44 EMBL April 2008 &cetera Newsletter of the European Molecular Laboratory

Meet Helke, the new Dean of Graduate Studies Helke Hillebrand, who has taken over as Dean of the EMBL International PhD Programme, is busy meeting as many of the student body as possible this month, both at Heidelberg and at the outstations. But she and outgoing Dean Anne Ephrussi found time to talk about the directions in which they hope to see the EMBL International PhD Programme going. “For me this role is the ideal combination of a scientific environment, communication with people, and a sense of doing something for education in a European context,” Helke says. page 2

EMBL’s big in Japan There’s been a series of Japanese-themed events and exchanges lately. Monterotondo group leader Cornelius Gross (far right) has just returned from a month spent sharing his mouse expertise with scientists in Tokyo, which stemmed from an earlier visit of National Institute of Basic Biology (NIBB) scientists to the out- station. EMBL’s collaboration agreement with the NIBB also led to the recent ‘Evolution of Epigenetic Regulation’ symposium at EMBL Heidelberg, and there was also a visit by a delegation from Osaka University in March. page 2

Would you really like to be 150 years old? Biochemist Cynthia Kenyon, one of the pioneers in research into ageing, is convinced that the world will soon be populated by lucid, wrinkle-free centenarians. After her Heidelberg Forum Biosciences and Society lecture in February, organised by EMBL, DKFZ, ZMBH and the university’s Medical Faculty, she found time for a chat about her brave new world, and about the research results that have persuaded her to change her lifestyle. “Our experiments show that C. elegans live shorter lives if they have a constant- ly high insulin level. I keep my insulin low by avoiding sugar, potatoes, pasta and rice.” page 4

Make a date for Lab Day If you’re new to EMBL, or even if you’re an old hand, Lab Day is a great opportunity to mingle with colleagues, hear about each others’ work and have some fun. If it’s not in your diaries already, 10 June is the big day this year. It’s time to get your thinking caps on and make sure your group’s poster is the cream of the crop! Oh, and don’t forget to bring aspirin Australian links for the morning after... Since Australia joined as EMBL’s first page 3 associate member state, there’s been a lot of meetings and visits from both sides, including a trip to Canberra to meet Research Minister Kim Carr (above left). Feel better about Opening An unexpected We also talked to some EMBL alumni yourself at friendly windows to the way to cause about their experiences living in the land 3 Journal Club 4 outside world 5 leukaemia down under. pages 3 and 8 EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 2

There’s a new Dean in town – and her door is open

t’s always nice when things are going well in Panagiotidis Christine Photo: Helke’s only role. While she was Dean, Anne Ilife, but for those times when they’re not, PhD was always aware that more could be done on students now have round-the-clock support the recruitment side. “We have very few appli- from EMBL’s first full-time Dean, Helke cants from Scandinavia, and it’s difficult to Hillebrand. She’ll be devoting all her time to attract British students, too,” she says. “With EMBL’s predocs and the high-quality graduate Helke on board, the PhD programme can be education of the EMBL International PhD much more active in attracting students at Programme (EIPP). roadshows. She’ll also be going to meetings on “Anne’s ‘open door’ policy is the tradition I’d excellence in graduate education to further like to step into,” says Helke. “It’s very impor- develop the high standards for the PhD degree tant to have a personal relationship with peo- in Europe. I think we can both strengthen the ple. I want all the students to know that they EIPP further and be vocal in establishing can come and see me at any time, no matter European standards.” how big or small the problem.” Helke’s looking forward to that. “Europe’s With almost 200 students in the programme, best resource is its people. The most effective the need for a person to run it full-time was “I want all the students to know way of enforcing its role in world-class science would be to help institutes develop their train- apparent. “Though everything was working that they can come and see me fine, we did have a list of things we still wanted that they can come and see me ing and education programmes and facilities, to develop,” says outgoing Dean Anne at any time” – Helke Hillebrand so that human resources become a driving Ephrussi. “It became a very big job; with more force for Europe.” students there are more chances of mismatches “The PhD programme needs to talk to the with group leaders, for example. Each one of ences convinced her that a career move like education ministries and set up more fellow- these cases would turn up at my door, Matthias EMBL’s Dean position, with its focus on per- ships, along the lines of the Spanish Ministry of Hentze’s or Lars Steinmetz’s, and with our feel- sonal interaction, was the direction to take. “It’s Science and Innovation one for postdocs,” adds ing that taking care of our students comes first, the ideal combination of a scientific environ- Anne. we simply felt that we didn’t have sufficient ment, communication with people, and a sense Helke won’t be facing the challenge alone. time, in view of our other responsibilities, to of doing something for education in a “I’m very lucky to have Milanka Stojkovic as a develop and implement the new directions we European context,” she says. “I’ve always loved colleague. In administrating the programme believe are important for the EIPP.” working with students. At the beginning of my for the past few years she has a wealth of expe- Helke, who completed her PhD in plant PhD thesis I was invited to be an interviewer rience and ideas,” she says. She’s also looking molecular physiology in Bochum, is confident for the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes forward to consulting closely with the graduate she can step up to the challenge. After a period (German National Merit Foundation, an elite committee and EMBL’s faculty. Lars Steinmetz as assistant professor, she went to lead a scholarship-awarding body), meeting under- will support her as Associate Dean, and at the research group at the BASF Plant Science graduate applicants. It was comparable to EBI, Nick Goldman, as Academic Training organisation at Gatersleben, gradually moving selection at EMBL, because they’re looking for Coordinator, is the main person to go to with away from the bench: first with a position in students who are really excellent at what they questions or problems there. Limburgerhof in science management, and do and also willing to contribute in other ways. It’s still early days for Helke, but she’s busy then coordinating a group of almost 60 people I’m also active in Jugend Forscht, a German meeting as many of the predocs and faculty as working on enabling technologies. Finally, a youth science competition, so I’ve done a lot of possible, both at Heidelberg and at the outsta- career development initiative at BASF found work with young people thinking about going tions. Her first week of navigating the corri- her explaining the world of life sciences to into life science. It’s very rewarding.” dors have equipped her with one piece of valu- bankers and investors. These varied experi- Of course, supporting the students won’t be able advice for new students – “Get a map!”

