ISSUE 1 (JANUARY) 2014
50 years of FEBS FEBS programmes: FEBS community FEBS publications Scientific events updates news calendar
Page 3 Page 6 Page 20 Page 23 Page 30
CONTENTS
Key upcoming dates for FEBS activities
Contents: FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference
30 August – 4 September 2014 50 Years of FEBS 3 Registration from 9 January 2014
Bursary application deadline: 28 March 2014 FEBS Programmes: updates www.febs-embo2014.org FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference 6 FEBS Advanced Courses 10 FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum FEBS Fellowships news 13 27–30 August 2014 FEBS Education news 14 Applications: 8 December 2013 – 31 March 2014 www.febs-embo2014.org
FEBS Committees: news 16 FEBS Advanced Courses Applications for 2015 course funding: 1 March 2014 Viewpoint 18 Applications to participate in 2014 courses: see individual course deadlines Community News www.febs.org/our-activities/advanced-courses FEBS3+ Meeting 20 FEBS Fellowships FEBS National Lectures 21 Application deadlines:
Long-Term and Return-to-Europe Fellowships: FEBS Publications 1 October 2014 FEBS Journal 23 Summer Fellowships: 1 April 2014 FEBS Letters 27 Follow-up Research Fund (for FEBS Fellows): 1 April 2014 Molecular Oncology 28 Applications for other Fellowships can be FEBS Open Bio 29 submitted throughout the year www.febs.org/our-activities/fellowships Scientific Events Calendar 30 Career Opportunities 30 FEBS Education Training Award Application deadline: 30 May 2014 www.febs.org/our-activities/education
Cover: FEBS is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014! Pages 3–5 of this issue explain something of the origins of FEBS and its development over the past 50 years, and introduce plans for the anniversary year.
About FEBS News: FEBS News is published three times a year. An e-newsletter containing a link to FEBS News is sent to subscribers and to FEBS Constituent Societies whenever a new issue is out. This issue as well as all former issues of FEBS News are available online at www.febs.org. To subscribe, simply sign up to the e-newsletter in the News section of the FEBS website.
As a service to its members, FEBS offers FREE advertising of academic positions (PhD students, postdocs, etc.) in the Career Opportunities section of the website, and scientific events can be listed in our Conference Calendar. Selected postings are also included in FEBS News. In addition, Constituent Societies of FEBS are able to post news on the FEBS website; see the Our Members section.
Questions and suggestions about FEBS News should be sent to the FEBS News Editor, Carolyn Elliss ([email protected]).
Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS): www.febs.org. A charitable organization advancing research in the molecular life sciences across Europe and beyond A Company Limited by Guarantee (Number 08239097); A Registered Charity (Number 1149638); Registered in England and Wales; Registered office: 98 Regent Street, Cambridge, CB2 1DP, UK.
2 FEBS News January 2014
50th ANNIVERSARY 50 Years of FEBS However, the need for additional activities to support biochemistry and biochemists, and encourage collaboration and information exchange between scientists working in different countries in Europe, in particular across the serious political boundaries in existence for much of the second half of the 20th century, was soon apparent. Hence, it was not long before FEBS had added summer schools (later called Advanced Courses) and, crucially, scientific publishing into its portfolio. In the 50 years since 1964, the dynamism and devotion of a succession of scientists working for FEBS on a voluntary basis, and careful management of income from its journals, has seen the range of activities of The Federation of European Biochemical Societies FEBS diversify further, with a prestigious (FEBS) came into official existence on 1 January Fellowships programme for research and training 1964, with the main initial goal of facilitating intra- begun in 1979, and initiatives such as the Young European meetings in biochemistry. FEBS was to Scientists’ Forum, undergraduate and postgraduate provide a formal framework for this purpose that education workshops, science and society workshops, built on informal contacts and collaborations promoting women in science, and assistance to between biochemical societies in some European Central and Eastern Europe starting around the turn countries in the preceding few years. The first FEBS of the century. The number of Constituent Societies scientific meeting was held in March 1964 in of FEBS – the biochemistry and molecular biology London, with a truly international mix of speakers societies in individual countries in Europe and and over 1000 attendees. The early annual neighbouring regions for which FEBS acts as an ‘meetings’ eventually became the current annual umbrella organization – also increased dramatically FEBS Congresses. from the initial 18 to over 40 in the early 2000s as
(left) The original Statutes of the Federation, signed by delegates of 18 adhering societies (from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) on 23 March 1964 in London; (above) a selection of programmes from early FEBS meetings. Both images are from Forty Years of FEBS – A Memoir, by Horst Feldmann (available from the FEBS website’s About us section). 3 FEBS News January 2014 50th ANNIVERSARY the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia selected papers (from authors in their country) of split into independent states, and FEBS’ area of particular interest or impact from the past 50 years interest extended to neighbouring regions of Europe. in these journals as Anniversary Virtual Issues. As indicated on the timeline on page 5, since 1964, These will be presented through the FEBS and FEBS has witnessed huge changes in science and in journal websites and announced through society Europe. To mention just some of its many responses news posts during the year. to this, our Federation has developed from its In 2014, we are also celebrating two innovative biochemistry roots to embrace the full spectrum of areas of FEBS work that began more recently, in modern molecular life science research, played an 2001, and have had significant impact over the past important role in supporting and integrating 10 years or so: ‘science and society’ and ‘education’. biosciences and scientists from Central and Eastern The FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference will see an European countries through times of great political Anniversary Science and Society round-table upheaval, launched open access publishing options, discussion entitled ‘New trends in Scientific Policy and has an increasingly global outlook. in Europe’ (with Gottfried Schatz), and during 2014 FEBS will award a short-term Education Training Our 50th anniversary celebrations and Award with the aim of enhancing molecular life projects science undergraduate or postgraduate education. We start our 50th year with a newly designed Of course, no anniversary year is complete website, www.febs.org, which aside from providing without a look back at events and progress, and updated platforms for secure functionality, allows indeed we are looking forward to the completion of easier access to information on all our activities and two anniversary book projects. First, Fifty Years of our member societies, as well as an updated news FEBS, 1964 to 2013 – A Memoir is an e-book that is management system. We hope you find the site being compiled by Horst Feldmann and Guy helpful for finding out more about FEBS activities. Dirheimer (past long-serving FEBS officers). It will Comments for the webmaster are welcome. be available in the summer of 2014 on the FEBS Given the early important role of FEBS in website, and also distributed to FEBS–EMBO 2014 facilitating intra-European meetings, we are very Conference participants. In addition, a FEBS ‘essay pleased to be celebrating our anniversary year with book’ is in development, edited by Richard Perham an exciting first congress collaboration with (past FEBS Journal Editor-in-Chief, and Mary EMBO (also celebrating 50 years) for the joint Purton, FEBS Open Bio Executive Editor) with the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference, hosted by the theme ‘Where have we been and where are we French Society for Biochemistry and Molecular going?’. We will also be honouring past contributors Biology (SFBBM). SFBBM was one of the founding to FEBS by invitations to an Anniversary Dinner at member societies of FEBS, and in 2014 celebrates the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference. its 100th anniversary, making this collaboration With an eye to the future, the 50th anniversary particularly apt. FEBS Congresses have increasingly year will see FEBS grappling with big questions attracted participants from across the globe, and such as charitable objectives for public benefit, the with the 2014 event drawing on the strengths of all open-access publishing upheaval and the three organizations involved in the conference we implications for FEBS’ income, the role of learned are looking forward to a spectacular international societies in the 21st century, and how best to serve gathering in Paris for inspiration, education, the upcoming generation of scientists. We will also research updates and networking. You can read more be inviting young scientists at the 2014 FEBS about the plans on pages 6–9. Do join us there! Fellows’ Forum and Young Scientists’ Forum to The varied and many Constituent Societies of express their expectations of FEBS in a writing FEBS are the basis of the existence of FEBS and its competition entitled ‘FEBS FAST FORWARD’, and governance. We are combining a celebration of expect to publish some of their pieces in FEBS News. scientific advances from our societies’ countries Israel Pecht, FEBS Secretary General with the ongoing role of our long-established publications FEBS Journal (formerly European Journal Facing page: Timeline of 50 years of some FEBS activities of Biochemistry) and FEBS Letters in the (right), and some key events in Europe and developments of increasing complexity and technology in bioscience (left). communication of research findings. To this end, Abbreviations: ELSF, European Life Sciences Forum; ERC, European we are offering our societies the chance to collate Research Council; ISE, Initiative for Science in Europe.
