ERIBA Annual Report 2017
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European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing Annual Report 2017 Annual Report 2017 Table of Contents Foreword 6 Ageing Research at ERIBA 8 2017: A Closer Look 12 Facts and Figures 18 Table of Contents Scientific Publications 20 Table of Contents 4 www.eriba.umcg.nl 5 Funding/Grants 26 Coordination: Gerald de Haan and Helena Rico Secretarial Support: Invited Speakers 28 Sylvia Hoks, Nina Kool and Annet Vos-Hassing Design and Illustrations: G2K Creative Agency People 32 Printing: Zalsman Grafische Bedrijven, Groningen 400 issues Education 36 Outreach and Dissemination 38 Scientific Advisory Board 41 Sponsors 42 In 2017 ERIBA scientists secured a Foreword VIDI award and multiple grants from the Dutch Cancer Society. A former 2017 in review PhD student has been honoured with a Rubicon Fellowship, which we are very proud of. I am very pleased to share with you the 2017 We invite you to revisit the 2012-2016 Report which contains a comprehensive Annual Report of the European Research Institute description of ERIBA’s research avenues and an extensive compilation of ongoing projects (see link below). for the Biology of Ageing. It has now been five Foreword The current Report provides a summary of the 2017 activities we want to draw years since our doors opened in 2012, and I am special attention to. A lot of good news: more excellent papers, more happy and proud to say that it has been a employees, more PhD students, more interns. Foreword tremendous journey. 6 Furthermore, we successfully organized for the second time the Molecular 7 Biology of Ageing Meeting, with the participation of a large number of well We built an Institute from scratch. renowned scientists and young investigators from around the world. We re-ran for the fourth time the Massive Open Online Course “Why do we age”, We recruited a wonderful team of scientists and staff and attracted promising which attracted over 5.000 students. students from many parts of the globe. In ERIBA, ~80% of our budget originates from extramural sources. Our We established new national and international alliances and strengthened collective challenge for the next year(s) will be to even further increase our existing collaborations we want to pursue in the years to come. funding, which would enable us to grow and pursue high-risk (and hopefully) ground-breaking studies. We secured a significant amount of external funding through prestigious and highly competitive grants at national and European levels. Our mission remains solid and relevant as ever: how do we age? We believe that ERIBA scientists will continue to contribute to identify molecular interventions Again, a journey each of us should be proud of! that allow the slowing down of different aspects of the ageing process. Early in 2017, we were for the first time evaluated by our Scientific Advisory Gerald de Haan Board (SAB), composed of internationally recognized scientists (see page 41) Scientific Director who were asked to conduct a thorough review of our first five years’ perfor- January 2018 mance. We were honoured with great enthusiasm and encouragement: we have been highly complimented with our overall achievements and received thoughtful indications where we should expand in terms of science, education The 2012-2016 Report is available here: and funding. http://eriba.umcg.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/report-2012-2016.pdf Ageing Research at ERIBA Ageing Research at ERIBA at Research Ageing Ageing Research at ERIBA at Research Ageing 8 9 Genomic Instability in Ageing Research Development and Disease The long-term aim of the Laboratory of Floris Foijer and his team is understanding at ERIBA aneuploidy to improve cancer therapy. Quantitative Epigenetics The group of Maria Nucleic Acids Structures Colomé-Tatché is interested and Repair in understanding the The particular focus of Katrin Paeschke epigenetic changes that Laboratory is to understand the nature and take place during the role of secondary structures that form processes of development, within nucleic acids. ageing and disease. Stem Cell Regulation and Mechanisms of Regeneration Genome Structure Ageing The Laboratory led by Research at the Laboratory of Victor Eugene Berezikov aims at Guryev is aimed at understanding Ageing Research at ERIBA at Research Ageing Ageing is the major risk factor for many diseases, understanding molecular structural changes in human genomes for a including cancer, dementia and diabetes. The mechanisms that regulate better detection of genomic and regeneration and activity environmental risks as well as for mission of scientists in ERIBA is to prolong health. of stem cells. disease prevention. To do so, we study how ageing occurs in cells, Ageing Biology Asymmetric Cell and Stem Cells Division and Ageing tissues, organs, and indeed, whole organisms. If we The aim of studies of Gerald Judith Paridaen and her group are ERIBA at Research Ageing understand how ageing happens, we