Sharing mouse know-how in the Land of the Rising Sun

onterotondo group leader Cornelius Cornelius and Dr. Zhouxin Wang, a researcher regard, and EMBL could benefit from paying MGross has just returned from a month in the field of sexual behaviour from the more attention to the high quality of research spent sharing his expertise with scientists in University of Florida, to make the trip. there. It is really too bad we don’t have any Japan. Though he was busy in the lab and giving Japanese group leaders to facilitate this.” Supported by a visiting scientist fellowship lots of seminars, Cornelius found time to draw The trip was the latest in a series of Far from the Japanese government, Cornelius’ sab- some comparisons with life back home. Eastern exchanges for EMBL, some of which batical at the Department of Companion “There’s a lot of very creative science going on have been part of the collaboration agreement Animal Research at Azabu University in Tokyo at Japanese universities; many are publishing in with the NIBB, which was launched in 2005. stemmed from the visit to Monterotondo of or Science every year,” he says. “Like in On March 17-19, EMBL’s Jürg Müller, NIBB’s Japanese mouse geneticists from four insti- Europe, Japanese institutions are grappling tutes, including the National Institute of Basic with how to attract international students in Naoto Ueno and Kunio Shiota of the Biology (NIBB), in April 2006. Cornelius’ host, the face of declining interest from Japanese stu- University of Tokyo shared the organisation of Dr. Takefumi Kikusui, a specialist in social dents. The biggest problem remains their poor the ‘Evolution of Epigenetic Regulation’ sym- communication and olfactory perception in English, with few researchers able to commu- posium at EMBL Heidelberg, and on 18 diverse animal species, applied to the Japanese nicate effectively. They could definitely learn a March, an Osaka University delegation visited government for the fellowship that allowed thing or two from EMBL’s experience in this to get some ideas from the PhD Programme. EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 3

Chuck another prawn on the barbie – we’ve got visitors! Feel better about yourself – read more!

Do you ever feel you should be reading more primary research papers, or perhaps keeping in touch with research areas other than your own? The Molecular Evolution Journal Club meets once a month and offers an informal setting for discussion and scientific chat. “I chose the topic because it seems to find its way into many people’s work, whether they realise it or not,” says Aidan Budd, Computational Biologist in the Gibson team, who founded the group. “We take turns to pres- ent papers, whether historical or more recent, and it’s really just a chance to chat about science with a wider range of people, perhaps also from outside your unit.” Since Australia joined EMBL as the first March; a meeting of the EMBL Australia associate member state on 1 March, several Working Group took place on 1 April; and Aidan’s keen to reassure potential members visits have taken place to get to know each on 13 March Michael Gallagher, head of about that ‘presenting’ part. “Please don’t be other better and develop plans for the Australia’s Group of Eight (Go8) major uni- intimidated! It’s mainly younger scientists who future. Head of EMBL Monterotondo Nadia versities, also visited. come along, and it’s OK to ask stupid questions (which usually aren’t stupid!) and show your Rosenthal (left), Coordinator International Two faculty positions have been adver- Relations and Communications Silke tised for Australians wishing to work at total ignorance about a subject!” he says. Schumacher and EMBL DG Iain Mattaj EMBL for five years and then Australia for If you’re like to join the mailing list to be (right) met Australian Research Minister another four. Opportunities are also avail- informed about the next meeting, e-mail Aidan Kim Carr (second from right) in Canberra able for pre- and postdocs from the at [email protected]. There’s already a video- in March; a delegation that included David Australian National Health and Medical conferencing link to the EBI, thanks to the De Kretser, the Victoria governor and a Research Council, which is also funding one efforts of Vicky Schneider of the OTT, and the researcher himself, visited EMBL on 31 of the faculty positions. meetings can be extended to the other outsta- tions if anyone is interested.

Register at Lab Day Mark your calendars for this year’s Lab Day www.embl.org/labday2008 10 June 2008 f you’re new to EMBL, or even The science will be interspersed with food, good occasion to grab a TAC member for a Iif you’re an old hand, Lab Day drink and entertainment from EMBL’s music quick chat or catch up with old friends. “A lot at the main lab is a great opportunity to min- society, and the famous poster session, which of people take advantage of the day to arrange gle with scientists from all sites, hear about each mixes science and humour, will run all day. As meetings about their existing collaborations, as others’ work and have some fun. usual there are prizes for the best. Of course, to well as forging new ones,” says group leader The programme includes talks from post- finish the day there’ll be a party until dawn. Eileen Furlong, one of the organisers. “The docs from all over the institute, and will also Lab Day evolved from the ‘Annual EMBL talks and poster session provide a nice oppor- feature the first award ceremony of the presti- Lecture Meeting’ in 1984. By 1989 this had tunity for non-scientific staff to get a flavour of gious John Kendrew Young Scientist Award for become a day-long affair which was as much the different types of research going on in the outstanding scientific contribution, which will about getting together and having fun as forg- lab and to see how their services and support be presented to the winning pre- and postdoc ing new collaborations. As usual, the day is are being put to good use.” winners by John Tooze. In the afternoon the conveniently close to other events, such as the Eileen would welcome pre- and postdoc vol- PhD graduation ceremony will be held, a very Heads of Units/Senior Scientists meeting on unteers to help show new faces around the lab special and heartfelt presentation to celebrate 11-12 June, and it’s preceded by the annual in the morning, so if you’d like to get involved the completion of the students’ theses before Career Opportunities Day on 9 June, where with this or any other aspect of Lab Day, please they embark on their careers. A number of scientists can learn about alternative possibili- e-mail [email protected], Ramesh Pillai at graduating students will give presentations to ties other than an academic career. As almost [email protected] or Rolf Apweiler at describe their own journeys towards a PhD. everyone will be at the lab at this time, it’s a [email protected]. Photos: Maj Britt Hansen Britt Maj Photos:

