From Telomeres to Empathy Highlights from the EMBO Meeting 2010 by CRISTINA JIMÉNEZ

AUTUMN 2010

encounters Newsletter of the European Molecular Biology Organization

From telomeres to empathy Highlights from The EMBO Meeting 2010 BY CRISTINA JIMÉNEZ

◗ In the early 1980s, after a meeting at the Gordon Research Conference, Elizabeth Blackburn and Jack Szostak discovered that telomeres include a specifi c DNA sequence. 29 years on, the fortuitous encounter resulted in a Nobel Prize for discovering the structure Elizabeth Frans de Waal Blackburn of molecular caps called telomeres and for working out how they protect chromosomes from degradation. This is only one fi brillation, a condition in Richard example of how necessary meetings can be for the advancement of sci- which there is uncoordinated Losick ence. They provide a perfect setting for junior researchers to approach contraction of the cardiac prospective supervisors – and vice versa. They can lead to new part- muscle of the ventricles in the nerships between research groups working in similar fi elds. And they heart, making them quiver also inspire open discussion and collaboration between institutions. rather than contract properly. The EMBO Meeting, held in September in Barcelona, gathered more Haïssaguerre explained how than 1,300 researchers from a broad scope of disciplines, extending he is currently having great from synthetic, developmental and evolutionary biologists to plant success in curing hundreds of scientists and neuroscientists. “Postdocs and PhD students are the patients every year from this main benefi ciaries of these meetings,” pointed out Luis Serrano, who sort of arrhythmia. Austin co-organized the meeting with Denis Duboule. Smith, the other prize winner, | Barcelona © Christine Panagiotidis The meeting kicked off on Saturday 4 September with Richard Losick gave a lecture on stem cells and the Design principles of pluripotency. speaking about Life & death of a microbial community in front of a full The primatologist Frans de Waal described in his special lecture auditorium at the Barcelona congress centre. The scientist explained on Sunday evening the role of empathy, fairness and cooperation in the mechanisms that govern the assembly and disassembly of biofi lms primates – a rather unusual topic by using the example of the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis. at a molecular biology confer- Sunday started with Elizabeth Blackburn giving a keynote lecture ence. Denis Duboule, The EMBO HIGHLIGHTS about telomeres, telomerase and their implications for human disease Meeting programme co-organizer, such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Nobel shed light: “We wanted to raise The EMBO Meeting Laureate, who has spent her career studying telomeres and telomerase, awareness among delegates about picture gallery reported that telomerase activity and telomere length are infl uenced by other fi elds of great interest in life 2/3 a variety of factors, including environmental exposure and oxidative sciences.” “Lectures like the one stress. Reducing stress can help to lengthen telomeres and delay cellu- by de Waal illustrate the immen- The importance of being mobile lar aging, prolonging overall life. sity of things that remain to be EMBO supports scientists From health matters, the programme changed at the plenary lectures discovered,” added the Swiss on the move 4 to talk about the evolution of animal forms. Detlev Arendt explained scientist. how his team is using molecular fi ngerprints to identify homologous So, after the Palau de cell types over large evolutionary distances. Arendt’s team has devel- Congressos closed its gates and Happy birthday! EMBO reports celebrates oped a novel technique, wholemount in silico expression profi ling, to The EMBO Meeting 2010 became its 10th anniversary 6/7 elucidate the evolutionary origin of neuron types in the marine worm history, one question remained Platynereis dumerlii. unsolved: How many Nobel- On Monday, the Louis-Jeantet prize lectures took place with this winning chats may have taken Proteopedia – more than year’s winners giving two fantastic lectures. The cardiac electrophysi- place in this year’s gathering? ● just pretty pictures 12 ologist Michel Haïssaguerre talked about the causes of ventricular

Lunch break in the gardens of the Palau de

Congressos ▼

Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn – keynote lecturer on Sunday

©protopedia.org

Financial support from the Robert- Bosch-Stiftung helped provide Three onsite childcare certiﬁ ed services bloggers reported daily from Barcelona ▼ The EMBO Meeting 2010 | Barcelona | 4 –7 September 3

Scientiﬁ c organizers Denis Duboule

(above) and Luis Serrano (below) ▼

EMBO Director Maria Leptin at the award ceremony for EMBO Gold Medal winner

Jason Chin ▼

Life Science Research in India session attended by more than 80 scientists.

Detlev Arendt demonstrating

▼ about evolution Poster of the central session nervous system in animals

Demo at the Invitrogen exhibit attracted participants 2010

Olympus camera awarded to a winner of the exhibitor quiz

EMBC summer meeting The importance of being mobile EMBO supports scientists on the move with a number of activities Delegates from the 27 member states of the EMBC – the inter-governmental ◗ An extensive travel itinerary often secures a Human Frontier Science Programme draws funding body of EMBO – met in Heidel- further career step and increases the probabil- the same conclusion: “Going abroad gives berg on 28 June. The agenda included a ity of receiving sought-after funds. Early-stage you a much broader perspective on the way report from EMBO Director Maria Leptin scientists in particular rarely stay in one coun- science is done.” on the execution of the EMBC General try for more than four or fi ve years. Carrying Yet there are still too few researchers who Programme and a scientifi c presentation suitcases, packing boxes and hunting for new dare to jump the fence. An EU study from titled Tying up loose (chromosome) ends: apartments is for many pre- and post-docs a 2007 reveals that mobility of scientists is limit- telomeres from cell biology to disease by Groundhog Day experience for real. ed. The results are not really surprising as the David Shore, Vice-Chair of the EMBO “Mobility is important,” states Anne Forde, price for being mobile is often high. Not only Council. During the meeting, delegates Career Adviser for Life Science Postdocs. “You do the travellers sometimes have to cover the approved the 2009 EMBO|EMBC Annual get new ideas, see how labs work in differ- relocation costs, they repeatedly have to come Report. To download the annual report, ent countries and enhance your chances in a to grips with new cultures and languages. please visit the EMBO News website: job market that is becoming more and more Hopping countries also means making sacri- www.embo.org/news.html competitive.” Martin Reddington from the fi ces in social and family lives.

Largest free website for career information

EMBO Long-Term Fellowships Planning for the future

Missing out on pensions is another big issue contribute. After only a couple of months, al- for scientists on the move. To tackle this issue, most half of the entitled fellows signed up for ● 1 March EMBO introduced an internationally portable the plan. pension plan for the more than 400 active New deadline! EMBO Fellows. Under the plan fellows receive EMBO Courses & Workshops matching funds from EMBO up to a maximum of 100 euro a month, on top of whatever they 5

As a direct consequence of his work molecular biologists can now answer a panoply of important questions about the molecular and cellular functions of proteins and protein post-translational modiﬁ cation with a previously un- imagined molecular precision.

