:15 – 17:00
+                                        University of Manchester and INRAE
-:00 – 17:30

Topic: Interface between constraint-based modelling and AI in medical applications.

-:00 – 09:45
-:45 – 10:15
-:15 – 10:45
-:45 – 11:00
-:00 – 11:15
-:30 – 14:15
-:15 – 14:45
-:45 – 15:15
-:15 – 15:30
-:30 – 17:00
-:00 – 17:30

Deadline for registration and abstract submission: January 6, 2026 (early registration and hotel booking is strongly encouraged)

These Are

Our Speakers

To be announced

We are now soliciting our keynote speakers and will anounce them as soon as possible

Data integration for medical applications

Plant lipid metabolism

Gene regulation & metabolism

Algal
metabolism

Model curation
& standards

Plant metabolic networks,
data integration

About The Event Organizer

COBRA2026 is shaped by Prof. Dr. Zoran Nikoloski and the core group of the organizing committee with world-renowned experts in plant science, AI, and metabolic modelling, including: University of Potsdam / Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Germany, University of San Diego, California, USA, and King’s College London, UK.

The organizing committee views COBRA2026 as a forum where methodological advances are discussed in parallel with industrial developments that bridge microbial and plant biotechnology. The strong emphasis on AI will also prioritize topics related to the access and use of curated high-throughput phenotyping data. Therefore, COBRA 2026 is also expected to stimulate exchange with the German research data infrastructure (NFDI) in life sciences and other similar international efforts.

Co-organizers

Anika Kueken (University of Potsdam, Germany)
Alia Benkhala (BIMS, Tunisa)
Caroline Baroukh (INRA, France)
Eivind Almass (NTNU, Norway)
Paul Jensen (University of Michigan, USA)
Adil Mardinoglu (King’s College London, UK)
Sang Yup Lee (KAIST, South Korea)
Bernhard Palsson (UCSD, USA)

Contact

For general questions regarding the conference or questions about submitting contributions, please use the corresponding address below.

Book Your Participation Now!

Be part of the 10th Conference on Constraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA2026). This landmark event will bring together leading scientists and emerging researchers to advance the field of constraint-based modeling. Expect cutting-edge presentations, vibrant discussions, and valuable networking opportunities across disciplines. The deadline for registration and abstract submission is January 6, 2026. Register now and join the community shaping the future of systems biology.

Please note: Registration and event sign-up are two separate steps. Creating a ConfTool account (registration on the platform) is only the first step. To actually take part in COBRA2026, you also need to log in and select “Register as Participant” within ConfTool. Your participation is only confirmed once both steps have been successfully completed.

Venue

The conference venue, the SeeHotel Potsdam is unique in many ways: Located just outside Potsdam, nestled in the charming forest and lake landscape of Pirschheide, in the immediate vicinity of the famous world heritage Sanssouci Park and directly on Lake Templin, the hotel impresses with its modern flair, innovation, and meticulous attention to detail. A tram and bus stop and the Pirschheide train station, with connections to the city center and Potsdam Central Station, are just a few meters away.

A number of rooms could be reserved for the conference participants at a reasonable rate – please use the following reservation form for further details.