Posters, music and conversation: snaps from recent Lab Days EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 4

Opening windows to the outside world

ow you need never miss a green or yellow Nseminar again as EMBL bounds into the 21st century, putting webcasts on the internet site for all to enjoy. Specially selected Science and Society

Forum and Distinguished Visitor lectures, Panagiotidis Christine Photo: which were previously only available on DVD by request, can now be viewed whenever you like. “We chose what we felt were the most accessible of the talks in the hope that we would be able to extend EMBL’s valuable series of lectures to people outside,” says Halldór Stefánsson, who, with lots of help from many EMBL individuals and departments, got the idea off the ground. “Of course, it’s also very ers are also downloadable from the site. pleasure, cutting professionally from speaker useful for those within EMBL who can’t make “Traditionally we always recorded these sem- to slide and back again. “It was a big job to it to the seminars, or people at the outstations.” inars for our archives,” says Halldór. “Putting process them into webcasts, which involved There are also Training Lectures, provided by them on the web is a great way of making the know-how and help from EICAT, the web EICAT and covering subjects such as grant writ- most of the fantastic speakers we invite here – team, Photolab, IT services and many others,” ing and how to get published, and some of these and to fulfil our mission to contribute to sci- says Halldór. are for internal use only. They are available as ence communication across Europe.” Visit www.embl.org/aboutus/onlineseminars Flash or Quicktime movies, both of which play- Each movie has been edited for your viewing to see what’s available so far. ‘The Ages of Man and Death’, Hans Baldung-Grien © Museo Nacional del Prado del Nacional Museo © Baldung-Grien Hans Death’, and Man of Ages ‘The Forever young? – an interview with Cynthia Kenyon

rate of aging in higher organisms. People have they become wiser. They might have experi- already started to develop drugs that interact ence, a better sense of perspective and longer with proteins that affect ageing, but it’s going to memories. take a long time to know if you have a drug that Age is the biggest risk factor of getting dis- slows ageing in people. eases like Alzheimer’s. What’s the advantage How did you become interested in ageing of living to 150 if we get ill at seventy? research? It’s true if you assume that you’ll get old when Until the seventies people thought ageing just you’re ninety. But what if you’re young at that happened, and that there was nothing to know age? The diseases are delayed. Among the pro- – it seemed to be passively dismissed in peo- teins that extend life spans are some that behave ples’ minds. But I noticed that most processes as anti-oxidants and some as chaperones. We that seem to be vague and unwieldy turn out to know many individual genes that kill bacteria, be very tightly controlled by genes. In nature, prevent damage from free radicals or whose you find animals with very different life spans: chaperones prevent proteins from unfolding, so a squirrel can live 25 years, whereas a rat lives it’s possible that some of the chaperones delay only three years. They are very similar in many some protein aggregation diseases. ways, but different in their genes. So if those How have you applied your research results iochemist Cynthia Kenyon, one of the pio- genes affect ageing, do they also control the to your personal lifestyle? Bneers in research into ageing, is convinced rate of ageing? Another reason is that I was get- that the world will soon be populated by lucid, ting older, so I also had a personal interest! We found that one set of genes that control wrinkle-free centenarians. After her Heidel- Would you really like to be 150 years old? aging also affect the hormone insulin which is berg Forum Biosciences and Society lecture in If you love life and you’re active then it would known to be important in the metabolism of February, she had time for a chat about her be great. Just imagine a person at ninety who food. Our experiments showed that C. elegans brave new world. not only looks forty but also feels forty. live shorter lives if they have a constantly high insulin level. What causes the rise of insulin Back in 1993 you discovered that ageing is a But the earth is overpopulated already. level in blood is sugar, so I changed my diet to genetically controlled process. When will the We already have to take care of that and bring first anti-aging pill be launched? keep my insulin low by avoiding carbohydrates down the birth rates. If everyone stays young like sugar, potatoes, pasta and rice. When I go Our research with C. elegans showed that the longer, of course we’ll have to bring them down shopping I always stay where the vegetables ageing process is tightly controlled by the a little more. It’s more important for the whole and the fruits are – I don’t even enter the aisles. genes: manipulate a single one and the lifespan earth to reduce the size of families and to doubles. But it takes a long time to find out if extend the age of the person. The positive And how old are you? these molecular mechanisms also control the aspect of ageing is that if people live longer I’m 130 (laughs). – Yvonne Kaul EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 

