RTrainer is an innovative training tool designed to develop essential bioinformatics analysis skills, with a focus on the R programming language for the scientific community. Whether you are a biologist, student, or bioinformatician, this application serves as a suitable self-training tool to build core bioinformatics analysis skills.
Developed in 2023 by Denis Puthier from the TAGC in Marseille (associated team of the French Institute of Bioinformatics - IFB), RTrainer has been available since March 2025 for self-training, thanks to a collaboration with the IFB-core teams. In particular, Julien Seiler from the NNCR cluster and Lucie Khamvongsa from the training team jointly launched this solution on the Open OnDemand portal of the IFB cluster.
This application offers a progressive learning path to introduce users to the R language, with a strong emphasis on hands-on practice.
The new application makes learning R more accessible, gradual, and interactive, even for beginners (without installation). Since RTrainer is hosted on the IFB's digital infrastructure, it allows seamless use on any machine, regardless of administrative rights or system resource capabilities.
In addition to the collection of dynamic tutorials available within the application, the IFB training team is preparing documentation to help users easily navigate this new tool.
Why use RTrainer instead of RStudio?
RTrainer covers key concepts of the R language and enables self-learning, while RStudio is the integrated development environment (IDE) designed to facilitate R programming and analysis.
Who is RTrainer intended for?
RTrainer is primarily aimed at biologists with no prior programming experience, students in bioinformatics and life sciences, as well as researchers looking to enhance their data analysis skills using R.
RTrainer is available free of charge for those with an account on the IFB cluster. To learn more and test RTrainer, visit the IFB cluster's Open OnDemand portal.
Don't have an account on the IFB-core cluster to use the IFB's digital infrastructure yet? Want to simplify your analysis and gain access to a wealth of free resources, including computing power, storage, technical support, and community assistance? Don't hesitate, create your account on the IFB cluster.