Kim Nasmyth, Head of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford

EMBO Gold Medalist for 2010 Jason Chin wins prestigious research prize © Christine Panagiotidis | Barcelona © Christine Panagiotidis

◗ Jason W. Chin from the Medical Research Jason was an undergraduate at Oxford, Jason Chin giving a lecture at the award ceremony in Barcelona Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology obtained his PhD as a Fulbright scholar from (MRC-LMB) was awarded the EMBO Gold Yale University, and was a Damon Runyon Medal 2010 at The EMBO Meeting in Barce- Fellow at the Scripps Research Institute in lab, his research benefi ts from an ERC Starting lona. California. From July 2003 to early 2007 he Grant (2008–2013) and an HFSP programme Chin received the award for his pioneer- was a tenure-track group leader at MRC-LMB. grant (2009–2012). ● ing work on reprogramming the genetic code. In 2005, Chin was selected to benefi t from the His work allows designer amino acids to be highly competitive EMBO Young Investigator For more on his award winning research encoded at specifi c, predetermined posi- Programme. The Royal Society honoured him see the press release at: tions in proteins in vivo, enabling molecular with the Francis Crick Prize Lecture in 2009. In www.embo.org/documents/press10/ biologists to control and elucidate the func- addition to core funding from the MRC for his PR_gold_medal_2010.pdf tions of proteins in cells with unprecedented precision. Upon hearing that he had been awarded [Chin’s work] identifi es him as an Jason is one of the most brilliant, the medal for 2010 Jason said: “Given all the outstanding molecular biologist of original and imaginative scientists great science happening in Europe right now I his generation. I know. am delighted to receive this award. I am very Sir Paul Nurse, Venki Ramakrishnan, grateful to all my colleagues who have made designated President of The Royal Society 2009 Nobel Prize winner the science possible.”

EMBO|EMBL Symposia 2011

Seeing is Believing – Cancer Genomics Structure and Dynamics of Imaging the Processes of Life 17 – 19 September 2011 Protein Networks 17 – 20 March 2011 Lynda Chin 13 – 15 October Jan Ellenberg Andy Futreal Anne-Claude Gavin, Marko Kaksonen Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz Peter Lichter Giulio Superti-Furga

EMBL Advanced Training Centre | Heidelberg | Germany | www.embo-embl-symposia.org

On being bold… Happy birthday EMBO reports! This year, EMBO reports celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since ten years and published this very special collection online at: its inception in 2000, the journal has striven to be bold and dif- http://tinyurl.com/EMBOrep10. ferent: offering short-format scientiﬁ c reports, concise reviews A 10th anniversary is also a good reason to reﬂ ect, so and science & society essays and opinion. Its editorials in par- EMBOencounters asked the former and current Senior Editors ticular have gained popularity for offering a unique perspec- how the journal has evolved so far, and what are the plans for tive on science and the world around it. To mark this milestone, the decade to come. the editors have selected the editorial highlights from the last

1. You’ve been steering EMBO reports for more than a year, what are the most rewarding aspects of this job? I think it is the privilege of nurturing the journal into its second decade and beyond. To prosper, any academic journal has to move with the times and avoid going stale. We have To prosper, we have to already succeeded to a large degree in refo- cusing on the short-format report, which is move with the times the journal’s trademark. For the next year or two our mission is to broaden our scientiﬁ c Interview with Senior Editor Howy Jacobs content by attracting exciting, high-quality

research reports on all of the ‘applied’ areas | EMBL Photolab ©Hugo Neves of molecular biology. These are surely the growth areas in life science research, including journal’s academic standards are maintained 20th anniversaries: namely to be recognized neuroscience, molecular evolution, medical and preferably enhanced. Everyone who has globally as the best short-format journal in biotechnology, molecular ecology and micro- a paper turned down from any journal natu- the life sciences. biology, plant sciences and cell physiology. rally feels aggrieved. My approach to being Focusing more on these topics is also essential Senior Editor is to rely on the professionalism if we are to unify the scientiﬁ c content of the of the editorial team in Heidelberg (which is journal with that of our ‘front-end’ material superb), whilst providing a shoulder to cry on – comment and opinion on all aspects of the for all those whose papers didn’t make it into applications of molecular biology. print in the journal!

2. And the most challenging ones? 3. What do you wish EMBO reports for its Clearly the most challenging part of edit- anniversary? ing any journal is to remain on good terms We should start to focus on where we wish with one’s colleagues whilst ensuring that the to bbee by tthehe ttimeime ooff our 1515thth anandd

The cover of the ﬁ rst issue of EMBO reports published in July 2000 and the cover of the recent July 2010 issue. The cover image is often used to highlight an article in the issue. EMBO July 2000: Cysts of Drosophila spermatocytes Volume 11 | July 2010 ISSN 1469-221X reports stained for centrosomes/gamma tubulin in green commentary Motivated research and DNA in blue. Photo courtesy Salud Llamazares D SINC The evo-devo comet HE E Conspiracy theories in science and Cayetano González. S 2 I 0 science L 0 Construction and dynamics of the ER network B 0 Structure of eukaryotic Argonaute MID domain Nucleosome occupancy at recombination sites U July 2010: Cover image inspired by the scientiﬁ c ATAC and Mediator form a MECO complex P Molecular European Organization report Nucleosome occupancy landscape and dynamics Biology at mouse recombination hotspots by Irina V. Getun, S yearsE Zhen K. Wu, Ahmad M. Khalil & Philippe R.j. Bois. T M R BO REPO 7

EMBO reports editorial team

Barbara Pauly Esther Schnapp Nonia Pariente Barb completed her PhD at the After her PhD at the Max Planck Before joining EMBO reports in University of Munich and then Institute in Dresden and post- 2007, Nonia was a researcher in undertook research into the doctoral research work in devel- Madrid, Marburg and UCLA. She role of the actin cytoskeleton in endocytosis at opmental biology in Milan, Esther joined the decided to leave the bench, where she focused the University of California, Berkeley. She joined EMBO reports team as editor in 2008. Like all on different aspects of virology, eager to look at EMBO reports as editor in 2008, attracted by the the editors, Esther also enjoys connecting with the big picture of molecular biology. Since join- opportunity to consider a broad range of scien- scientists at scientifi c meetings. In her free time ing the journal, Nonia has edited both Scientifi c tifi c topics. During a research visit to Scotland, she plays the piano and likes to take her young Reports and Reviews. She is also an enthusiastic Barb developed a lasting fondness for Sticky son swimming. cook, known by her friends for her hospitality Toffee Pudding, as served by the refectory at the and her authentic Gazpacho soup. University of Edinburgh.