Language tips from the experts An unexpected way to

here’s a lot to think about when you’re Both teachers run classes at the university cause leukaemia Tnew to EMBL, and for those who don’t as well, but in the largely English-speaking speak the language, settling in can be even world of EMBL, they see how easy it can be to MBL and EBI scientists have made steps more complicated. find oneself years into a stay in Heidelberg Etowards understanding the development and treatment of a common cancer. No, not EMBLish – that will come sooner and still unable to perform everyday errands than you think! But if you want to brush up on in German. “It’s important to go out and use It was previously unknown which mutation one of your official EMBL languages – English, your German in real situations, like shopping caused acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) by French or German – help is at hand. Within downtown,” says Wula. allowing defective blood cells to accumulate their first three years, language reimbursement “Learn about the culture, too,” advises and displace healthy ones, and how it worked. of 75% off up to a maximum of €600 is avail- Barbara. “It’s intrinsically tied to the lan- But by engineering it in mice, a scientist in able to staff members, ancillaries and fellows guage; nothing can be directly translated Claus Nerlov’s group at EMBL Monterotondo who are staying at least a year, but you must from one to another.” proved that a mutation in the protein C/EBPα causes the disease by triggering innate genetic attend a certain number of classes to qualify. All good advice, perhaps, but Wula and programmes that allow white blood cells to Language training at EMBL Heidelberg is Barbara agree, there’s nothing like learning proliferate uncontrollably. Their findings have now organised by the Non-scientific Training from a teacher. “There’s no magic trick to been published in the 8 April issue of Cancer and Development Programme, and the next learn a language quickly, but signing up with Cell. placement test for German classes is in June. us can certainly help!” says Barbara. “Ten percent of all patients suffering from If you’re keen to get started in the meantime, “But you will be expected to do your home- AML have this mutation, but we could never teachers Barbara Lederer-Janta and Wula work,” warns Wula. She adds: “I love working be sure if it causes the disease. By precisely Georgiadou have some tips. with all these different nationalities and see- reproducing the human mutation in the mouse “You have to be inquisitive, curious and, ing people develop. Sometimes, if I’m teach- we now proved a causative relation,” says Peggy above all, confident,” says Barbara, who’s ing someone from outside Europe, it Kirstetter, who carried out the research. from Bavaria. “Being afraid can really restrict becomes a lesson about a whole new way of your development in a language.” life for them.” Her pupils get as much out of it Together with researchers from the Bertone group at the EBI and the universities of “Don’t learn words on their own,” Wula as she does. “It makes a huge difference to Harvard, USA, and Lund, Sweden, Peggy advises. “If you’re going to learn ‘Wetter’, for learn a language with someone who genuine- found that rather than promoting uncontrolled example, make sure you learn it in a context, ly seems to enjoy teaching,” says Matt Betts like ‘das Wetter ist schön’. In German a word from the Russell group. Photo: Marietta Schupp Marietta Photo: is no good on it’s own.” Barbara agrees. “Start Details about language classes at EMBL with small sentences. After all, every sentence Heidelberg can be found at www.embl.de/ gets longer!” staffonly/personnel/forms.html.#language.

Young scientist winner has an inspiring time at EMBL

from 18 February, won the visit for his proj- ect, ‘Synthesis of a linker molecule for self- assembled monolayers’, at the contest on 4- Photo: Christine Panagiotidis Christine Photo: 19 September 2007 in Valencia, Spain. Though his visit was enlightening, however, Peggy Kirstetter and Claus Nerlov he’s still unsure about which field to enter. “I still don’t know what to study, but I def- proliferation of malignant blood stem cells, as initely want to do research” he says. “Maybe was previously assumed, the mutation in medicine, chemistry, electrical or mechanical C/EBPα acts on already partially differentiated engineering. If I study chemistry or medicine cells, reprogramming them to self-renew and I’ll apply to work at EMBL again!” After fin- produce countless dysfunctional daughter Philipp Zagar, a winner of the EIROforum ishing a spell in the military last year, he’s cells. These displace the healthy blood cells, prize at the 19th EU Contest for Young now gaining work experience in industry in eventually leading to the inability to transport Scientists, had an eye-opening time during Schärding, Austria. oxygen around in the body. his placement in the Gene Expression Unit in Philipp would especially like to thank Scientists always thought that the mutation February. “The visit to EMBL changed my Maja Köhn, Carsten Schultz, Gregor Reither, itself was the crucial step leading to leukaemia view on research,” he says. “It showed me Klaus Scheffzek, Amanda Cobos, Andrea and should be targeted by drugs. Now that that it’s possible to start with just an idea or a Erlbruch and Adrian Neal for the support he Claus, Peggy and their colleagues have identi- notion, and follow it up using all the excellent received. “I really enjoyed my time at EMBL. fied that a genetic programme is activated in equipment and real know-how that’s avail- I’ll remember the nice people, the very mod- self-renewing leukaemic cells, it suggests that able here, so it’s possible to implement things ern, expensive equipment, the interesting the cellular changes that lead to self-renewal that you only suspect could work.” topics that I had not been familiar with and are mutation-independent – meaning, there- Philipp, who was 18 when he spent his the thrilling presentations. EMBL showed fore, that it it may be more efficient to target week’s placement in the Gene Expression me that it’s possible for me to do whatever I the molecules and pathways shared between Unit – namely the Schultz and Köhn labs – want to do – as long as I work hard!” different cancer stem cells rather than the mutation. EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 