4 FEBS News January 2014
50th ANNIVERSARY
European events Some bioscience milestones 50 years of FEBS
2014 2013 Genome editing 2012 First FEBS Fellows’ Forum 2011 Launch of FEBS Open Bio 2010 Eurozone crisis 2009 2008 Launch of Molecular Oncology 2007 FEBS|EMBO Women in Science Award started Launch of ERC Neanderthal genome sequence 2006 2005 Renaming of Eur J Biochem as the FEBS Journal New EU members from 2004 Launch of National Lecture scheme Central/Eastern Europe 2003 Journal prizes initiated Euro introduced 2002 ISE formed (with others) to nurture ERC concept Human genome sequence 2001 Start of Young Scientists’ Forums
Ribosome structure 2000 Education and Science & Society work expanded Gene silencing 1999 FEBS becomes regional body of IUBMB Human embryonic stem cell lines 1998 Working Group on Assistance to 1997 Central and Eastern Europe formed Bücher Medal initiated Yeast genome sequence 1996 Enhanced collaborations with other Bacterial genome sequence 1995 European organizations begin: ELSF formed Channel tunnel Green fluorescence protein 1994 Maastricht Treaty: EU 1993 Czechoslovakia dissolution Yugoslavia dissolution under way 1992 Dissolution of Soviet Union 1991 Meetings/Congress bursaries initiated Reunification of Germany 1990 Scientific Apparatus Recycling Program started Berlin wall pulled down 1989 1988 1987 1986 Datta medal initiated Schengen NMR protein structure 1985 Agreement 1984 Polymerase chain reaction 1983 Photosynthetic reaction centre structure 1982
Solidarność Gdansk Catalytic RNA 1981 shipyard strikes 1980 1979 Fellowships Programme initiated, Site-directed mutagenesis 1978 starting with short-term Fellowships φX174 genome sequence 1977 1976 Moves towards democracies in 1975 Portugal, Spain Anniversary Prizes initiated and Greece 1974 Diplôme d’Honneur established Recombinant DNA technology 1973 1972 1971 Launch of Youth Travel Fund 1970 grants for Advanced Courses 1969 FEBS Letters begins publication Sir Hans Krebs medal initiated DNA restriction enzymes 1968 1967 FEBS acquires Biochemische Zeitschrift; renamed European Journal of Biochemistry Cracking of the genetic code 1966 Lysozyme structure 1965 First Summer School held 1964 FEBS founded: ‘First Meeting’ held
5 FEBS News January 2014
FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
FEBS–EMBO 2014: an anniversary conference The FEBS Congress is taking place this year as a joint anniversary event with EMBO – as the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference. The event will be hosted by the French Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SFBBM), one of the oldest Constituent Societies of FEBS, from Saturday 30th August to Thursday 4th September 2014 at the Palais des Congrès, Paris, France. The unique collaboration will celebrate the 50th anniversaries of FEBS and EMBO and the 100th anniversary of SFBBM, and bring together scientists from across the world working on all aspects of the molecular life sciences. Below, Prof. Israel Pecht, FEBS Secretary General, Prof. Frédéric Dardel, SFBBM President, and Prof. Maria Leptin, EMBO Director, present their view of this exciting event, and the following pages provide an overview of the conference plans. For further details and news over the coming months, please visit the conference website, www.febs-embo2014.org, which is being continually updated with programme and other information (including notes on the venue, travel and accommodation), and it also has links to accompanying social media. Registration is now open! Please visit the Registration and Abstracts section of the conference website.
FEBS SFBBM EMBO
“With FEBS, EMBO and SFBBM joining “On behalf of the Organizing “FEBS–EMBO 2014 will be THE forces for this event, the conference Committee, it is a pleasure for me scientific meeting to attend in Europe will serve the international scientific to invite you to join us in Paris in this year. The programme features community with not only a very rich SFBBM’s centennial year for this many famous and up and coming program covering the latest special event. scientists, who will present their advances in the molecular life An attractive core programme of latest research. I am really looking sciences but also ample opportunities lectures by outstanding speakers forward to hearing Svante Pääbo and for participants to engage with has already been built by a top- Catherine Dulac give the opening others likewise fascinated by the ranking scientific board, and the lectures and seeing a broad range of intricacies of the molecular processes Palais des Congrès venue will scientific research being presented in of life. FEBS is especially encouraging provide excellent facilities for the poster sessions. younger researchers to make the scientific information exchange. The EMBO Careers Day on the most of this fantastic opportunity by FEBS–EMBO 2014 also offers a Saturday is a great opportunity for funding the FEBS Young Scientists’ good chance to young scientists to Forum for 100+ enjoy the city of learn more about scientists, a FEBS Paris – one of the mechanisms and Fellows’ Forum and a world’s most skills that are useful large number of FEBS exciting travel for a successful conference bursaries.” destinations!” career.”
Israel Pecht Frédéric Dardel Maria Leptin
6 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
Core scientific programme An excellent range of lectures from speakers at the forefront of molecular life science research and from across the globe has been assembled, driven by the programme committee of Susan Gasser (Basel; EMBO), Angela Nieto (Alicante; EMBO), Michael Reth (Freiburg; FEBS) and Eric Westhof (Strasbourg; FEBS/SFBBM). The programme covers the breadth of the life sciences, including not only fundamental biochemistry and molecular biology but also cell biology, neurobiology, immunology, microbiology, and physiology using various in vitro and in vivo models. Alongside several plenary lectures, there will be plenary sessions towards the end of each afternoon on topics of particular current or wide-ranging interest, and a large number of concurrent sessions in the mornings. Taken together, the scientific programme will allow scientists at all career stages to be updated on the latest progress in their own fields, as well as providing opportunities for participants to be inspired and to gather ideas from work in other areas. Many confirmed speakers are listed on the poster on the right, but for more programme details, including links to speaker webpages and videos, please see the conference website.
