Workshop: How to create a secure bioinformatics web server

Workshop: Learn how to create a secure Bioinformatics web server in less than an hour

Speaker: Jeppe Hallgren, Master’s student in Bioinformatics at University of Copenhagen, Co-founder of BioLib.com.

In this workshop, we will look at how to build and publish your own bioinformatics algorithms and tools in a secure way. Currently, most web servers require data to be send to them, but this can create issues to do with data privacy and regulation (GDPR). We will explore two solutions to this problem - one based on client-side computing and one based on a new type of encryption called Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE). The latter is especially interesting because it keeps both the algorithm and the data private. For example, if Alice has an algorithm to predict the stability of a given molecule, and Bob has a molecule with unknown stability, they can use FHE to apply the algorithm to Bob's data without a) Alice learning anything about Bob’s molecule and b) Bob learning anything about the prediction algorithm. In short, the two parties can work together without having to reveal their sensitive data to each other.

If you want to follow along the tutorial, you will need to have a python editor / development environment ready to use. The workshop is designed to be useful irrespective of your current level of programming skills.

After the main talk, there is an opportunity for lightning talks from the audience – bring your own ideas!
Tell us in 2.5 minutes or fewer about something tricky you have just learnt, or some generic package you have just found, etc. The rule of thumb: present something, that made you feel “I wish someone told me about that, before I’ve spent 3 days!”

The meetup will take place at 24th of October (Thursday), in Mærsk tower (Blegdamsvej 3B), auditorium 13.2.25, at 17:00.
Please note, that in the evening access to the building is unfortunately only possible with the valid ID. If you RSVP, we will use the name from your Meetup profile for the participants list. If the name in your Meetup profile does not match the name on your ID, then please sign up at https://forms.gle/x3U1yth8KtNXYEHL9 until the end of 17th of October (Thursday).

Schedule:
16:45 - Doors open.
17:00 - Workshop: Learn how to create a secure Bioinformatics web server in less than an hour.
18:00 - Lightning talks and networking.