Lynn moves on to pastures new Mastering the art of MBL-EBI’s Purchase and Accounts Officer, ELynn White, said her farewells to all at the bioinformatics EBI and EMBL at the end of March. Over the past nine years, Lynn has been invaluable to the EMBL-EBI held its annual Masters’ Open smooth running of the institute’s finance Day on 3 March in Hinxton. More than administration, coping with the demands 80 bioinformatics-related masters stu- placed on her by modernisation and the EBI’s dents from all over Europe came to learn gradual expansion over the years. more about the EBI and sample some of its services and research. In looking back over how things have evolved during her time at the EBI, Lynn says: The day consisted of overview lectures, “I’ve seen enormous change. The institute has a brief summary of the EMBL grown from 70 to over 350 staff. Once upon a International PhD Programme and pre- time I could look out of my window and see the sentations focusing on three different rabbits running around on the grass, whereas research areas. A lunchtime demonstra- more recently I glance up from my desk and tion session involving 13 of the EBI’s see people gliding along the walkway past the main bioinformatics resources allowed window. It’s really like one of those futuristic students to learn how these services can architectural drawings!” be used in their own areas of research. As well as reminiscing, Lynn is looking for- The event received very positive feed- ward to putting the skills she has developed at back, with several students wanting to the EBI into practice elsewhere. “I enjoyed my Wright Louisa Photo: return to participate in the EBI’s hands- time at the EBI. I’ve especially valued the free- on training courses. “The location of the dom to be able to just get on with my job, and EBI and the surrounding area is beautiful. I’ve learnt many new things to take with me in I was impressed by how helpful everyone the future.” It’s a future for which we all wish at EBI was, and very patiently willing to her well. – Louisa Wright guide on the same points as many times as we asked,” one participant said. In future, the event will be held in November to synchronise more closely with applica- tions to the EMBL International PhD Cambridge delves into ‘The world of DNA’ Programme. Finally, a note to alumni. If you’re involved in teaching bioinformatics mas- his year’s Cambridge Science Festival plementary base pairing and DNA struc- ters students and would like them to saw more than 30 volunteers from the ture. T come to an EBI open day, please email EBI and the Sanger Institute introducing This year’s activities also involved explor- [email protected] asking to be added to visitors to ‘The world of DNA’. More than ing opinions on personal genome sequenc- the mailing list. –Louisa Wright 2,500 people dropped in on the ‘Biology ing, stimulated in part by the EBI and Zone’, part of the Festival’s ‘Science on Sanger’s joint involvement in the 1000 Saturday’ activities on 15 March. Genomes project. Filming teams, with help EBI and Sanger-organised activities from Jonathan Sanderson, a children’s sci- helped participants find out which DNA ence television producer, interviewed more science&society sequence most closely matched their name than 25 visitors about their thoughts on and what species it was from, and investigat- personal genomics, while the camera-shy ed the functions of some exotic proteins, could submit their responses online. The Genome facts and fears such as fish antifreeze and green fluorescent resulting ‘Voxpops’ will be made available protein. Other creative activities included on the www.yourgenome.org website, The second EMBL-EBI Science and Society colourful DNA sequence bracelet making which also contains downloadable versions Symposium, ‘The Personal Genome: Hopes, (below), DNA origami and edible double- of the science festival activities for people to Facts and Fears’ will be held on May 23 at helices that illustrated the concepts of com- try for themselves. – Louisa Wright Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, UK. This free afternoon event will consist of talks and an

Photo: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Sanger Trust Wellcome Photo: open panel discussion. The speakers are Martin Bobrow (Cambridge), ‘What is a personal genome and what can it do for me?’; Paul Flicek (EBI), ‘Open access to individual genomes’; Agnar Helgason (deCODE Genetics), ‘deCODEme: The making and use of a person- al genome service’; Adam Hedgecoe (Sussex), ‘Personal genomics, expectations and promis- sory science’; and Graham Lewis (York), Karyn Megy helps young visitors ‘Personal genomics in a globalised world: make DNA improving healthcare or biocapital at work bracelets (again?)’. Visit www.ebi.ac.uk/Information/ events/personalgenome to register online. EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 

EMBO YIs meet Turkish young scientists

he first ever EMBO Young Scientists oped this idea further to include scientists TForum took place in the lovely setting from all levels. Fifteen Young Investigators of Bogazici University, Istanbul on 20-22 and local Turkish group leaders gave talks, February. while students and other younger scientists Silke Schumacher Two recipients of EMBO Installation presented posters and took the opportunity and Janez Potočnik Grants, Nesrin Ozoren from Bogazici to network with the speakers in discussion University and Devrim Gozuacik from sessions. Sabanci University, also in Istanbul, organ- Bogazici University, formerly the Spreading the EMBL net ised the event, which aimed to highlight the American Robert College founded in 1863, attractiveness of a career in life science and is one of the top universities in Turkey, with EMBL representatives at the annual meeting of to showcase research in Europe. It attracted 10,500 students and nearly 1,000 faculty. All the American Association for the more than 400 masters and PhD students, major lectures in the life sciences are given Advancement of Science (AAAS) – ‘the postdocs and group leaders from all the in English, making Turkish scientists attrac- Olympics of science conferences,’ – were able to major institutes in Turkey, and was covered tive on the international market. literally rub shoulders with European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez extensively by the Turkish media. The dynamic community of Turkish sci- Potočnik at the event in Boston on 14-18 The idea of having a regular event to entists who attended the forum are benefit- February. reach out to PhD students in the peripheral ing from the country’s increased investment EMBC Member States came from members in science. The government plans to spend The EMBL stand, which attracted many vis- of the EMBO Young Investigator 2% of the GDP on R&D to become an attrac- itors from the thousands of attendees from 55 Programme, but the local organisers devel- tive scientific partner, and will look at ways countries, was directly opposite the European to lure postdocs and young Commission’s booth, and the Commissioner scientists back to Turkey after strolled across to compliment EMBL on their their PhDs, many of which attendance. “The EC is very keen that are completed in the US. European organisations increase their visibility in the US, and there we were doing just that!” Both EMBO and EMBL said Silke Schumacher. are supporting the Turkish endeavour to strengthen EMBL has also attended several careers fairs their local science base; recently in a continuing drive to make itself EMBL DG Iain Mattaj better known here in Europe, too. More than recently visited institutes in 50 visitors came with questions to the stand at Istanbul and Izmir to talk ‘Careers in International Organisations and EU about future plans, while the Institutions’ organised by the German Ministry EMBO Young Investigators of Foreign Affairs on 18 February in Berlin, Gerta Hoxhaj explains her will return to Bogazici for and EMBL also attended International Career work to EMBO Executive Day, organised by the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Director Hermann Bujard their 2009 annual meeting. – Gerlind Wallon Affairs and the University of Lausanne, in Lausanne on 3 March. science&society Hobbies on show Bridging the two cultures