Participation, interaction and networking The conference is expected to attract around 3000 participants from all over the world, including a wide range of senior and junior researchers, post- docs and PhD students. ‘Meet the speaker’ gatherings, extensive poster sessions and coffee breaks in the exhibition hall of the Palais des Congrès, as well as availability of lunch on site, are all designed to maximize opportunities for all those attending to get involved and interact. All scientists attending the conference are invited to submit an abstract of their current, original work, from which some will be selected for oral contributing to the financing of the event but presentation and others can be presented as posters. providing updates and activities related to their The poster sessions will offer a great opportunity products and services for scientific research. for scientists to show their work to a wide audience For a handy reference on the core programme, and to exchange their scientific knowledge and ideas. speakers and other activities during the event, and Ample space and time will be allocated to poster to help participants plan their days, there will be a viewing and discussion, and to encourage young complimentary conference app available for all participants in particular to do their best in the participants. presentation of their own research work, three poster prizes of €500 and a certificate will be awarded. Sessions of wider interest, and satellite The Conference Exhibition, in the same hall as meetings the posters, will be an integral part of the conference, In addition to the main scientific programme, there with industrial and other exhibitors not only will be interesting sessions on science policy, 7 FEBS News January 2014
FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES publishing, education and ‘women in science’ from the conference as first author, and are a member of both FEBS and EMBO, as well as satellite events a FEBS Constituent Society) through a bursary tailored specifically for scientists in the early stages scheme. Each bursary will cover at least the of their careers. conference registration fees. For full details on In particular, the conference will be preceded by FEBS bursaries, as well as those provided by the FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum (27th to 30th SFBBM and EMBO, please refer to the conference August 2014), which provides an excellent website later in January. Application will be by an opportunity for over 100 post-docs and PhD easy online process, with a deadline of 28 March students from across the FEBS area to get together 2014. to present their scientific results and exchange ideas, FEBS will also be aiding participation of scientists before moving on to the larger conference. The from Hinari B countries in the FEBS area by funding a FEBS YSF is now open for applications (until 31st 50% reduction in registration fees for members of March 2014). The selected scientists (who must FEBS Constituent Societies in Armenia, Georgia and submit an abstract to the YSF and conference as Ukraine (see the Our Members section of the FEBS first author) will receive grants to cover website). As the number of reduced registrations is accommodation and participation in both the YSF capped, early registration for this support is advised; and the ensuing FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference. see the conference website for more details. For more details about eligibility and the online application form, see the conference YSF page; for Travel, visas and accommodation general information on FEBS YSFs, see the YSF The two airports of Paris (Charles de Gaulle and section of the FEBS website. Orly) offer direct worldwide flights, with rapid and FEBS will also be holding a forum for its senior frequent connections to the Palais des Congrès, and long-term Fellows from 27th to 30th August, which Paris can also be easily reached by TGV trains from will share some activities with the YSF. Attendance, most major European cities. For further travel which will be financially supported by FEBS, will be details, including discounts and climate change by invitation from the FEBS Fellowships Committee. offsetting, see the travel information on the In addition, an EMBO Careers Day (30 August conference website. Detailed visa advice is also 2014) will provide excellent opportunities for PhD available on the website, including an online form to students and post-docs to improve career-related request a visa invitation letter, if required. skills such as networking, publishing papers, or For accommodation, room allocations with writing job applications. special negotiated rates have been booked in selected hotels close to the Palais des Other FEBS financial support schemes Congrès. Rooms can be booked through the In addition to funding participation of FEBS YSF conference’s online registration system. awardees at the conference, FEBS will be assisting the attendance at the conference of a large number Social programme of other PhD students and post-docs (who are The Opening Ceremony, including lectures by under 35 years of age, have submitted an abstract to Catherine Dulac and Svante Pääbo, will be held in
FEBS–EMBO 2014 CONFERENCE: KEY DATES
Abstract submission, and registration open: 9 January 2014 FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum applications: 8 December – 31st March 2014 FEBS Bursary application deadline: 28 March 2014 Abstract submission deadline: 1 May 2014 Early bird registration deadline: 12 May 2014 Hotel reservation deadline: 20 August 2014
FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum: 27–30 August 2014 EMBO Careers Day: 30 August 2014 FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference: 30 August – 4 September 2014
8 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES the Grand Amphitheatre of the Palais des Congrès, on Saturday 30th August from 17:30 onwards. All participants, accompanying persons and exhibitors are cordially invited to attend, and it will be followed by Welcome Drinks. A conference dinner cruise on the River Seine on 3rd September can also be booked via the conference website.
A chance to visit Paris The FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference offers a wonderful opportunity to visit Paris towards the end of the summer season, and the conference website’s Social Programme section provides links to a large range of Paris tours. Paris is recognized as being one of the most attractive cities in Europe, and given its incomparable historical sites is often referred to as the most famous museum-city in the world. It is also one of the safest cities, and relatively small (only 1.3 million inhabitants and 10 by 12 km in size). So, as well as enjoying the science of the FEBS– EMBO 2014 Conference, your trip to Paris could include climbing the Eiffel Tower, walking around the Notre Dame cathedral, stepping into the Arc de Triomphe, visiting the Marais, strolling around the Jardin du Luxembourg, climbing up to Sacré-Coeur or wandering down the most beautiful avenue in the world, the Champs-Élysées. For more information, see the About Paris section of the conference website.
As the host organization of the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference, The French Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SFBBM) looks forward to bringing together researchers working in diverse bioscience areas for this unique collaborative FEBS–EMBO event. The sessions on science policy, publishing and education, as well as activities tailored specifically for scientists in the early stages of their careers, will offer a perfect complementarity to the core scientific programme covering the whole breadth of the molecular life sciences. Do not miss the opportunity to engage with eminent scientists on the most important and exciting topics of our times in the life sciences, in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Xavier Coumoul (top): Sacré-Coeur, located on the summit of Butte Executive Coordinator Montmartre, the highest point in the city; Local Organizing Committee (middle) The Louvre (Musée du Louvre), the world’s FEBS–EMBO 2014 website: www.febs-embo2014.org. most visited museum (the iconic modern Grand Louvre FEBS–EMBO 2014 Facebook;Twitter: @FEBSEMBO2014 pyramids are shown); (bottom) Notre Dame cathedral, dating FEBS–EMBO 2014 YouTube from the 14th century and sited on the Île de la Cité. 9 FEBS News January 2014
FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
FEBS Advanced Courses
2014 courses A wide range of FEBS-funded Advanced Courses are taking place throughout Europe in 2014, including practical courses, lecture courses and workshops, as summarised on the following pages. Several of the courses have a strong educational emphasis and so are particularly valuable for early- career scientists looking to improve the depth and breadth of their understanding of their own research area. The relaxed settings of the meetings, the encouragement of interaction of senior scientists with more junior participants, and the attendance of scientists from many countries together create great opportunities to discuss findings and ideas with researchers focused on similar problems, questions and approaches. To assist participation of junior postdoctoral scientists and PhD students in the events, a limited number of FEBS Youth Travel Fund (YTF) grants are available for most courses. Further details on this will be available from the individual course websites or course organizers, and please also refer to the YTF section of the FEBS website.
2015 courses Applications to organize future FEBS Advanced Courses are invited from scientists who have an international reputation and commitment to teaching, and who are keen to share knowledge of their field. Full guidelines about submitting an application can be found on the Advanced Courses section of the FEBS website. The applications deadline for 2015 course funding is 1 March 2014.
Beáta G. Vértessy Acting Chair, FEBS Advanced Courses Committee
Some FEBS Advanced Courses Organizers have run similar FEBS-funded events previously (often biennially), building up considerable experience in effective course delivery. The photos are from a selection of recent past courses from such organizers running related events again in 2014: (from top, with course link referring to the 2014 event) Advanced Proteomics, Varna, Italy, Bernhard Kuster; Macromolecular Crystallization VI, Nove Hrady, Czech Republic, Ivana Kuta- Smatanova; Lipids as Molecular Switches, Spetses, Greece, Bernd Helms; Biocrystallography – BioCrys2014, Oeiras, Portugal, Maria Arménia Carrondo; Microspectroscopy, Wageningen, The Netherlands, Jan Willem Borst. 10 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
FEBS Practical Courses FEBS Practical and Lecture Courses
Advanced Methods in Macromolecular Crystallization VI Ligand-binding Theory and Practice – the 1st joint FEBS–INSTRUCT crystallization course in the Nove Hrady, Czech Republic middle EU 29 June – 6 July 2014 Nove Hrady, Czech Republic www.nh.cas.cz/febs_lbtp2014 20–27 June 2014 This course will provide basic training in the principles of febs.img.cas.cz ligand-binding theory, and will offer participants a chance to This course (for undergraduates, postgraduate students and analyse their own macromolecular interaction systems using postdocs with an interest in macromolecular crystallization) the contemporary advanced methods (SPR, ITC UV-vis, is rather different from the established courses in protein fluorescence spectroscopies, gel filtration), guided by crystallization. It is designed to bring over the message of lecturers and tutors who are expert in the design, execution, the benefits of more rational approaches to macromolecular and analysis of these experiments. Additional lecturers will crystallization and is aimed at a healthy mixture of advanced present other contemporary experimental ligand-binding discussions of the theory and laboratory experiments. To methods (NMR, MS) and contemporary thinking on achieve this goal, we have invited a number of prominent the phenomenon of allostery. experts in the field as a teachers and tutors. Course Organizers: Rudiger Ettrich, Jannette Carey and Course Organizers: Ivana Kuta-Smatanova, Pavlina Řezáčová Wei-Feng Xue. Application deadline: 1 March 2014 and Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz Application deadline: 31 March 2014 Fundamentals of Modern Methods of Biocrystallography – BioCrys2014 Microspectroscopy: Functional Imaging of Biological Systems Oeiras, Portugal Wageningen, The Netherlands 20–27 September 2014 2–11 September 2014 biocrys2014.itqb.unl.pt www.microspectroscopy-course.eu The course will be focused on biocrystallography, addressing This course will cover several microscopic and spectroscopic the fundamental theoretical concepts of crystallography. techniques to study molecular processes in living cells such as: Through lectures and tutorials, the programme will cover a (multiphoton) confocal microscopy, Förster resonance energy wide range of subjects needed for a full structure transfer (FRET) microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging determination. One of the great advantages of this course microscopy (FLIM), ratio-imaging microscopy (RIM), total will be the inclusion of speakers who are the developers of internal reflection microscopy (TIRF), fluorescence correlation software that will later be used by the community. microscopy (FCS), and single-molecule detected fluorescence. Course Organizers: Maria Arménia Carrondo, Thomas Course Organizer: Jan Willem Borst Schneider Application deadline: 1 June 2014 Application deadline: 15 July 2014
FEBS Workshops researchers will meet with young researchers to discuss basic and emerging topics. In addition, the lipid field is technically Biology of RNA in Host–Pathogen Interactions complex and recent technological advances will be addressed. Tenerife, Spain Social interactions are an important aspect of the meeting.