Other EMBO reports prime movers, no longer on board: Holger Breithaupt Samuel Caddick Christine M. Blaumueller: Head of Scientifi c Editing Holger earned his PhD at the After completing his PhD in Service at the University of Iowa Carver College of University of Düsseldorf’s Norwich, UK, Sam joined EMBO Medicine, US Institute of Enzyme Technology reports in 2007 because of the Sandra Caldeira: Project Manager at European and then decided to do something completely unique format of the journal and his interest in Commission – JRC, Institute for Health and Consumer different. He studied science journalism at New communicating science. He enjoys remaining Protection in Ispra, Italy York University and then worked as a freelance close to the latest scientifi c advances, while also Caroline Hadley: Journal Publisher with CSIRO journalist before joining EMBO reports as News considering the ways in which science impacts Publishing in Melbourne, Australia Editor in 2000. He is the last of the journal’s origi- society and vice versa. He now shares his time Marlies Otter: Manager of Scientifi c Projects at nal team and has developed EMBO reports strong between all four sections of the journal and The Research Institute of the McGill University reputation for Science & Society. He recently enjoys the mix of topics and content. Sam is an Health Centre in Montreal, Canada earned his black belt in Aikido, but assures us avid reader of science fi ction and admits to being Susan Owens: freelance science editor working from that only he was hurt in the process. far too interested in new media and technology. Ireland

1. You were Senior Editor for nine years since you founded EMBO reports. How did you help the journal be what it is today? In some ways, EMBO reports was deﬁ ned I wrote about topics by gaps in the market and the need to avoid any taint of competition with the very success- ful The EMBO Journal. We saw that short, I was passionate focused papers were poorly catered for, that meeting reports were absent from all publica- about tions and that it was time to have variations Interview with founder and former Senior on the theme of reviews, such as concepts

©Mac Innes Photography Editor Frank Gannon or opposing perspectives. There was also a major need to have a refl ective section on the interplay between science and society. The staff recruited then allowed the vague outline need to hear and understand the views of the and strategy and anything that touched on to be altered and turned into a success- two sides. Some readers thought it wrong. But scientists, science, policy makers and society. ful journal. The extra spice we added was a we persisted on this “educational” role also I walked our dog every morning and used frequent brain-storming meeting where wild for other topics such as stem cell research and that time to focus on a topic and get some ideas were permitted and freshness retained formalized this with a synthesis article to give clarity. I nearly always wrote about topics I by our collective willingness to think outside a balanced analysis of the arguments of both was passionate about, and maybe that meant the box. sides. they were sometimes strong opinions. I wrote whenever I had an hour (that was my time 2. Was there a topic that caused a 3. When was your favourite time to write limit for the fi rst draft), which was frequent- particular controversy? your editorials and where did you get the ly on a fl ight in Europe with the deadline The GM topic. We deliberately sought the ideas from? being the call to “switch off all electronic views of those opposed to the introduction of I got my ideas from everyday events, equipment”. GM crops and had a strong article from the chance meetings, refl ections on the careers pro-GM side also. I wrote an editorial on the and lives of scientists, my views on policy

Editor Picks – EMBO Publications In each issue of EMBOencounters, the editors of The EMBO Journal, EMBO reports, Molecular Systems Biology and EMBO Molecular Medicine highlight particularly interesting papers.

THE EMBO EMBO Molecular JOURNAL Medicine

RESEARCH ARTICLES SCIENTIFIC REPORTS EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

Zic2 regulates the expression Dop functions as a depupylase From bench to website Transparency and accountability of Sert to modulate eye-specifi c in the prokaryotic ubiquitin-like Lemberger T Pulverer B refi nement at the visual targets modifi cation pathway doi:10.1038/msb.2010.72 doi:10.1002/emmm.201000094 García-Frigola C, Herrera E Imkamp F, Striebel F, Sutter M, doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.172 Özcelik D, Zimmermann N, Sander P, RESEARCH ARTICLES RESEARCH ARTICLES Weber-Ban E The phosphoproteome of toll-like An in vivo RNAi assay identifi es doi:10.1038/embor.2010.119 major genetic and cellular receptor-activated macrophages Selective targeting of requirements for primary piRNA A genetic system to assess in vivo Weintz G, Olsen JV, Frühauf K, neuroblastoma tumour-initiating biogenesis in Drosophila the functions of histones and Niedzielska M, Amit I, Jantsch J, cells by compounds identifi ed in Olivieri E, Sykora M M, histone modifi cations in higher Mages J, Frech C, Dölken L, Mann M, stem cell-based small molecule Sachidanandam R, Mechtler K, eukaryotes Lang R screens Brennecke J Günesdogan U, Jäckle H & Herzig A doi:10.1038/msb.2010.29 Smith KM, Datti A, Fujitani M, doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.212 doi:10.1038/embor.2010.124 Grinshtein N, Zhang L, Morozova Evolutionary fates within a O, Blakely KM, Rotenberg SA, The miRNA machinery targets BRG1 helps RNA polymerase II to microbial population highlight an Hansford LM, Miller FD, Yeger H, Mei-P26 and regulates Myc overcome a nucleosomal barrier essential role for protein folding Irwin MS, Moffat J, Marra MA, protein levels in the Drosophila during elongation, in vivo during natural selection Baruchel S, Wrana JL, Kaplan DR wing Subtil-Rodríguez A, Reyes JC Peña MI, Davlieva M, Bennett MR, doi: 10.1002/emmm.201000093 Herranz H, Hong X, Pérez L, doi:10.1038/embor.2010.131 Olson JS, Shamoo Y Ferreira A, Olivieri D, Cohen S M, doi:10.1038/msb.2010.43 Inhibition of transglutaminase 2 mitigates transcriptional Milán M A diffusion-based neurite length- doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.69 REVIEWS dysregulation in models of sensing mechanism involved in Huntington disease Oct-3/4 regulates stem cell Mitochondrial shape changes: neuronal symmetry breaking McConoughey SJ, Basso M, identity and cell fate decisions orchestrating cell pathophysiology Toriyama M, Sakumura Y, Shimada T, Niatsetskaya ZV, Sleiman SF, by modulating Wnt/β-catenin Campello S, Scorrano L Ishii S, Inagaki N Smirnova NA, Langley BC, Mahishi L, signalling doi:10.1038/embor.2010.115 doi:10.1038/msb.2010.51 Cooper AJ, Antonyak MA, Cerione RA, Abu-Remaileh M, Gerson A, Farago The ZEB/miR-200 feedback Cooperation and Hamilton’s rule Li B, Starkov A, Chaturvedi RK, M, Nathan G, Alkalay I, Rousso S Z, loop—a motor of cellular plasticity in a simple synthetic microbial Beal MF, Coppola G, Geschwind DH, Gur M, Fainsod A, Bergman Y in development and cancer? system Ryu H, Xia L, Iismaa SE, Pallos J, doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.200) Brabletz S, Brabletz T Chuang JS, Rivoire O, Leibler S Pasternack R, Hils M, Fan J, doi:10.1038/embor.2010.117 doi:10.1038/msb.2010.57 Raymond LA, Marsh JL, Hedgehog controls neural stem Thompson LM, Ratan RR cells through p53-independent Sequence signatures and mRNA doi:10.1002/emmm.201000084 regulation of Nanog concentration can explain Po A, Ferretti E, Miele E, De Smaele SCIENCE & SOCIETY two-thirds of protein abundance Prion protein and Abeta-related E, Paganelli A, Canettieri G, Coni S, Di synaptic toxicity impairment A voice for science in Europe variation in a human cell line Marcotullio L, Biffoni M, Massimi L, Vogel C, de Sousa Abreu R, Ko Calella AM, Farinelli M, Nuvolone M, Di Rocco C, Screpanti I, Gulino A An interview with Helga Nowotny, Mirante O, Moos R, Falsig J, President of the European Research D, Le SY, Shapiro BA, Burns SC, doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.131 Sandhu D, Boutz DR, Marcotte EM, Mansuy IM, Aguzzi A Council doi:10.1002/emmm.201000082 Regulation of DNA-damage doi:10.1038/embor.2010.120 Penalva LO responses and cell-cycle doi:10.1038/msb.2010.59 Rapid targeted mutational progression by the chromatin Sustainable digital infrastructure analysis of human tumours: remodelling factor CHD4 Although databases and other online a clinical platform to guide Polo SE, Kaidi A, Baskcomb L, resources have become a central personalized cancer medicine Galanty Y, Jackson SP tool for biological research, their Dias-Santagata D, Akhavanfard S, doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.188 long-term support and maintenance David SS, Vernovsky K, Kuhlmann G, is far from secure Boisvert SL, Stubbs H, McDermott U, Neurotoxicity of Alzheimer’s Bastow R, Leonelli S Settleman J, Kwak EL, Clark JW, β disease A peptides is induced by doi:10.1038/embor.2010.145 Isakoff SJ, Sequist LV, Engelman β β small changes in the A 42 to A 40 JA, Lynch TJ, Haber DA, Louis DN, ratio Ellisen LW, Borger DR, Iafrate AJ Kuperstein I, Broersen K, Benilova I, doi:10.1002/emmm.201000070 Rozenski J, Jonckheere W, Debulpaep M, Vandersteen A, Segers-Nolten I, Van Der Werf K, Subramaniam V, Editor Yvonne Kaul Braeken D, Callewaert G, Bartic C, Next issue Contributing editors Suzanne Beveridge, Charlotte Otter D’Hooge R, Martins I C, Rousseau F, The next EMBOencounters issue – Winter 2010/2011 – Schymkowitz J, De Strooper B Proofreading Meryl Schneider will be dispatched in January 2011. You can send your contri- doi:10.1038/emboj.2010.211 Print layout Uta Mackensen butions/news to: [email protected] at any time. Web version Sabine Rehberger-Schneider The deadline for the Winter issue is 15 November 2010. E-newsletter Sandra Krahl, Katja Linssen 9