The Science and Society programme is inviting applications from PhD students of all back- grounds for its first European Science & Society Summer School (E4S) on 25-30 August. Organised by PhD students and faculty from

EMBL, the European School of Molecular Heinzmann Thomas Photo: Medicine and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the theme will be ‘Deconstructing and Reconstructing Life: From Classification to Design’. “About 20 students will be selected, and they don’t have to be life scientists – we’d also like applications from the social sciences and After enlisting some new recruits at the Clubs Fair on April 4, EMBL Heidelberg’s Thalia Theatre humanities,” says Science and Society Club treated an audience to a performance of the comedy ‘Oedi’ by Rich Orloff. From left: Creon Programme Manager Halldór Stefánsson. The (Mirco Castoldi); Town Crier (Nadia Dube); Tiresias (Christian Schuberth); Jocasta (Andreea Gruia) event will involve daily presentations and dis- and King Oedipus (Ioannis Legouras). If you missed the day and would like to join something, you can find a full list of clubs and societies at www.embl-heidelberg.de/~staff/clubs.htm. cussions. See www.embl.org/e4s for details. EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 8 Alumni facts... 65% of Australian alumni and 1.5% of all EMBL News from the Alumni Association www.embl.org/aboutus/alumni/ alumni work in Australia, 32% in Melbourne and A warm welcome down under 21% in Sydney

ou might be hearing ‘g’day’ and ‘strewth’ moved to the other side of the world in agrees. “I’m just starting a research group Yin the corridors a bit more often from 2002,” he says. “I was very warmly received looking at cell-cell signalling events using now on, as Australia officially begins the first by the scientific community in Australia. I high end imaging technologies, with a focus ever associate membership to EMBL’s inter- was awarded a Viertel Senior Medical on vascular research, and I’d love to hear national community. Research fellowship lasting until 2007, and in from talented students who want to under- The country has become a central player in 2008 I was admitted to the NHMRC Senior take their project – or part of it – in molecular biology in recent years, with spe- Research Fellow scheme.” Australia,” she says. cial expertise in medical epidemiology and As well as collaborating with his old EMBL She too maintains close contact with sci- stem cell research. Associate membership will lab, Thomas maintains links to Europe with entists in Europe, currently collaborating facilitate interaction between the Australian collaborations with the Sanger Institute and with former EMBL group leader Philippe and European molecular biology communi- the universities of Oxford, Warsaw and Bastiaens, now at the Max Planck Institute ties and encourage the exchange of scientists, Berne, to name a few. But he’s also giving for Physiology in Dortmund, and EMBL with EMBL already in the process of hiring back to his adopted environment by making Heidelberg’s Achilleas Frangakis. “Apart group leaders who will serve their time use of what he’s learnt from EMBL about from setting up the lab, shipping reagents between the two continents (see page 5). training and research infrastructure develop- into Australia, and waiting for renovations to Of course, many of EMBL’s non- ment; he’s in charge of the Graduate Student be done, I’m getting used to a few culture Australian alumni have already found them- Program at VCCRI, and last year co-initiated shocks. Seeing dolphins swimming past selves living down under and sharing their the RNA Network Australasia, a special while I’m sitting on the beach, for example, knowledge in senior positions. One such interest group for RNA scientists. and trying not to get sunburnt!” she says. example is Thomas Preiss, previously a post- Of course, working in Australia sounds Thomas, who’s had a bit longer to get used doc in Matthias Hentze’s lab at EMBL idyllic, with great weather and superb beach- to life down under, still finds a few things Heidelberg, who’s now head of the RNA es on the doorstep, but Thomas faces the surprising. “I can never get used to having Biology Laboratory at the Victor Chang same challenges as any researcher. Christmas in the middle of summer!” he Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) in “Attracting talented scientists to the lab is says. Sydney and Conjoint Associate Professor at always difficult, but Australia’s associate If you’d like to get in contact with Thomas the University of New South Wales (UNSW). membership with EMBL should now help or Sabine, please e-mail [email protected]. His lab investigates the mechanisms and with this,” he says. “Also, it’s tough finding transcriptome-wide patterns of eukaryotic enough time to travel to international meet- mRNA translation and its regulation by ings which, from here, are pretty far away. It’s Please mark your diaries: RNA-binding proteins and non-coding important to make an effort to keep in touch RNA, and he still collaborates closely with with former colleagues for the same reason.” • To stand or nominate someone for Matthias Hentze at EMBL. the 2008 online EMBL Alumni Sabine Wimmer-Kleikamp, a recent post- Association Board elections, contact “Together with my wife Karen, an EMBL doc at EMBL who is now at the Centre for [email protected] no later than 30 alumna, and two Kinderhaus alumni, I Vascular Research, University of Sydney, May. See www.embl.org/aboutus/ alumni/aboutus/board/index.html. Thomas Preiss • On Lab Day on 10 June, John Tooze (third from right) will present the Alumni Association and his group at VCCRI John Kendrew Young Scientist Awards to the 2007 winners Antonio Giraldez and Giovanni Frazzetto. The association will also launch its careers wiki website. • Please note that the deadline for the 2008 John Kendrew Young Scientist Award is 12 September 2008. All for- mer EMBL pre- and postdocs are invited to apply for the €1,000 cash prize. Nominations are also welcome. www.embl.org/kendrew_award. html. Alumni Board meeting Stegmüller. The Board welcomed Spanish • As of April, Manuela Brunner will be alumnus Oscar Martin-Almendral as Albert’s your main point of contact at EMBL’s The Alumni Association Board held their bi- successor. Other items discussed included pro- Alumni Office, providing maternity annual meeting at EMBL Heidelberg on 25 cedures in identifying more local chapter cover for Mehrnoosh Rayner until February. One of the major topics was the organisers; the design of the Matti Saraste September 2008. Also new in the upcoming Board elections. On behalf of EMBL memorial in the new ATC building; and office is Annamaria Kocsis, who will Matthias Hentze thanked those members step- fundraising plans to support the Association’s be working on the alumni database. ping down, in particular treasurer Albert services for EMBL staff and alumni. EMBL&cetera • April 2008 • page 