26–29 January 2014 Course Organizer: Bernd Helms bioinfogp.cnb.csic.es/RNA_host_pathogen_2014/ Application deadline: 1 June 2014 Course topics: Bacterial pathogens, small RNAs, ribonucleases, RNA-binding proteins, regulation of gene Decoding Non-coding RNAs in Development and expression, host–pathogen interaction, virulence factors Cancer
Course Organizers: Francisco Garcia-del Portillo and Cecilia Capri, Italy 12–15 October 2014 Arraiano Application deadline: 16 December 2013 A major surprise arising from genome-wide analyses has been that the majority of the genome is transcribed, generating Lipids as Molecular Switches noncoding RNAs. This meeting will focus on 'who, when, what, Spetses, Greece where, and how' ncRNAs exert regulatory functions in the 25–30 August 2014 control of transcriptional programs in cancer and www.febs-lipids.org development.
The course will focus on the involvement of individual lipid Course Organizer: Sandro De Falco; species as molecular switches in biologically important [email protected] processes such as lipid sensing, membrane traffic, amyloid Application deadlines: YTFs, 15 June 2014; formation, and lipid–protein interactions. Leading lipid general registration and abstract submission, 15 July 2014
11 FEBS News January 2014
FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
FEBS Advanced Lecture Courses FEBS–EMBO Lecture Courses
Advanced Proteomics Biophysics of Channels and Transporters Varna, Italy Erice, Italy 3–9 August 2014 11–17 May 2014 www.proteomic-basics.eu channels.ge.ibf.cnr.it
This summer school is designed to provide graduate students The lecture course will include sessions by leading experts on and young postdoctoral scientists from academia and the fundamental properties of ion channels and primary and industry with insights into state-of-the-art proteomic secondary transporters (e.g. voltage-sensing, ion technologies and applications in the life sciences. Topics will permeation, lipid regulation, transport mechanisms, role in be drawn from all aspects of the proteomic workflow from disease), and methods used to study these proteins (e.g. sample preparation to chromatography, mass spectrometry patch clamp, X-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics, and bioinformatics. In addition, lectures will highlight fluorescence microscopy). Discussion, data blitz and poster research results from all corners of the life sciences. sessions will allow participants to discuss their projects and ideas with the speakers in detail. Course Organizer: Bernhard Kuster Application deadline: 15 May 2014 Course Organizer: Frances Ashcroft Application deadline: 20 January 2014 360° Lysosome: from Structure to Genomics, from Function to Disease Nuclear Proteomics Izmir, Turkey Kos, Greece 23–28 October 2014 17–22 May 2014 www.febs-lysosome.org www.nuclearproteomics.org
This course is designed for all researchers working on lysosomes The lecture course will include sessions on the proteomic – i.e. cell biologists, biochemists, geneticists, laboratory analysis of histone modifications and of defined professionals, and health care professionals who deal with chromosomal domains, functional proteomics, quantitative lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs). During the course, the proteomics, emerging technologies and bioinformatic molecular and cellular aspects of LSDs as well as the role of analysis of large proteomic datasets and their visualization. lysosomes in normal metabolism and pathological processes Major features of the course are the meet-the-experts in all living cells will be discussed in a dynamic format of sessions as well as the problem-solving sessions, where plenaries, panels, poster and oral discussion sessions. participants can discuss issues of their projects with one of the expert speakers of the course. Course Organizer: Eser Sozmen Application deadline: 20 June 2014 Course Organizer: Axel Imhof Application deadlines: YTFs, 28 February 2014; FEBS–BS Focused Meetings general registration and abstract submission, 23 March 2014
Membrane, Morphology and Function FEBS Special Meeting Abruzzo, Italy 5–8 May 2014 ABC Proteins: From Multidrug Resistance to Genetic www.biochemistry.org/Conferences/AllConferences/ Disease tabid/379/Page/2/MeetingNo/SA156/view/Conference/ Innsbruck, Austria Default.aspx 8–14 March 2014
Course topics: Membrane trafficking; Mechanism of www.febs-abc2014.org membrane fusion and fission; Role of membrane domains in ABC2014 will cover all basic and applied aspects of ABC fission and fusion; Phosphoinositide signalling; Lipid proteins, both in normal and cancer cells, as well as their signalling; Lipid phosphatase signalling; Mass spectrometry important roles in genetic diseases and also drug resistance of lipids; Autophagy; Phosphoinositide-dependent phenomena in cancer or microbial systems. proteins; Advanced electron microscopy Course Organizer: Karl Kuchler Course Organizer: Banafshe Larijani Application deadline: 15 December 2013 Application (abstract) deadline: 4 March 2014
This focused meeting aims to bring together researchers, Single Biomolecules – in silico, in vitro and in vivo who study biomolecules in silico with molecular simulation Hertfordshire, UK and researchers who use lab-based single-molecule 11–13 September 2014 methods in vitro and in vivo. www.biochemistry.org/Conferences/AllConferences/ tabid/379/View/Conference/Page/3/MeetingNo/SA157/ Course Organizers: Andreas Kukol and Liming Ying Default.aspx Application (abstract) deadline: 10 July 2014
12 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
FEBS Fellowships news FEBS offers a range of Fellowships to support (also for April 1) it was 10.5%. In the fall call research by talented young scientists in host (October 1) for Long-Term and Return-To-Europe laboratories in a different country in the FEBS area Fellowships, the success rate was 3.4%. Overall in 2013, to the one where they are currently working. Such 9 Long-Term and 1 Return-to-Europe Fellowships support allows scientists to learn from and were awarded, as well as 29 Short-Term Fellowships contribute to groups in their particular area of (40% success rate), 4 Collaborative Experimental interest, and it provides early exposure to Scholarships for Central and Eastern Europe (44% collaborative research in different international success rate) and 2 Summer Fellowships. settings, which is strongly recommended for development of a successful research career. Prizes and Awards for FEBS Fellows Application forms and detailed guidance on We are also pleased to announce that in 2013 eligibility are available in the Fellowships section of FEBS Distinguished Young Investigator Awards for the FEBS website. Applications for Short-Term Long-Term Fellows went to Drs Ana S.B. Eulálio Fellowships, Collaborative Experimental and Constance Ciaudo; and two FEBS Fellowship Scholarships for Central and Eastern Europe, and Follow-up Research Funds were also awarded, to Distinguished Young Investigator Awards can be Drs Thijs W.H. Pols and Anna Wredenberg. We submitted throughout the year. The deadline for expect to feature these Fellows in the next issue of applications for this year’s Summer Fellowships and FEBS News. In addition, the Summer Fellowship also the FEBS Fellowship Follow-up Research Fund report prize went to Ida Dalgaard Pedersen. is 1 April 2014, and the next deadline for Long-Term and Return-to-Europe Fellowships is 1 October 2014. A second FEBS Fellows’ Forum In 2012, 24 senior Long-Term and Return-to-Europe Fellowships awarded in 2013 FEBS Fellows convened in the Costa Ballena Atlantic A large number of applications for Fellowships are resort in Spain, alongside the FEBS Young Scientists’ received, and they are carefully assessed by the Forum and just ahead of that year’s FEBS Congress FEBS Fellowships Committee. In the spring call of in Sevilla, for the first FEBS Fellows’ Forum – to 2013 (April 1) the success rate for receivable present their research findings, exchange ideas applications for Long-Term plus Return-To-Europe informally, be inspired by each other and by invited Fellowships was 4.4%, and for Summer Fellowships speakers, and discuss further ideas to generate a sense
An Overview of FEBS Fellowships Pre-doctoral Fellowships Post-doctoral Fellowships • FEBS Summer Fellowships: awarded to promising • FEBS Long-Term Fellowships: awarded to support graduate students in a FEBS country wishing to gain long-term visits for scientific collaboration or advanced practical scientific experience in an institution located training; originally granted for 1 year and may be in another country within the FEBS area. renewed for a further year up to a maximum of 3 years. NB. Exceptionally, only one call in 2014: 1 October. • FEBS Collaborative Experimental Scholarships for Central and Eastern Europe: awarded to PhD students FEBS Long-Term Fellows are eligible for the FEBS Distinguished from Central and Eastern Europe to support experimental Young Investigator Award for excellence in research, and work in a laboratory in Western Europe for up to 3 FEBS Fellowship Follow-up Research Fund grants towards months. research costs on return to work in their country of origin.