EMBO publications special issues

Spatial organization of signalling The EMBO Journal The EMBO Journal 2010 Focus Issue highlights nalling complexes is important, the selected the importance of spatial organization in de- examples at the same time nevertheless illus- termining the outcome of cellular signalling trate concepts of a universal nature. events. Using examples from different organ- isms, this collection of reviews describes how Enjoy the reading at: organization on the sub-cellular, cellular and www.nature.com/emboj/focus/ tissue levels plays an important role in cellu- Spatial_Organisation_of_Signalling/ lar decision-making, communication, migra- index.html reprint tion and behaviour. While this review series Spatial Organization touches upon only a few of the biological pro- of Signalling cesses where the spatial organization of sig- The EMBO Journal Focus Issue 2010

Focus on Autophagy EMBO reports The explosion of autophagy research that has reports articles entitled Focus on Autophagy occurred during the past decade has under- reﬂ ects on the outstanding questions that scored its importance in diverse physiological will drive future research and provides new processes as well as in modulating disease. insights into some of the answers. However, our understanding of the autopha- gic pathway and the mechanisms that target The articles are available online at: speciﬁ c components for degradation is still in www.nature.com/embor/focus/ its infancy. The newest collection of EMBO autophagy/index.html EMBOMolMed_flyer_2010.ai 24/8/10 15:33:10

Supplement to Nature Publishing Group

2009 Impact Factor: 12.125* *2009 Journal Citation Report (Thomson Reuters, 2010) All good things come in threes www.molecularsystemsbiology.com Molecular Systems Biology

Signaling networks Metabolism: Frontiers in systems biology: and in vivo systems in vivo, natural and experimental Signaling networks and in vivo systems biology biology evolution Metabolic networks: in silico, in vivo in silico

Frontiers in systems biology: natural and experimental evolution To highlight some of the emerging themes in Open access to all articles at: systems biology and to indicate potential fu- www.nature.com/msb/focus ture directions of the ﬁ eld, Molecular Systems Biology created three new web focuses at its website entitled Signaling networks and in vivo systems biology; Metabolism: in vivo, in silico; and Frontiers in systems biology: natural and experimental evolution.

