The CENTURI Hackathon is a dynamic, two-day event held in Marseille, designed to foster collaboration at the intersection of Computer Science and Life Sciences. It brings together a diverse group of students, postdoctoral researchers, developers, and scientists to apply and enhance their coding skills on challenging projects. The event encourages participation from a wide array of backgrounds, including biology, mathematics, and non-scientific development, creating a unique environment for innovation and idea-sharing.
Program Overview
• Event Focus: A fast-paced event centered on coding, engineering, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Participants: 36 selected individuals will be divided into 6 project teams.
• Location: Centre de séminaires Villages Clubs du Soleil, Belle de Mai, Marseille.
• Inclusions: CENTURI will cover the cost of accommodation and meals for all participants.
• Resources: The hackathon provides 10,000 hours of GPU and CPU time, supported by the amU Mesocentre Cluster.
• Registration: A commitment fee of 60 euros (before tax) is required to secure a place and minimize no-shows.
Hackathon Projects
• 2026 Project Themes: Participants will work in groups of 6-8 on topics including data visualization and interactions, computer vision, data mining, robotics, computer-assisted microscopy, and modeling. Specific projects for the 2026 event will be announced closer to the date.
• Example Projects from 2025:
- Deep Force 2.0: Continued development of a machine learning model to improve the classification and analysis of single-molecule force spectroscopy data, including benchmarking against existing software and refining the user interface.
- InhiDeve: A project focused on the 3D tracking of inhibitory neurons in the developing brain across several days to quantify cell death and identify features predictive of a neuron's survival.
- Mecceleration: Aimed at accelerating the analysis of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) data by developing advanced curve-fitting methods using parallel computing and machine learning to enhance an existing Python-based tool.
- RandomMembrane: A modeling project exploring membrane crowding by simulating random sequential adsorption of proteins, taking into account protein degradation and varying membrane geometries.
- Closed-loop MouseTracker: Focused on creating a real-time system to track mouse behavior in an arena, enabling the study of learning by triggering rewards based on specific actions and improving the accuracy of movement analysis.
- Bibliographic Knowledge Base Search: Development of a Python tool using deep learning and large language models to search, cluster, and explore bibliographic information from Bibtex and PDF files using natural language queries.
Application and Logistics
• Application Deadline: May 6th, 2026, at 12:00 P.M. CET.
• Project Selection: Registered applicants will be contacted in early May to select their preferred projects.
• Application Information: The form requires personal data, details on current academic or professional status, and information regarding programming experience and motivation for participating.
• Accommodation: All participants are required to stay on-site. CENTURI provides non-mixed shared rooms from Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7.
This event offers a significant opportunity for individuals interested in quantitative biology to engage in intensive, hands-on projects and collaborate with peers from diverse scientific and technical fields. Those seeking more information about the structure and outcomes of past events can find details on previous Hackathon editions from 2022 through 2025 on the official CENTURI website.