• FEBS Return-to-Europe Fellowships: awarded to Pre-/post-doctoral Fellowships support outstanding scientists who left the European FEBS Short-Term Fellowships: awarded to post- area for post-doctoral training elsewhere but now wish doctoral researchers or advanced pre-doctoral students to return to Europe for a post-doctoral positionwith a for the purpose of scientific collaboration, advanced view to pursuing an independent research career; training or employment of techniques not available at granted for 2 years. the candidates’ usual place of work, for up to 2 months. NB. Exceptionally, only one call in 2014: 1 October.
For further details, see the Fellowships section of the FEBS website.
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FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
of collegiality among FEBS Fellows. The meeting A new FEBS Fellowships Committee Chair was an enjoyable and useful experience, and FEBS is Following the rotating out of Prof. Vicente Rubio delighted to announce that a second FEBS Fellows’ on 31 December 2013, Prof. Andreas Hartig is the Forum will take place in FEBS’ anniversary year of new Chair of the FEBS Fellowships Committee 2014, just before the FEBS–EMBO 2014 Conference. (see page 16 for an introduction to Andreas, along The Forum will be open to successful FEBS with other new FEBS Committee members). All Fellows who are in the third year of a FEBS Long- Fellowship applications, as well as reports from Term Fellowship or hold a Return-to-Europe Fellows currently in post, should now be sent to Fellowship, as well as Long-Term Fellows who Andreas Hartig ([email protected]).
recently received an Award. FEBS will fund travel, Vicente Rubio accommodation and registration costs. We expect Chair, FEBS Fellowships Committee 2011–2013 to contact invited Fellows with more information Andreas Hartig during January 2014. Chair, FEBS Fellowships Committee 2014–
FEBS Education Workshops: Tbilisi and Sofia The FEBS Education Committee organized two held on issues of molecular life sciences education ‘Molecular Life Sciences Education’ workshops in in Georgia. Dr Eka Ekaladze from Tbilisi State the last quarter of 2013 to present new developments Medical University spoke on the state of medical in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and to education there; then Dr Lali Shanshishvili from Ilia reflect on what skills and core knowledge are State University described BSc degrees in her expected from a molecular life scientist. The events university, with a comprehensive evaluation. A are summarized here, and a more detailed report is general discussion followed. available from the FEBS website’s Education The focus then moved to ‘Skills and Key section. Knowledge expected from a Molecular Life Sciences Graduate’. This session, run by the FEBS team, Tbilisi (Georgia): 8–9 October 2013 included small-group discussions, a presentation on This workshop, agreed at a visit of the FEBS ‘Innovations in PhD training – European Working Group on Integration (WGI) to Tbilisi in perspective’, and a series of talks aiming to build October 2012, presented new trends in education generic skills of scientists, such as writing research and also tips on key skills for scientists of the proposals, and reading and writing scientific articles. future, as requested by the Association of Georgian These talks were well appreciated by the young Biochemists (AGB). The day before the workshop, scientists and lively discussions ensued. the FEBS delegation met with the President of the On the second day, two main themes were Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Prof. Otar covered: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Kvesitadze, and members of the AGB. The FEBS Biochemistry Practicals. The PBL session included representatives and workshop trainers were Keith comparisons with other educational methods and Elliott, Gül Güner Akdoğan (FEBS Education contrasting approaches for applying PBL, and it was Committee), Mathias Sprinzl (FEBS WGI) and delivered through presentations and small-group Israel Pecht (FEBS General Secretary). discussions. The afternoon session on designing Local organization was kindly taken care of by laboratory practicals included discussion of the use Prof. Revaz Solomonia of the AGB and his team, and usefulness of in silico practicals, dry practicals and the event took place in Ilia State University. and wet practicals. There were around 45 participants, mostly from In oral and written feedback over 95% of the Tbilisi – Ilia State University, Tbilisi State participants rated the Workshop as ‘excellent’, and University, St Andrew the First-Called Georgian many appreciative comments were received. All University, I. Javakhivhvili Tbilisi State University, slides from the event and reading materials from Agricultural University of Georgia, I. Beritashvili selected Wiley book chapters have been uploaded Center of Experimental Biomedicine, and Tbilisi onto the FEBS education platform. In addition, State Medical University. donated books from Wiley were presented to Following the opening of the event by Profs volunteer reporters from the small-group Revaz Solomonia and Israel Pecht, a session was discussions. 14 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PROGRAMMES: UPDATES
Sofia (Bulgaria): 22 November 2013 The recent FEBS education workshop in Sofia was a return visit – the very first workshop of the Committee took place there in 2008. This workshop was an annex to the stimulating ‘St Kliment’s Days’ (an international conference on bioscience), organized by the Faculty of Biology of Sofia University. Prof. Mariela Odjakova, Dean of the Faculty, and Prof. Diana Petkova, President of the Bulgarian Biochemical, Biophysical and Molecular Biology Society, kindly hosted this workshop, which was run by Keith Elliott and Gül Güner Akdoğan (FEBS Education Committee) and Mathias Sprinzl (FEBS WGI). The workshop attracted the greatest number of attendees ever for a FEBS education workshop – the FEBS team was delighted to meet with 140 participants! They were mostly biology undergraduates, MSc and PhD students, and young scientists, as well as (top) Participants and FEBS trainers at the education workshop in some professors from the faculty Tbilisi; (bottom) participants during presentations at the Sofia workshop. together with the international invited speakers of the preceding conference. The FEBS team was very dinner kindly hosted by the Dean, Mariela Odjakova, pleased to meet again with Prof. Ganka Kossekova was offered to all participants and trainers. (Sofia Medical University), who had organized the In feedback, 80% of the participants rated the 2008 FEBS workshop, and some other faculty who workshop as excellent. had also attended that event – including Assistant Professor Ljuben Zagorchev, who was a PhD Future FEBS education activities student back in 2008! Upcoming FEBS education events include workshops The aim of the 2013 workshop was to promote in Debrecen, Hungary (24–25 August 2014) and molecular life sciences education by introducing Belgrade, Serbia (25–26 September 2014), hosted by new trends, as well as working to strengthen the the respective FEBS Constituent Societies, as well scientific skills of young scientists. Like the Tbilisi as two workshops during the FEBS–EMBO 2014 workshop, the programme included a presentation Conference in Paris. In addition, we are pleased to from FEBS on innovations in PhD training, talks announce a FEBS Education Training Award is on generic core scientific skills, and small-group now available as part of FEBS’ anniversary discussions on key knowledge and skills for celebrations, to support a short-term visit to a host molecular life sciences graduates. Books donated institute in a different FEBS country for the study from Wiley were presented to the reporters of the of aspects of undergraduate or postgraduate small groups. In addition to these sessions run by bioscience education. For full information on this FEBS, Prof. Ganka Kossekova spoke on ‘Molecular special initiative, please visit the Education section Life Science in Bulgaria – 2008 FEBS Education of the FEBS website. Enquiries on all education Workshop and Beyond’, which encompassed, activities can also be sent to [email protected]. among other issues, many episodes of Bulgarian interaction with FEBS and IUBMB and how it Gül Güner Akdoğan impacted scientific development in Bulgaria. A gala Chair, FEBS Education Committee
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FEBS COMMITTEES: NEWS
FEBS Officers 2014 FEBS is governed by a Council of delegates from all Vértessy as Acting Advanced Courses Committee its Member Societies in different countries of the Chair until the next elections, which will take place at FEBS area, with its administration then vested in an the FEBS Council meeting in Paris, September 2014. Executive Committee. Most FEBS Executive Nominations from Constituent Societies for a Committee members, and members of other number of positions will be required for this meeting, committees and working groups of FEBS, are and will be requested by 31st May 2014. elected for fixed terms by Council, as set out in Of course, the welcoming of new FEBS officers FEBS’ Memorandum and Articles of Association. also means that bidding farewells and thanks are The results of Council elections in St Petersburg in due. I would especially like to thank Prof. Vicente July 2013 are given on page 18. Rubio, who has been a very devoted FEBS Following these Council elections, from 1 January Fellowship Committee Chair during the past three 2014 Prof. Andreas Hartig becomes the new Chair years and valued contributor to the FEBS Executive of the FEBS Fellowships Committee, and Prof. Committee. We also thank Prof. Jaak Jarv for his Cecilia Arraiano becomes Chair of the Working hard work and new initiatives for the FEBS Group on Women in Science. We introduce them Advanced Courses Committee, and Prof. Lea here, and also Prof. Miguel A. De la Rosa, who takes Sistonen for her spell as the Chair of the Working over as Chair of the FEBS Executive Committee Group on Women in Science. for 2014 following his role as President of the For full lists of current members of the FEBS Spanish Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Executive Committee and other committees and Biology (SEBBM) and in charge of the organization working groups, see the FEBS website ‘About us’ of the FEBS Congress in Sevilla in 2012. In 2014 we section. also welcome to the Executive Committee Prof. Israel Pecht Alexander Gabibov as Vice Chair, and Prof. Beáta FEBS Secretary General
Prof. Andreas Hartig glyoxylate cycle and to the individual roles of Pex11 proteins in the proliferation process. Currently his Chair, FEBS research interest focuses on proteins involved in the Fellowships de novo biogenesis pathway initiated at the Committee endoplasmic reticulum.