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EMBO Events 2010/2011

PRACTICAL COURSES WORKSHOPS (cont.) CONFERENCE SERIES EMBO/FEBS LABORATORY MANAGEMENT (3rd in a series) (cont.) LECTURE COURSES COURSES 3D developmental imaging Function and structure of PT–Oeiras, septins, fi lament-forming Protein transport systems EMBO–FEBS Lecture Course Open to all independent 1–9 October 2010 GTP-binding proteins IT–Santa Margherita di Pula, Molecular and cellular group leaders: DE–St. Goar cognition Advanced analysis and 16–20 April 2011 DE–Leimen (near Heidelberg) 6–9 March 2011 IT–Venice informatics of microarray 12–15 October 2010 The biology of molecular 14–19 October 2010 data Cell biology of the neuron chaperones UK–Ware (Hertfordshire) UK–Hinxton GR–Heraklion EMBO–FEBS Lecture Course AT–Grundlsee 2–5 November 2010 18–23 October 2010 7–11 May 2011 Biomembrane dynamics: from 19–24 May 2011 molecules to cells Solution scattering from 50 Years of X inactivation DE–Leimen (near Heidelberg) FR–Cargese biological macromolecules research Signaling in the immune 15–18 November 2010 21–29 June 2011 DE–Hamburg UK–Oxford system IT–Pontignano (Siena) 25 October – 1 November 2010 20–24 July 2011 For postdocs: 10–14 September 2011 Drosophila techniques Mechanisms of EMBO GLOBAL EXCHANGE DE–Leimen (near Heidelberg) PT–Lisbon nucleocytoplasmic traffi cking Nuclear receptors LECTURE COURSES 5–7 October 2010 11–18 March 2011 IL–Maale HaChamisha ES–Sitges, Barcelona 6–11 November 2011 16–20 September 2011 Molecular and evolutionary DE–Leimen (near Heidelberg) Methods in chemical biology genetics of malaria 29 Nov – 1 December 2010 DE–Heidelberg The assembly and function of IN–New Delhi 27 March – 2 April 2011 21 Nov – 4 December 2010 CONFERENCE SERIES neuronal circuits CH–Ascona Mass spectrometry and (1st in a series) Molecular mechanism of OTHER EMBO EVENTS proteomics 25–30 September 2011 protein transport Experimental approaches to 11th EMBL/EMBO Science DK–Odense IN–Bangalore, evolution and ecology using Nuclear structure and & Society Conference 6–13 April 2011 30 Nov – 8 December 2010 yeast dynamics The difference between Exploiting anomalous DE–Heidelberg FR–LIsle sur la Sorgue, Bioinformatics and the sexes – from biology scattering in macromolecular 29 September–3 October 2010 28 September–2 October 2011 comparative genome analyses to behaviour structure determination DE–Heidelberg Towards a comprehensive TN–Tunis, FR–Grenoble 5–6 November 2010 understanding of endoplasmic 13–18 December 2010 14–18 June 2011 reticulum functions ESF–EMBO SYMPOSIA HIV/AIDS The EMBO Meeting 2011 – ES–Gerona Bioinformatics and ZA–Stellenbosch, Advancing the life sciences 3–8 October 2010 Emergent properties of the comparative genome analyses 30 January–5 February 2011 AT–Vienna FR–Paris cytoskeleton: molecules to 10–13 September 2011 Intracellular asymmetries of 27 June–9 July 2011 cells RNA activity: mechanisms and ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols functions EMBO | EMBL SYMPOSIA Developmental neurobiology: 3–8 October 2010 from worms to mammals IT–Barga For more information and a The Non-Coding Genome list of all courses, workshops, UK–London 7–11 August 2011 Functional neurobiology DE–Heidelberg, conferences and symposia 8–22 July 2011 in minibrains: from fl ies to 13–16 October 2010 please go to: robots and back again Computational biology: CONFERENCE SERIES www.embo.org/events/ mammalian genomes, cells ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols Seeing is Believing – Imaging (2nd in a series) calendar.html and systems 17–22 October 2010 the Processes of Life DE–Heidelberg, IS–Reykjavik From functional genomics to Molecular perspectives on 17–20 March 2011 6–13 August 2011 systems biology protein–protein interactions DE–Heidelberg Studying protein–protein ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols Cancer Genomics 13–16 November 2010 interactions by advanced light 14–19 November 2010 DE–Heidelberg, 17–19 September 2011 microscopy and spectroscopy Spatial dynamics of Bi–annual Molecular bioenergetics of HU–Debrecen intracellular signaling Structure and Dynamics of cyanobacteria: from cell to application 16–22 August 2011 CH–Engelberg Protein Networks community 15–19 May 2011 DE–Heidelberg, deadlines for Advanced analysis and ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols informatics of transcriptomics 13–15 October 2011 organizers Cancer proteomics: from 24–29 April 2011 data molecular mechanisms to to apply for UK–Hinxton clinical implementation Biological surfaces and EMBO funds: 23–29 October 2011 IE–Dublin interfaces 20–23 June 2011 ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols Meiosis 26 June–1 July 2011 WORKSHOPS IT–Capaccio/Paestum Glutathione and related thiols New deadline! 17–21 September 2011 1 March From fetomaternal tolerance in living cells to immunomodulatory ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols properties of placenta- EMBO 4–9 September 2011 derived cells in cell therapy CONFERENCE SERIES Courses & Workshops IT–Brescia (3rd in a series) Epigenetics in context: from 3–6 October 2010 ecology to evolution Cell biology meets ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols RNA control of cell dynamics microbiology 18–23 September 2011 IL–Kibbutz Ein Gedi PL–Krakow 1 August 15–18 November 2010 9–14 October 2010 Synthetic biology of antibiotic Immunology and metabolism Stem cell biology production EMBO FR–Marseille FR–Paris ES–Sant Feliu de Guixols Courses & Workshops 13–15 January 2011 6–8 April 2011 2–7 October 2011 11

◗ Almost ﬁ fty young group leaders learnt more included a Meet the Editor session where of both sides: the authors of the papers as well about each other’s lab activities at the annual EMBO editors and the attendees discussed as the journal editors. ● EMBO Young Investigator meeting in Heidel- the best practices of scientiﬁ c publishing and berg on 10–12 May. This year’s proceedings talked about how to better meet expectations

◗ At the end of June, Heidelberg greeted part of the reunion was rounded off with a EMBO Fellows EMBO Fellows who received their fellowships communication workshop moderated by press in 2007. Fifty-four fellows accepted the invita- and TV journalists, and a relaxing social pro- reunion tion to spend three days discussing the latest gramme that included a boat tour down the science and exchanging ideas. The scientiﬁ c Neckar river and a party with a live band. ●

EMBO Poster Prize winners Congratulations to the following winners of the competitions held at recent EMBO-sponsored events:

Leonardo Almeida-Souza Walter de Back Jodie Madden Department of Molecular Genetics – VIB, Center for High Performance Computing, Imperial College London, UK Antwerpen, Belgium Technische Universität Dresden, Germany Important Regulatory Mechanisms in the HSPB1 mutations causing Charcot-Marie-Tooth Middle-out Modeling of Multiscale Morphodynamics Respiratory Tract during Ongoing and neuropathy disturb microtubule dynamics through Presented at the EMBO Workshop, Resolved Inﬂ uenza Infection enhanced interaction to tubulin Systems biology of development, Presented at the EMBO Workshop, Presented at the EMBO/FEBS Lecture Course, CH – Ascona, 16 – 19 August 2010 Viruses and innate immunity, The cytoskeleton in development and pathology, IE – Dublin, 5 –7 May 2010 SE – Djurhamn, 19 –24 June 2010 Christian Grove California Institute of Technology, Ashish Maurya Hugo Bretes and Benoit Palancade Arcadia, CA, USA National University of Singapore Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Diderot, The Virtual Worm: Shh antagonizes Smad activity to specify cell fates Paris, France 3D Renderings of Caenorhabditis elegans in the teleost myotome Investigating mRNA quality control at nuclear pores Presented at the EMBO Workshop, Presented at the EMBO Workshop, Presented at the EMBO Workshop, RNA quality control, Visualizing biological data (VizBi), Hedgehog signaling: from developmental biology to AT – Vienna, 10 –13 May 2010 DE – Heidelberg, 3 – 5 March 2010 anti-cancer drugs, FR – St. Jean Cap Ferrat, 27– 31 March 2010 Erika Brunet Kuo-Shun Hsu Laboratoire Dynamique et Régulation des génomes, Cancer Research UK, Szilard Szikora INSERM, Paris, France London, UK University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary Creating physiologically relevant translocations at Molecular dissection of the roles for Ndc80 in Wiggling nuclei reveal novel nuclear positioning endogenous loci: the model of Ewing of sarcoma spindle microtubule dynamics mechanism Presented at the EMBO Conference Series, Presented at the EMBO Workshop, Presented at the EMBO Conference Series, Recombination and connections to SUMO and Chromosome segregation and aneuploidy, Microtubules: structure, regulation and functions, ubiquitin modiﬁ cations, UK – Edinburgh, 19 –23 June 2010 DE – Heidelberg, 2 – 5 June 2010 IT – Castelvecchio Pascoli (Lucca), 17– 21 May 2010