European neighbours need a helping hand too from the Staff Association  The Heidelberg Staff Association held its MBL’s first ever budget officer is getting hand. “The people are very motivated and wel- annual General Assembly and Clubs Fair Estill involved in money management – but coming, and they try to make it as nice as pos- on 4 April. Chairman Doros Panayi these days she’s faced with a different challenge. sible inside their homes,” says Dagmar. “We informed staff about this year’s main devel- Dagmar Flecker, who introduced separate hope to raise a little money right now to pro- opments from the Council Working Group’s budgets for EMBL programmes during the 80s, vide some small, tangible improvements at first review of the Rules and Regulations and now volunteers at a fundraising organisation, – a playground, for example, and a football Pension Scheme. Changes and clarifications Confinis, in her native Vienna. This small field – and then to train the villagers in farm- are being considered for the unemployment ing and setting up businesses.” charity identifies places in Europe where insurance, installation and reinstallation money or help is needed – and the land-locked The improvements will employ local people grant, removal costs, overtime and the edu- country of Moldova is in dire straits. for building and renovations, and they’ll also cation grant, as well as the pension scheme. learn how to organise such a project from start If you were unable to attend, please contact “The mayor of a tiny village, Obreja Veche, to finish. “We see it as confidence-building one of the Staff Association representatives had heard about Confinis when he came to measure between Confinis and the villagers, to for more information. The Staff Association Vienna,” explains Dagmar. “We were already motivate them to train further,” she says. “It’s would also like to thank all the representa- doing something for neighbouring Ukraine, important to have good donations at the begin- tives who made the afternoon’s Clubs Fair and he picked us up from there by car. That ning to help them establish themselves. It could (page 7) a success. 250km was a five-hour trip on awful roads!” be a good example for the rest of the region.” Make a note in your diaries of these 2008 Dagmar was shocked at the conditions in the  If you’d like to help, money is of course the Events: EMBL Summer Party (21 June); village. “It wasn’t like Europe at all,” she says. ideal donation, but old computers and man- Oktoberfest (11 October). If you’d like to “The high street was a dirt track; the only power are also useful. “If anyone has other plan a themed party for staff in Heidelberg, means of transport was a horse and cart. The ideas or has time to help, please get in touch,” please contact Catherine Floyd at the Staff villagers had no running water, and the elec- says Dagmar. “Fundraising and writing appli- Association office. tricity was often off.” cations can be done from anywhere!” Contact Keep up-to-date with the Staff Association The village was clearly in need of a helping Dagmar at [email protected].  websites: www.embl-heidelberg.de/~staff/ (and for retirees, www.embl-heidelberg.de/ newsinbrief ~staff/pensioners/). – Catherine Floyd

 Free courses in the EMBL Non-Scientific benefits of becoming an EMBL member state. Training and Development Programme Heidelberg’s Gemeinderat (town council), include Train the Trainer (14 May), Outlook  including the mayor, Eckart Würzner, visit- Beginners (German, 29 May), Advanced ed EMBL on 27 March to see how the ATC Presentation Skills (5-6 June), Minute is coming along. They enjoyed presentations Taking (25 June) and Time Management (26 by EMBL DG Iain Mattaj, EICAT manager June). E-mail [email protected] or go to www. Matthias Haury and Gene Expression head embl.org/staffonly/personnel/training_ Jan Ellenberg. dev/index.html for more details.

 The Protein Expression & Purification Core Facility in Heidelberg would like to sity, had a visit to EMBL on 28 March as part It’s business as usual in inform users that they are once again able to of a five-day stay in the region. “They liked offer a full service in insect cell expression the lectures and the atmosphere at EMBL the Personnel section with the Baculovirus system. If you want and loved the location, and asked so many support in your protein expression project, questions that we had to skip the lab tour,” Annabel Goulding, acting head of please contact [email protected], visit the says OIPA’s Yvonne Kaul, who hosted them. Personnel since Yann Chabod’s departure facility in room 342 or see the updated web- Keren Guy from the Arendt group acted as in March, would like to assure everyone site at www.pepcore.embl.de. interpreter, and the students whipped out that it's ‘business as usual’ in the depart- ment. “Yann had some clear visions and Registration is now open for the EBI’s their flag for a photo opportunity outside  we’ll be continuing to implement his hands-on bioinformatics training courses the main entrance (above). ideas, like assigning particular staff to on Patterns, Similarities and Differences in Ten biology and medicine students from  look after units,” she says. With Christine Biological Data (9-11 June), Programmatic Europe and the US who were in the region Kastinger at the EBI for six months, your Access to Proteomics Resources (28-31 to attend the European Spring Event on main contacts at the moment are Elke July), Interactions and Pathways (26-27 Neuroethics in Ludwigshafen paid a visit to Jagomast and Laura Minnich for recruit- August) and the first ENFIN advanced EMBL on 10 March, during which they ment, Jasmin Greuenbühler and Daniela course on methods for protein function pre- learnt about the work of Detlev Arendt’s lab Scheerer for payroll and Elke for con- diction (1-3 September). Visit from him and Heidi Snyman. tracts. Room 107, headed by Steffen www.ebi.ac.uk/training/handson for more EMBL DG Iain Mattaj visited Prague on Müller, will be an ‘open office’ from 9-5 information and to register.  28 March to meet Ing. Pavel Komárek, the every day, so drop in with your general  A party of Israeli students from the faculty Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and queries about employment at EMBL. A of agricultural, food and environmental Sports, and Jan Marek, Director of the new head of personnel is expected to be quality sciences at the Hebrew University in Department of International Cooperation in hired in the autumn. Jerusalem, the partner of Heidelberg univer- Science and Technology, to talk about the people@EMBL events@EMBL