Andreas Hartig is a group leader at the Max F. Perutz Aims at FEBS Laboratories, Department “In many cases the Fellowships programme is the of Biochemistry and Cell first direct contact for young scientists with FEBS. Biology, University of Vienna, Austria. He received It is the most visible gate of our organization to the a PhD in Chemistry in 1979 and spent 3 years as a scientific community open to young academics all postdoc at the US National Institutes of Health over Europe. In times of economic difficulties, (NIH) and at the Waksman Institute, Rutgers support for our scientific offspring is more in University, NJ, USA. He returned to Austria to demand than ever, through short-term and long- work at the Department of Biochemistry of the term fellowships alike. It is my aim as Chair of the University of Vienna, where he became Associate Fellowships Committee to make the programme Professor of Biochemistry in 1993. even more visible and at the same time to ensure Biogenesis of organelles, in particular continuous fair selection procedures. In addition, peroxisomes, represents his major scientific interest. support of young scientists does not end with the Using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model last money transfer, and therefore we aim to organism he has made significant contributions to generate a team spirit and corporate feeling the definition of the peroxisomal targeting signal, to between the programme alumni and active fellows the molecular details of its interaction with the through various activities and to follow and corresponding receptor Pex5, to the essential support their careers even after finishing their function of the peroxisomal membrane for the fellowships.”
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FEBS COMMITTEES: NEWS
Prof. Cecilia Arraiano Advanced Course Committee 2009–2012, and in 2013 acted as Chair of the FEBS Women in Chair, FEBS Working Science Working Group. She has received Group on Women in prestigious distinctions, including: Ambassador of Science the American Society for Microbiology in Portugal (2012), President of the Portuguese Genetics Cecília Maria Arraiano is Society (2012), Member of the Portuguese Academy Coordinating Investigator of Sciences (2009), Prize “Seed of Science” in the (equivalent to Full area of Life Sciences (2009), Elected EMBO Professor) and Laboratory member (2008), Prize Câmara Pestana / Glaxo Head of Control of Gene Expression Laboratory at Smith-Klein. (2008), and Gold Medal for notable Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica acts and services, Municipality of Oeiras, Portugal (ITQB) / Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, (2007). Portugal. She received her PhD in Genetics in 1989 at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA where Aims at FEBS she was a Fulbright-Hays international grantee. “Just as many women as men begin life science After a post-doc she returned to Portugal to set up careers, but many more men go on to senior a new laboratory in post-transcriptional control of academic positions or leading jobs in industry. The gene expression. Her principal interests have been reasons why are complex, and involve both science ribonucleases, and the understanding of the RNA and society. At FEBS we are committed to processing and degradation mechanisms mainly in developing initiatives to counteract these microbes. More recent work has moved to other imbalances. In the interest of science it is important systems, leading to the discovery of a novel that it is not gender that determines the chances of eukaryotic RNA degradation pathway. success, and men and women should have the same Cecilia M.Arraiano was a member of the FEBS opportunities to pursue a career.”
Prof. Miguel A. De la Rosa humans, as well as at studying the structure– function relations of the complexes formed by the Chair, FEBS Executive heme-protein with its protein targets. Committee Miguel A. De la Rosa has been chair of the Spanish Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Miguel A. De la Rosa is Biology (SEBBM) (2008–2012) and president of the Director of the Scientific Bioelectrochemical Society (2003–2007). He is an Research Centre Isla de la editor of FEBS Letters, FEBS OpenBio and IUBMB Cartuja (cicCartuja), a joint Life, associate editor of Bioelectrochemistry, and editor- institution of the University in-chief of SEBBM. He has received prestigious of Seville (US), the Spanish National Research distinctions, including: Severo Ochoa Lecture Council (CSIC) and the Andalusian Government. (2001), FEBS National Lecture (2010), Alberto Sols He is the founder and director of the Laboratory of Lecture (2010), António V. Xavier Lecture (2010), Structural and Functional Proteomics at the First Javier Benjumea Prize (2003), and Seville Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis Academy of Sciences award (1992). He was the chair (Seville, Spain). of the IUBMB–FEBS Congress held in Seville in 2012. He received his PhD in biological sciences in 1981 from Seville University, and was a Aims at FEBS postdoctoral scholar at King’s College London, UK. “The FEBS chairperson is appointed for one year, Having worked with metalloproteins in and it is an honorary rather than executive position. So photosynthesis and electron transfer reactions, his the chairman’s role is not to establish long-term aims current research interests are in protein–protein but to advise and address comments and suggestions. interactions. Using biophysical, molecular and cell In this particular year in FEBS history, 2014, I will biology methods, his projects are aimed at unveiling have the great honour to chair the Federation when the cytochrome c-centred biointeractomic scaffold it is celebrating its 50th anniversary, with plans responsible for programmed cell death in plants and including the joint conference with EMBO in Paris.”
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VIEWPOINT
Chair, Women in Science Working Group Cecilia Arraiano (Lisbon, Portugal); first term
Chair, Working Group on the Careers of Young Scientists Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada (Lisbon, Portugal);
second term
Elections of FEBS New Members of the Fellowships Committee: Committee members Paola Chiarugi (Firenze, Italy) Modesto Orozco (Barcelona, Spain) The results of elections at the FEBS Council Meeting 2013 in St Petersburg for positions on New Members of the Publications Committee: FEBS Committees (from Constituent Society Francesc Posas (Barcelona, Spain) nominees) are listed below: Miguel Castanho (Lisbon, Portugal)
Chair, Fellowships Committee: New Members of the Science and Society Committee: Andreas Hartig (Vienna, Austria); first term Serhiy Komisarenko (Kiev, Ukraine) Karmen Stankov (Novi Sad, Serbia) Chair, Science and Society Committee Jacques-Henry Weil (Strasbourg, France); ______second term *Jark Jarv resigned as Chair of the Advanced Courses Committee on 12 July 2013. Prof. Beáta Vértessy Chair, Advanced Courses Committee Chair (Budapest, Hungary) is acting as Chair until elections Jaak Jarv (Tartu, Estonia); second term* at the next FEBS Council meeting, in 2014. Why basic biochemistry needs a funding boost FEBS activities now encompass a wide spectrum of and basic biochemical studies might often be central molecular life science research, recognizing the to exploiting new knowledge from other areas, such considerable advances in techniques and deepening as ‘-omics’. In this Viewpoint article, Dr Lars Rask understanding in a range of disciplines and how from the FEBS Science and Society Committee calls each area can play important roles in progress in the for improved funding support for European life sciences. But FEBS’ roots are in biochemistry, biochemistry.