More than just pretty pictures EMBO Member Joel L. Sussman makes students love structural biology

◗ Used for teaching biology in high-school classrooms around the world; applied as an interactive three-dimensional article supplement in a journal of chemistry; and, most recently, elected as the best web-based multimedia tool by The Scientist. Pro- teopedia (www.proteopedia. org) is the ﬁ rst free, collab- orative three-dimensional online encyclopedia of molecules – and yet another example of how scientists bring science to the public. “This website gives students and other us- ers a chance to view

protein structures, ©proteopedia.org which turn out to be The students extraordinarily ap- developed their own articles on Proteopedia; almost model of protein pealing to them,” ex- four hundred papers on proteins structure using Joel among plains project initiator Proteopedia high-school students in and other biomolecules have and EMBO Member South Bronx, New York been created. Contributors range

Joel L. Sussman from ©proteopedia.org from well-known structural biol- the Weizmann Insti- ogists to high-school teachers tute of Science in Israel, who co-developed and students. New submissions the tool with Jaime Prilusky & Eran Hodis, undergo a three-stage veriﬁ ca- also at the Weizmann. tion until they can go live and The visual effects are amazing: Upon click- each author automatically gets ing on one of the green links attached to a both credit and responsibility by page in Proteopedia, a multicoloured picture having their name mentioned on appears which can then be rotated by simply each page they edit. pulling the computer mouse – as if the user For Sussman, a dream has were holding the model in his own hands. “But come true. “I have done a lot of

Proteopedia is more than just pretty pictures. ©proteopedia.org basic research, now it is time to It helps identify the features of molecules,” go out to a much larger commu- explains Sussman. Even senior researchers “My students learnt how to load a programme nity,” explains the structural biologist. Now appreciate how their own research fi ndings database fi le, illustrate it, rotate or zoom that the project has gained ground, he wants are visualized on the website. the structure and have it linked to the text to set sail for new shores. Targeting develop- Earlier this year, his team visited a they drafted,” said Allison Granberry. “Their ing countries is just one of his plans. To make high-school classroom at the Hostos- enthusiasm grew, one idea seemed to gener- a good start, he had a number of pages in Lincoln Academy in South Bronx, New York. ate another.” Proteopedia translated into Arabic, Russian, “The students were crazy about it,” recalls Since the website’s launch in 2008, Chinese and other major languages of the Sussman. Their teacher also found it useful: hundreds of people have edited scientifi c world. ● EMBO congratulates!

A number of EMBO Members New Royal Society fellows New Foreign Associates of the National Academy of Sciences joined the ranks of the Royal ❚ Andrea Hilary Brand ❚ Alan Edward Smith ❚ Society in the UK and the US ❚ Ronald Thomas Hay ❚ Pascale Cossart (FOREIGN MEMBER) Wolfgang P. Baumeister ❚ Marc Feldmann National Academy of Sciences ❚ Angus Iain Lamond ❚ Edmond Henri Fischer (FOREIGN MEMBER) ❚ Eva Kondorosi this year ➔ ➔ ❚ Wolf Reik ❚ Detlef Weigel (FOREIGN MEMBER) ❚ ❚ Peter William ❚ Kurt Wüthrich (FOREIGN MEMBER) Paul Schulze-Lefert ❚ Jack Rigby 13

Epigenetics joins research focus as FMI turns 40 With EMBO Member Susan Gasser at its helm, FMI springboards research careers

closely with the University of from more 40 countries. Their research is Basel and provides opportu- geared towards the biomedical implications of nities for young scientists to their discoveries and Novartis has fi rst right take part in scientifi c research, of refusal for any patents that FMI might fi le. serving as a springboard for In addition, the FMI develops state-of-the-art them to follow careers in the technologies for use in research, such as high- pharmaceutical industry or in throughput methods for mapping epigenetic academia. marks, super-resolution microscopy, structure The FMI founding direc- determination of “molecular machines” or tor was Hubert Bloch, former macromolecular complexes, and viral-mediat- head of Ciba pharmaceuti- ed gene delivery to the retina. ● cal research department and BY SANDRA ZIEGLER HANDSCHIN ©FMI Basel professor of microbiology and Head of Communications at FMI FMI Director Susan Gasser surrounded by Nobel Laureates immunology at the University Susumu Tonegawa, Ed Fischer and Werner Arber (left to right) of Basel. Bloch defi ned the at the FMI 40th anniversary symposium The anniversary event in September was FMI sphere of activities as attended by numerous researchers from ◗ The Friedrich Miescher Institute for Bio- tumour biology, neurobiology and hormone around the world medical Research (FMI), part of the Novartis regulation. These now include an interest in Research Foundation, celebrates its 40th an- epigenetics, which encompasses questions niversary in 2010 with a series of high-profi le of genomic stability and the regulation of events. Based in Basel since 1970, the FMI has cell differentiation. The FMI has particular become a European centre of competence for strength in the hot new fi eld of microRNAs. innovative biomedical research. Eight teams map neuronal networks (the Founded by two Swiss pharmaceutical genetic basis of cell type specifi city) and the companies, Ciba AG and J.R. Geigy AG, the physiology of network fi ring. research center has two aims: to pursue basic Directed by EMBO Member Susan Gasser, re search at a very high level, and to facilitate whose own epigenetics group focuses on how mutual exchange between biologists and the nuclear organization impinges on mecha- pharmaceutical industry. The FMI now works nisms of repair, the FMI hosts 320 scientists ©FMI Basel

◗ This year, leading research labs in Vienna dent research project, a lecture series and cul- Made in Austria teamed up to discover “the best & the bright- minated in a scientifi c symposium where the EMBO Members and Young est” of the new generation of researchers. The students presented their work. Four of them Investigator launch programmes fi rst ever Vienna Biocenter Summer School received prizes for the best presentations. attracted 250 applicants; 22 undergraduates Only a few weeks later, another project for young researchers in Vienna from 13 countries eventually qualifi ed for the supporting young life scientists was launched intensive ten-week on the other side of the river Danube. EMBO programme. Three Young Investigator Christian Schlötterer coordi- All smiles: attendees of the Vienna Biocenter Summer School EMBO Members nated the new PhD programme on Population – Barry Dickson Genetics based at the University of Veterinary and Meinrad Buss- Medicine. Five students made it for the initial linger from the In- class that kicked off this September with an stitute of Molecu- introductory course followed by workshops, lar Pathology and journal clubs and seminar series with inter- Josef Penninger national speakers. Both experimentalists and from the Institute theoreticians with interest in population genet- of Molecular Bio- ics are giving the selected students insights technology of the into population genetics, biomathematics, and Austrian Academy bioinformatics, encouraging them to think of Sciences – were outside the box. For next year’s selection, among the hosts of students are invited to apply in early 2011 at the international www.popgen-vienna.at ● group of students.

