Generative AI in Research Workflows: From Concepts to Practical Applications

As generative artificial intelligence continues to reshape scientific research, understanding how to use these technologies effectively has become an increasingly valuable skill for researchers. Addressing this evolving landscape, the VISION Project organised a full-day training, “Generative AI in Research Workflows,” delivered by the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis (IPT).

The training combined strategic insights with practical exercises, exploring how generative AI tools can be integrated into research workflows to support productivity, streamline tasks and facilitate scientific work.

Exploring AI Tools and Their Applications in Research

The programme introduced participants to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs), providing an overview of their capabilities and potential applications in research environments.

Through live demonstrations and practical use cases, participants explored tools including ChatGPT, Claude, NotebookLM and Microsoft Copilot, examining their functionalities and how they can support different research-related tasks.

The training also addressed prompt engineering, introducing participants to techniques for formulating effective instructions, refining prompts and obtaining more relevant outputs from AI tools.

Beyond these applications, the programme explored opportunities for workflow automation through Microsoft Power Automate and VBA coding. These sessions demonstrated how automation can help simplify repetitive tasks and support more efficient research processes.

From Theory to Practice

A central feature of the training was its practical approach. Participants had the opportunity to test different tools, experiment with prompts and explore automation processes tailored to their own research needs.

By combining conceptual foundations with hands-on activities, the session encouraged participants to move beyond simply discovering AI tools and consider how these technologies could be incorporated into their daily research practices.

The training was led by Elena Moreno Castillo, PhD, and Jonas Krebs, from the CRG, and coordinated by Damjana Kastelic, PhD, together with Asma Ben Hmidene, VISION Project Manager.