The landscape of public funding competence within the area of but complementing competencies for life sciences, including evaluation. For example, that are important in solving the biochemistry, has changed applications within biochemistry research questions in the dramatically during the past three were evaluated by high-ranking applications. In many cases, these decades. Traditionally, most of the biochemists, which meant that grants are supposed to solve public funding within these areas important research problems might research problems of industrial or consisted of three year grants to be funded, even though they might societal importance, not necessarily individual scientists. In Europe, the have been considered to be esoteric of high scientific interest. Another main exception was EU funding to by non-biochemists. emerging pattern within research groups of scientists from different Today, the pattern of research funding is the investment in large- countries, which aimed to promote funding has partly changed. It is scale ‘-omics’ projects, such as research collaborations between still possible for individual genomics, transcriptomics, the different EU member states. scientists to apply for research proteomics and metabolomics. The evaluations of grant funding from national research These projects usually result in proposals by national research councils, research foundations and numerous scientific leads, councils and research foundations within the EU from the European identified mutations, transcripts were almost exclusively based on Research Council (ERC); however, encoding proteins, proteins or criteria that focused on funding a large amount of research funding metabolites potentially involved in proposals of the highest possible goes into different kinds of diseases, or valuable traits within scientific quality. The evaluators ‘synergy grants’ for groups of animal or plant breeding. The were selected to have high researchers – often with different investments in these types of 18 FEBS News January 2014
VIEWPOINT studies are, as such, commendable. combination of biochemistry, cell the contrary, they should, when However, there is a fundamental and molecular biology, are needed, collaborate with scientists imbalance between the amount of increasing. skilled in, for example, molecular money spent on these large-scale In reality, these groups obtain biology, cell biology, imaging, projects and the funding of the their reagents, like antisera or structural biology or physiology. necessary biochemical recombinant proteins, from Such collaborations are usually characterization of the proteins and commercial sources. Very few of scientifically stimulating and metabolites identified in them. these groups have the competence fruitful. They might even be The problem is that detailed and/or the tenacity to purify and essential in order to publish in high- biochemical studies are usually characterize proteins, ranking scientific journals. In many carried out by specialist research carbohydrates, lipids or other cases, to be successful with a groups with high competence in a compounds de novo from a tissue, manuscript’s submission, it is now specific research field, such as a be it from plant or animal origin. In necessary to offer the journal – type of metabolite and its reality, this means intricate even journals specialising in physiological effects, a metabolic secondary modifications that are biochemistry like The Journal of chain or even a specific protein and absolutely essential for the function Biological Chemistry, Biochemistry, or its post-translational modifications. of the proteins in question are the FEBS Journal – a ‘complete The large-scale -omics studies easily overlooked. PhD students in story’, in which data is presented in might result in interesting ideas for biochemistry labs, in order to save a broader context. In reality, that numerous research projects, each precious time, rely more and more means the biochemist has to one demanding the attention of on commercial kits for their collaborate with scientists skilled in several research groups within experiments, with the unfortunate other areas. Even though each biochemistry, physiology and cell result that they sometimes neither scientist within such a collaboration biology. In addition, high-quality understand exactly what they are has contributed only part of the experiments are definitely doing, nor can evaluate the results results presented in the article, he/ facilitated if the 3D structure is obtained in a proper way. There is, she would be responsible for its available for the protein under however, no way back. Commercial total content. In well-established study, which necessitates studies by kits will increasingly be used in the and tight collaborations, this would X-ray crystallography or NMR. future and all modern techniques, not be a major problem, since the That means for each euro or dollar such as the various modes of mass collaborating scientists will spent on -omics projects, maybe 10- spectrometry and NMR analyses, undoubtedly develop a good to 100-fold more euros or dollars should be used whenever insight into the scientific areas of are needed to fully exploit these applicable. their counterparts. However, investments in new knowledge. At The development of national without increased and stable present, financing on such a scale platforms that offer education and funding for biochemistry, skilled for these types of projects is not access to these types of expensive biochemists will be rare in the available, at least not in Europe. It equipment, together with ample future. This is a problem the is also clear that even applied areas advice on how to utilize them, is European Commission and the like clinical medicine, plant very good. It is also important to national research funding breeding and husbandry benefit educate young biochemists in organizations in Europe should from high-quality basic research in biophysical techniques, and in the consider when developing their biochemistry. isolation and characterization of research funding schemes. The lack of sufficient project macromolecules and low molecular financing for biochemistry and weight compounds. There is still Lars Rask other areas like physiology also time to educate a new generation of Department of Medical Biochemistry and hampers the recruitment and biochemists in all the modern Microbiology, Uppsala University, education of the next generation of techniques available today, but the Sweden; biochemists. The number of time to achieve this is limited. FEBS Science & Society Committee research groups with both high Therefore, it is essential that Member 2009–2013 competence and good economical funding for basic areas, such as [email protected] www.febs.org resources is continually biochemistry, is increased diminishing, at least in northern substantially in the near future. This article is reproduced (after Europe. Instead, research groups However, biochemists should by slight modification), from that are active within a much no means work in isolation from Science Omega Review Issue 03, broader area, such as a other life science researchers. On with permission
19 FEBS News January 2014
FEBS COMMUNITY NEWS
The scientific committee of the conference comprised ten members: Profs Assaf Friedler, Shulamit Michaeli, Gadi Schuster and Eitan Bibi from Israel; Profs Maciej Żylicz, Jerzy Duszyński and Andrzej Dzugaj from Poland; and Profs Ganna Elska, Sergiy Komisarenko and Sergiy Kosterin from Ukraine. Local organization of the conference was carried out by Prof. Abdussalam Azem, Tel Aviv University (Secretary of the ISBMB) and Prof. Assaf FEBS3+ Meeting Friedler of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. IX Parnas Conference As its title indicates, the conference ‘Proteins: from ‘Proteins: from Birth to Death’ Birth to Death’ dealt with central aspects of protein 29 September – 2 October 2013 structure and function, from the moment of Jerusalem, Israel translation until degradation. In addition to the primary funding provided by FEBS, the conference was co-sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Parnas Conferences were established to commemorate Studies at the Hebrew University, the Israel Science the world-renowned Polish biochemist Jakub Karol Foundation and Tel Aviv University. The Israeli Parnas. Prior to WWII, J.K. Parnas worked as a Academy of Sciences also acknowledged the professor of physiological chemistry at the University importance of the meeting by hosting the closing talk in Lwów (now Lviv in the Ukraine). The Parnas of the event, given by Prof. Ada Yonath, Nobel laboratory was a unique place where young Polish, Laureate in Chemistry. Throughout the conference Ukrainian and Jewish scientists studied glucose further keynote talks were given by world leaders in metabolism in a cooperative atmosphere. The results protein research, including Profs Alan Fersht, Art of their work were of great importance, as reflected by Horwich and Alexander Wlodawer. the fact that for many years glycolysis was also known A total of 160 participants attended the meeting, as the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway. The first among them 41 invited speakers (nine from Poland, Parnas Conference was organized in 1996 in Lviv by eight from the Ukraine, 22 from Israel and ten from the Ukrainian and Polish Biochemistry Societies, and other countries), 50 students and 27 post-docs. since then the Conference has been organized Among the participants from outside Israel, 41 were biennially, alternately in Poland and in Ukraine. In from Poland, 19 from the Ukraine and ten from other 2011, the VIII Parnas Conference took place in countries. Eight speakers were selected to present Warsaw, Poland, and for the first time was organized short talks, from registrants who submitted abstracts jointly by the Polish, Ukrainian and Israeli biochemical for posters. Two poster sessions were organized societies. The IX Parnas Conference was hosted by the during the conference, in which 70 posters were Israel Society for Biochemistry and Molecular presented. Biology (ISBMB) and took place in Jerusalem from In order to encourage the attendance of early-career 29th September to 2nd October 2013. scientists, the organizers provided support from
IX Parnas meeting participants at the conference venue, The Institute for Advanced Studies, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. 20 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS COMMUNITY NEWS