A GOOD READ – PUBLICATIONS FROM THE EMBO COMMUNITY AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Articles EMBO Members EMBO Young Investigators

Dicer-independent primal Hormonal control of the shoot Tartufari Prize for Biology GlaxoSmithKline Körber Award 2010 RNAs trigger RNAi and stem cell niche Accademia Nazionale dei International Member of Körber Foundation heterochromatin formation Jan U. Lohmann Lincei the Year Award Jirˇí Friml from Ghent Mario Halic (EMBO Fellow) et al. (EMBO Young Investigator) et al. Anna Tramontano won the American Society for University, Belgium, is Cell 140(4), 504 – 516 Nature 465, 1089 –1092 2010 Prof. Luigi Tartufari Microbiology this year’s laureate of the 19 February 2010 24 June 2010 Prize of the Accademia dei Hans Wolf-Watz from Körber European Science Lincei – the Italian National the Umeå University, Award, worth 750,000 Mitochondrial disulfi de Myc-nick: A cytoplasmic cleavage Academy. The award, Sweden, has been selected euro. The Körber Foundation bond formation is driven by product of Myc that promotes founded in 2007, includes the 2010 laureate of annually awards European intersubunit electron transfer α-tubulin acetylation and cell a monetary prize of 25,000 the GlaxoSmithKline scientists who are pursuing in Erv1 and proofread by differentiation euro. International Member of particularly innovative Glutathione Maralice Conacci-Sorrell the Year Award. Wolf-Watz research projects. Jirˇí gets Ludwig-Wittgenstein Prize Jan Riemer (EMBO Fellow) et al. (EMBO Fellow) et al. is honoured for his seminal the prize for his research Österreichische Molecular Cell 37(4), 516 – 528 Cell 142(3), 480 – 493 work in the elucidation of into the development and Forschungsgemeinschaft 26 February 2010 6 August 2010 the pathogenesis of Yersinia, adaptability of plants. (Austrian Research as well as his international Light-induced structural changes Neurological disease mutations Association) collaborations, which have Molecular BioSystems in a photosynthetic reaction compromise a C-terminal ion Barbara Hohn from the resulted in fundamental Award center caught by Laue diffraction pathway in the Na1/K1-ATPase Friedrich-Miescher-Institute progress in the fi eld. Royal Society of Chemistry Gergely Katona (EMBO Fellow) Hanne Poulsen (EMBO Fellow) et al. for Biomedical Research in Madan Babu from the et al. Nature 467, 99 –102 Basel, Switzerland, is this Croonian Lecture Prize Laboratory of Molecular Science 328, 630 – 633 15 August 2010 year’s Wittgenstein Prize The Royal Society Biology at the University of 30 April 2010 winner. The annual prize, John Ellis from the Cambridge, UK, has been Functional roles for noise in accompanied by a stipend University of Warwick, selected to deliver the fi rst Natural allelic variation genetic circuits of 1.4 million euro, is the UK, was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s underlying a major fi tness trade- Avigdor Eldar (EMBO Fellow) et al. highest scientifi c recognition 2011 Croonian Lecture Molecular BioSystems off in Arabidopsis thaliana Nature 467, 167–173 in Austria. Prize worth £1,000 for his Award Lecture at the 2011 Detlef Weigel (EMBO Member), 9 September 2010 “pioneering contributions American Chemical Society’s Sureshkumar Balasubramanian Advanced to biochemistry and Spring Meeting. Madan has (EMBO Fellow) et al. Investigator Grant molecular biology, also plant received this honour for his Nature 465, 632 – 636 European Research Council Books sciences”. The Croonian contribution to the fi eld of 3 June 2010 Liam Dolan from the Lecture is the Society’s Systems Biology. Sydney Brenner: A biography University of Oxford, UK, Glucocorticoids suppress bone premier lecture in the He has also been awarded By Errol C. Friedberg has been awarded the formation by attenuating biological sciences. It was the 2011 Balfour Lecture by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press prestigious ERC Advanced osteoblast differentiation via given in May 2010. the Genetics Society for his ISBN 978-087969947-5 Investigator Grant. The the monomeric glucocorticoid contributions to the areas of 2010 scheme is highly competitive Otto-Warburg Medal receptor Computational Biology and and allows established German Society for Jan Tuckermann (EMBO Fellow) How Science Works: Evolution Genetics. leaders in any fi eld of science, Biochemistry and Molecular et al. John Ellis (EMBO Member) engineering and scholarship Biology (GBM) Cell Metabolism 11, 517– 531 Springer Netherlands to pursue frontier research of Ari Helenius from the 9 June 2010 ISBN 9789048131822 their choice. Institute of Biochemistry EMBO Fellows 2010 in Zurich, Switzerland, Royal Medal Indian National Young has received this medal Scientist Award Royal Society of Chemistry for discovering the basic Indian National Science Azim Surani, the principles of biological TRANSITIONS EVENTS Marshall-Walton Professor Academy (INSA) quality control for the Saravanan Matheshwaran of Physiology at the folding and assembly of EMBO Members EMBO Members from the Cancer Research University of Cambridge, protein molecules. Qiagen, a UK London Research Frank EMBO Member Maurizio Brunori UK, has received this medal provider of sample and assay Former EMBO Director Institute, has been awarded Gannon, is main organizer of the symposium for his pivotal contributions technologies, sponsors the now Director-General of the Indian National Young Protein Structure and Dynamics to to the understanding the Science Foundation of Ireland, Otto-Warburg Medal with a Scientist Award for 2010. has been appointed Chief Executive be held at the Accademia Nazionale of early mammalian grant of 25,000 euro. He received this award for Offi cer of the Queensland Institute dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, from development. The Royal his research on the role of Medial Research in Australia. 1–3 December 2010. Medals are awarded annually EMBO Young Investigators of metal ions in sequence More information at: by the Queen upon a Colworth Medal specifi city that resulted EMBO Member Françoise Barré- http://arianna.bio.uniroma1.it/ recommendation of the UK Biochemical Society in the engineering of Sinoussi from the Institute Pasteur folding/ Royal Society. in Paris, France, will become the next Sarah Teichmann has won site-specifi c restriction President-Elect of the International A. De Leeuw-Damry- the 2011 Colworth Medal, endonucleases. The scheme AIDS Society (AIS) in 2012. Professor Bourlart Prize for awarded annually to a distinguishes “young EMBO Fellows Barré-Sinoussi is the 2008 Nobel Exact Sciences biochemist under the age of scientists of extraordinary Fund for Scientifi c Research 35 for outstanding research promise and creativity” who Laureate of Medicine for her EMBO Fellow Alessandra Cambi – Flanders (FWO) achievement. Sarah is the have made notable research contributions to the discovery of the is co-organizing the symposium Every fi ve years, fi rst computational biologist contributions in science and AIDS virus. Lipid and protein nanoislands: FWO honours fi ve and the second woman to technology. Dynamics, organization and EMBO Member Nektarios internationally recognized win the medal in its almost signaling to take place in Tavernarakis has been elected Flemish scientists for fi fty-year history. The prize Nijmegen, The Netherlands, on Excellence Professor at the Medical their groundbreaking was made in recognition of 27 January 2011. The symposium School of the University of Crete. contributions to their her groundbreaking work on aims to promote interaction between fi eld of research. This year, elucidating principles of the Biophysics and Immunology. Howard Riezman from the Dirk Inzé, Director of the evolution and dynamics of Registration deadline is University of Geneva, Switzerland, Department of Plant Systems transcriptional regulatory 15 December 2010. has been awarded directorship of Biology at Ghent University, networks and protein www.immunanomap.eu a program grant from the Swiss Belgium, has won this award complexes. Federal Department of the Interior for his lifetime achievement. Sarah was also the winner to create a National Center of of the Science &Technology Competence in Research (NCCR) in Women of the Future prize Chemical Biology sponsored by Shell. 15