can develop de Haan’s Laboratory is to focused on understanding how 10 understand the mechanisms microscopic processes within single stem 11 approaches to intervene in the ageing process. that specify normal cells affect their function which is hematopoietic stem cell essential to answer how stem cells Gene Regulation functioning from birth shape and can help to maintain There is no tissue in our body that is immune to ageing. In Ageing and to death. an healthy body. Nevertheless, exciting scientific discoveries have shown Age-Related Diseases that it is very well possible to intervene in the ageing The group of Cor Calkoven Genetic Instability and Ageing process. So, although ageing may be inevitable, it is also is particularly interested in the The role of genome instability modifiable. This is also seen in humans; some people age function of mRNA control in stem cells in relation to disease fast, whereas other age much slower and remain healthy till elements, protein factors processes and ageing is the main advanced age. and microRNAs that are focus of Peter Lansdorp group. involved in mTORC1- While ageing is associated with many distinct diseases and controlled processes. Cellular Senescence and affect all organs, we believe that molecularly ageing is Age-related Pathologies Cellular Biochemistry caused by only a limited number of things that go wrong: Marco Demaria’s Group The laboratory of Liesbeth Veenhoff “one cause, many problems”. Scientists in ERIBA therefore aims to understand the basic aims for a system wide global study the root cause of ageing, and find ways to intervene molecular and cellular characterization of age-related changes, as in them. mechanisms of ageing, well as detailed understanding how the particularly a specific NPCs and cognate transport factors ERIBA is currently the home of 13 research groups that Telomeres and cellular state, “senescence”. play a role in cellular ageing. cover a wide range of age-related topics. Genome Integrity Molecular Neurobiology The overall goal of Michal of Ageing Chang’s Laboratory is to The group led by Ellen Nollen is figure out the mechanisms focused on understanding the molecular used by a cell to protect its mechanisms that drive age-related toxicity genome from becoming of aggregation-prone proteins, which mutated or inappropriately plays a role in age-related diseases altered or rearranged. like Parkinson and Alzheimer. 2017 A Closer Look A Closer Look A Closer Look 12 13 2017 A Closer Look This section reports a selected number of Eugene Berezikov’s group has been successful in annotating the genome of achievements that have been accomplished within their favorite model organism, Macrostomum lignano, (published in Nature Communications), and indeed has achieved transgenesis of this animal, which A Closer Look the various Laboratories of ERIBA throughout 2017. now allows for sophisticated in vivo genetic experiments. Wudarski J, Simanov D, Ustyantsev K, de Mulder K, Grelling M, Grudniewska M, Beltman F, Glazenburg L, Demircan T, Wunderer J, A Closer Look Scientific Publications Qi W, Vizoso DB, Weissert PM, Olivieri D, Mouton S, Guryev V, 14 Aboobaker A, Schärer L, Ladurner P & Berezikov E. (2017). Efficient 15 In 2017 scientists in ERIBA published a record number of 55 papers (see transgenesis and annotated genome sequence of the regenerative complete list in pages 20 to 25). More importantly, many of these papers flatworm model Macrostomum lignano. “Nat Commun. 2017 Dec resulted from joint collaborative research projects of various research groups 14;8(1):2120. within ERIBA, or from projects of ERIBA scientists with scientists in the University Medical Center Groningen. This testifies to the collaborative spirit which is essential in modern science. The lab of Cor Calkhoven published a paper in Cell Reports, in which they identify the transcription factor C/EBPα as a key mediator of energy It is great to see that the efforts that Peter Lansdorp and his group invested in homeostasis. In addition, Cor’s lab published a paper which describes a single cell genetic analyses has come to full fruition and has led to multiple joint screening strategy to identify drugs that may classify as calorie restriction papers, with more to come. As an example, together with Floris Foijer and mimetics and have anti-cancer effects. other collaborating labs they showed in a paper in Development Cell that centrosome amplification is sufficient to promote spontaneous tumour Zaini, M.A., Müller, C., de Jong, T., Ackermann, T., Hartleben, G., formation. Kortman, G., Gührs, K-H., Fusetti, F., Krämer, O.H., Guryev, V. and Calkhoven, C.F. (2017). A p300 and SIRT1 regulated acetylation switch of Levine MS, Bakker B, Boeckx B, Moyett J, Lu J, Vitre B, Spierings DC, C/EBPα controls mitochondrial function. Cell Reports, accepted. Lansdorp PM, Cleveland DW, Lambrechts D, Foijer F, Holland AJ. Centrosome Amplification Is Sufficient to Promote Spontaneous Tumori- Zaini, M.A., Müller, C., Ackermann, T., Reinshagen, J., Kortman, G., genesis in Mammals.