Francesca Peri became EMBL Heidelberg’s newest group leader on 1 6-7 May EMBL-EBI Hinxton April. She comes from Venice and completed her PhD at Cologne Hands-On Course: Protein Structural University in 2002 before moving to Tübingen to do a postdoc. She Annotation may be familiar to some, as for the past year and a half she has been a 9 May EMBL Heidelberg visitor to Darren Gilmour’s group. Her group in the Developmental EMBL Distinguished Visitor Lecture: Cell Biology Unit will use zebrafish as a model system, and are generating Cycle Control. Paul Nurse, President of the methods for real-time identification of apoptotic neurons to look at , New York microglial-mediated neuronal degeneration, a hallmark of many neu- ronal diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 9-10 May EMBL Heidelberg SAC Meeting 11-16 May EMBL-EBI Hinxton European Affairs Officer Vera Herkommer will be joining forces with Course: 8th BioSapiens European School of Silke Schumacher to deal with EMBL’s international relations, particu- Bioinformatics larly the ESFRI projects. Originally from Bonn, Vera trained as a lawyer and later worked as scientific legal assistant at Würzburg University and 23 May EMBL-EBI Hinxton as legal officer at the German Research Foundation, where she was EMBL-EBI Science and Society Conference: responsible for developing funding projects for young scientists. When The Personal Genome: Hopes, Facts and she’s not enjoying EMBL’s international atmosphere, Vera likes to play Fears the violin and travel to France. She’s also spending a lot of time search- 2-7 June EMBL Grenoble ing for the perfect flat in Heidelberg – but it must have a wooden floor. EMBO practical course: structural charac- terisation of macromolecular complexes.

Julie Mace has joined the EBI as Accounts/Purchase Administrator, 9-11 June EMBL-EBI Hinxton taking over from Lynn White (see page 6). Julie studied zoology at Course: Patterns, Similarities and Differences Manchester University but quickly moved into computer program- in Biological Data ming before specialising in finance. She spent ten years programming 9 June EMBL Heidelberg the IBM AS400, latterly with Acorn Computers. She has also held a Career Day number of finance roles, most recently as Bursar for a primary school, 10 June EMBL Heidelberg which involved handling all aspects of finance. Her hobbies include Lab Day cross stitch and ballroom dancing and she lives in the Suffolk market town of Haverhill with her husband and two children. 11-12 June EMBL Heidelberg Heads of Units/Senior Scientists Meeting 13-18 June EMBL Heidelberg EMBL Hamburg’s new Training Officer, Rosemary Wilson, grew up in EMBO Practical Course: High-throughput Mid Wales. She studied Natural Sciences in , majoring in RNAi Biology and Geology, and as part of her degree spent a year in Göttingen, Germany. She liked it so much that when she’d finished her 21 June EMBL Heidelberg degree she went back to do her PhD in Systematic Botany, which she Staff Association Summer Party completed in 2006. Since then she has worked as Associate Editor for For more details about these events and TAXON, a journal focussing on plant systematics and evolution. She more, visit www.embl.org/events. enjoys sports including yoga, climbing and sailing, and is looking for- ward to getting to know Hamburg and the north of Germany. awards&honours

Gene Expression group leader Andreas Ladurner is the recipient of a Young Investigator Award from the International Association for Protein Structure (IAPSAP) for identification of the ‘Ago hook’, a small, conserved peptide motif that binds Argonaute proteins from yeast to humans. The award, a cash prize and plaque, is awarded every two years and will be presented at the Methods in Protein Structure Analysis 2008 meeting in Sapporo, Japan on 26-29 August, where Andreas will also present the work. However, he is keen that credit goes where it’s due. “The award letter specifically cites the work of my PhD student Susanne Till, which was done in collaboration with On  April violinist Arabella Steinbacher, Matthias Hentze’s lab,” he says. “She used the range of biophysical and cell-biological approaches accompanied by Robert Kulek on the piano, available to her at EMBL to identify and then study the Ago hook in collaboration with Rolf performed modern classic pieces by Poulenc, Thermann, who found out that its peptides affect microRNA function. I think it’s great if we get Fauré, Ravel and Prokofiev in the Operon to the delight of EMBL staff and the public. A big thank prizes based on our students’ work, because it proves the quality of EMBL’s PhD programme, and you from organiser Klaus Scheffzek to building as her group leader I’m very proud that the Young Investigator Committee gave a special mention maintenance, the sponsors and everyone else who to her research.” made the event possible.

EMBL&cetera 44, April 2008. EMBL&cetera is published by EMBL’s Office of Information and Public Affairs, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-11 Heidelberg, e- mail: [email protected]. Online version available at www.embl.org/newsletter. Editor: Vienna Leigh. Contributors: Lena Raditsch, Silke Schumacher, Anna-Lynn Wegener, Louisa Wright, Suzanne Beveridge, Mehrnoosh Rayner, Helke Hillebrand, Anne Ephrussi, Cornelius Gross, Eileen Furlong, Petra Riedinger, Philipp Gebhardt. Photographic support: EMBL Photolab. Printed by ColorDruckLeimen.