Turning the spotlight on chilhood cancer EMBO Member Beverly E Grifﬁ n shoots a ﬁ lm in Malawi

Camera UK, embarked on “After writing many ‘learned articles’, team at a rather unusual which probably reach only a few individu- work in a project. Together als and provide some knowledge but little Malawian with the head of support, I am doing something else to reach village Cipla, a generic drug a broader audience,” commented Beverly company in Mumbai, on her social commitment. The ﬁ lm will be Stephanie Hampton, widely distributed as a vehicle for teaching who lost her only son medical students in both the developed and to the disease, and the the developing world. By doing this, she company Angry Man wants to “wake people up in other parts of the Pictures, she produced world” and encourage them to lend support. the 48-minute docu- “Our main goal is to show the ﬁ lm to villag-

©James Buck | Cameraman Angry Man Pictures mentary Surviving ers and the personnel at all the regional medi- Burkitt’s this year. The cal centres, so they can recognise the symp- ◗ Burkitt’s Lymphoma is the most common fi lm followed Stephanie across Malawi, where toms earlier and get the patients to hospital type of tumour in children in Sub-Saharan Af- the incidence is unusually high, to interview quicker,” said Alex Tweddle, fi lm production rica and it still affects about 200,000 persons academics and doctors. Then, the camera team company director. Later, with the spotlight on a year – mainly children between fi ve and ten. accompanied the families of eleven-year-old the unsolved problem, Beverly would like to This white blood cell tumour has been named Grace and two-year-old Ganizani who both return to the bench and start developing new after the British surgeon Denis Burkitt, who suffer from large Burkitt’s tumours in their therapies for the affected African children. ● was the fi rst to describe the disease. eyes. With most of the money raised by early To raise awareness, EMBO Member Beverly Summer, the fi lming was completed in August For more details go to Surviving Burkitt’s E Griffi n from Imperial College in London, and is currently in post production. page at www.angrymanpictures.co.uk Family drama induced at the bench EMBO Member Regine Hengge puts theatre pieces on her students’ curriculum

◗ After the tragic death of his wife and his which on some evenings is followed by discus- … a few questions to Regine failure to raise his young son, Salter decides sions with the audience. Hengge, the project founder to try again with a clone of his son. But the Premiered last June, A Number was their doctor in charge secretly produces twenty fi rst co-production – and a clear success. Regine, where does your interest in clones who populate the world not knowing According to Regine, both students and the theatre arise from? of one another. Some of them are happy and theatre people tremendously benefi ted from Coming from a family of artists rather fulfi lled, others struggle for their existence. the joint enterprise. Additional performanc- than scientists, I have always been inter- Until one day, after a heated discussion, the es will be staged on 4–8 November; and on ested in arts. And ever since I met Günther aged father divulges his secret and the family 7 November the show will be followed by a Grosser, we have had long discussions about drama is set into motion. public lecture by EMBO Associate Member theatre. This is the rough outline of the play A Jonathan Beckwith, who was the fi rst to clone Number by the English playwright Caryl a gene in 1969. ● What triggered the idea for the project? Churchill, a story used by EMBO Member Further information and tickets: At some point we realized that many Regine Hengge from the Freie Universität www.etberlin.de good contemporary plays in the English- Berlin to discuss social and ethical aspects speaking deal with science. Günther decided of scientifi c research with biology graduate to put one or several on stage, and it was students. This play appeared just perfect for clear that my part would be to provide the discussing questions of human identity and scientifi c background to the theatre people. ‘enhancement‘ as well as the nature versus Moreover, I wanted to involve biology nurture issue. students for whom this would be an exercise Together with Günther Grosser, the director in science communication. In fact, I always of the English Theater Berlin, Regine set up had wanted to develop a seminar on social, the transdisciplinary project Science&Theatre. ethical and political aspects of science for During the three-stage workshop, the students young scientists. This is how the idea of attend a seminar series fi rst and then partici- combining all this was born. A Number was pate in preparing the actual play together with our test run for this new concept, and it

the theatre people. The project culminates in ©Bastienne Schulz | Press Service FU Berlin worked out exceedingly well! the performance at the English Theater Berlin, Regine Hengge and Günther Grosser

Human variation advancing the life sciences Disease Organizers Cancer Pascale Cossart Barry Dickson Keynote lectures Jane Langdale 2011 Neuroscience Richard Axel Immunity Susan Lindquist Development Louis-Jeantet Prize VIENNA 10 – 13 September Plant biology for Medicine winners Pathogens Microbiology Plenary lectures 21 concurrent David Anderson sessions see website Cori Bargmann covering the Bonnie Bassler Jeffrey Bennetzen entire range of Evan Eichler the molecular Florian Engert life sciences Brett Finlay Cytoskeleton Edvard Moser Autophagy Signalling Trafﬁ cking Paul Rainey Membranes Transport Paul Schulze-Lefert Lucy Shapiro Michael Stratton

RNA Gene expression Epigenetics

Cell division Stem cells Genome evolution

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