FEBS to 20 young scientists from Poland and The enchanting atmosphere of historical Jerusalem, Ukraine, with a fellowship covering their registration together with the cutting-edge science presented at the and accommodation fees. The registration fees of meeting, made for an extraordinarily successful event. Israeli student members of the ISBMB were also waived. Abdussalam Azem, ISBMB Secretary, Tel Aviv University
The number of foreign attendees and the high Assaf Friedler, Hebrew University number of posters presented at the meeting are unprecedented for a meeting this size organized in For more details on the meeting, see: Israel. www.as.huji.ac.il/conferences/proteins
FEBS Constituent Society meetings: FEBS National Lectures
Dr Asifa Akhtar, Max-Planck Investigator at the Max- Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany received a FEBS National Lecture Award at the annual meeting of the Austrian Association of Molecular Life Sciences and Biotechnology (ÖGMBT) on 27th September 2013. The conference was hosted by the two Innsbruck Universities (Austria) and took place in the new Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine (CCB). Over 500 participants attended to discuss current topics in fields including cancer and developmental biology, biophysics, neurosciences and epigenetics. The 280 poster contributions and 46 oral (from left): Ludger Hengst (Branch Officer of the ÖGMBT and contributions confirmed the importance of the Meeting President), Asifa Akhthar with the FEBS National event for information exchange, particularly for Lecturer certificate, and Lukas A. Huber (Vice President early-career scientists. Six ‘best poster’ and three of the ÖGMBT). ‘best short talk’ awards were presented to young scientists. The big success of the meeting was also ribonucleoprotein complex named male-specific reflected in the lively, mostly interdisciplinary lethal (MSL), a protein complex that is also discussions during the scientific presentations. conserved in mammals. Dr Akhtar showed how this Dr Akhtar’s FEBS National Lecture entitled complex decorates the male X-chromosome and ‘Epigenetic regulation by MSL proteins’ focused on leads to hyperacetylation of histone H4 lysine 16 by the molecular mechanisms underlying sex-specific the histone acetyltransferase MOF (‘male absent on X-chromosomal gene regulation. Her ground- the first’), a subunit of the MSL complex. This leads breaking work uses dosage compensation by to increased recruitment of RNA polymerase II Drosophila melanogaster as a model system for and increased transcription. In the inspiring epigenetic regulation. Dosage compensation seminar, Dr Akhtar provided novel insights into mechanisms regulate the expression of X-linked molecular details of this important epigenetic genes. To balance the uneven expression of genes mechanism. encoded by the autosomes, female mammals inactivate one of the two X-chromosomes. In Alexandra Khassidov contrast, male Drosophila counterbalance the lack of General Secretary a second X-chromosome by upregulating the ÖGMBT expression of genes encoded by the single For more details on the annual meeting, see: X-chromosome. This is executed by the http://oegmbt.at/jahrestagung/archiv/2013 21 FEBS News January 2014
FEBS COMMUNITY NEWS
Prof. Dr Renée Schroeder (Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna, Austria) received a FEBS National Lecture Award at the recent SFBBM- SifrARN 2013 meeting, which was organized by the French Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SFBBM). She gave an outstanding presentation entitled ‘cis-acting regulation of nascent transcripts through RNA polymerase- binding aptamers’. She described a novel strategy Presentation of the FEBS National Lecturer certificate to based on Genomic SELEX combined with high- Renée Schroeder (left), with Pascale Romby (middle) and throughput sequencing that led to the discovery of Eric Westhof (right). novel functional regulatory RNA elements and of RNA–protein interaction networks. Because biologists to share and discuss unifying themes transcription is tightly regulated in all living relating to the importance of RNAs in the organisms, she applied this strategy on Escherichia fundamental processes of life and control of gene coli, yeast and human genomes to search for RNAs expression. In addition to the structural and that regulate transcription through direct interaction mechanistic aspects, the roles of RNAs in host– with RNA polymerases. This work led to the pathogen relationships and in diseases were discovery of a novel transcription termination discussed. The conference also allowed comparison mechanism mediated by the nascent transcript. This of recently identified features of RNA-based mechanism might enable repeat elements in the regulatory networks and of ribonucleoprotein human genome to stay silent and therefore survive particles in eukaryotes – animals and plants – as well during evolution. as in prokaryotes. The conference illustrated the high diversity of The meeting was a real success, with 225 RNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms, and the participants and a dense scientific program divided organizers are also grateful to Prof. Ben Luisi into seven sessions comprising 52 speakers. In (University of Cambridge, UK) and to Prof. Thierry addition, more than 100 posters were presented Lagrange (University of Perpignan, France), who gave during two intense sessions and a specific round- plenary lectures on novel aspects of small non-coding table discussion was organized for teaching. Five RNA regulation in bacteria, and on novel mechanisms poster prizes were awarded, and bursaries of transcriptional silencing in plants, respectively. supported the attendance of five young scientists. This annual meeting of the SFBBM was held during the ninth workshop of the thematic group Pascale Romby, Organizer SifrARN (‘Structure, integration, function and Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg reactivity of RNA’) in the Bischenberg center at Bischoffsheim, close to Strasbourg (France), from For more details on this event, including members 18th to 20th November 2013. The event brought of the organizing and scientific committees, see: together biochemists, biophysicists, chemists and www-ibmc.u-strasbg.fr/sifrarn/index_en.html
FEBS Support for Constituent Society Events
FEBS National Lecture Awards are intended to support plenary lectures that significantly enhance the quality of a scientific meeting, symposium or annual national scientific meeting of a Constituent Society.
The FEBS 3+ Meeting Programme supports scientific meetings organized through collaboration of at least three FEBS Constituent Societies. These events should be scientific meetings with symposia and colloquia corresponding to the format of an annual national scientific meeting of a Constituent Society.
For more details on these programmes, see the Our Members section of the FEBS website. 22 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS A change in stewardship of the FEBS Journal Farewell to Richard Perham, Special Issues, Virtual Issues, Illustrated Abstracts FEBS Journal Editor-in-Chief 1998–2013 and podcasts have helped raise the profile of the An eminent chapter of the journal and attracted new authors and readers. long and distinguished Richard leaves the journal at a time when its history of the FEBS Journal impact factor is the highest ever, the number and (previously European Journal of quality of the submissions are rising and income Biochemistry) is closed by the from its publishing is steadily increasing, which retirement of Richard contributes substantially to the financing of FEBS Perham from the post of activities in the promotion of molecular life Editor-in-Chief at the end of sciences. FEBS owes Richard a great debt of 2013. He took over the journal gratitude and wishes him every happiness and 15 years ago and successfully success in his future endeavours. steered it into the 21st century while molecular life sciences and scholarly Welcome to Seamus Martin, publishing were undergoing dramatic developments. the new FEBS Journal Editor-in-Chief He faced challenges from the start, including setting The FEBS Publications Committee spent almost a up a new editorial office in Cambridge, UK, and year searching for the next Editor-in-Chief of the moving the journal to the new publisher Blackwell FEBS Journal. It was decided that the editorial office Scientific Publishing (now Wiley), which he would stay in Cambridge regardless of where the successfully accomplished with skills and experience future Editor-in-Chief resided. Following a broad gained as an outstanding Professor and Chairman at and careful selection process, the Committee made the Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge and as the recommendation to appoint Seamus Martin to the Master of St John’s College, Cambridge. In 2005 the position and this was approved by FEBS Council. journal was renamed, and as written in the last issue Seamus received his PhD at the National of the FEBS Journal in 2013 by Peter Parham: ‘It University of Ireland in 1990, spent post-doctoral was certainly no happenstance that the European fellowships at University College London and the Journal of Biochemistry was revived, invigorated and La Jolla Institute in San Diego, and currently holds transformed into FEBS Journal during the 15 years an endowed Chair at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, that R.N. Perham was at the helm.’ Trinity College Dublin, Ireland where he is Director Richard’s high scientific standing in structural of the Molecular Cell Research Laboratory. He is biochemistry and molecular enzymology, and his one of the most cited scientists in apoptosis inspiring leadership at the journal combined with research with an h-index of 60 (>20,000 citations his persuasive and elegant style, attracted excellent from ~120 papers) and a ranking within the world scientists to join the editorial and advisory board of top 10 most cited authors on proteases. He was the journal. He could put the principle into practice elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2006 and EMBO that peer review at a journal is not only an essential in 2009, and has served on the editorial boards of part of the editorial process but should also provide several journals including The Journal of Biological a valuable service to authors – a fair and balanced Chemistry, Cell Death and Differentiation, and Oncogene. assessment of their work combined with thorough We are delighted to welcome Seamus at the helm and timely assistance in making the final version of of the FEBS Journal. In the editorial published in the the article significantly improved. He was first issue of the FEBS Journal in 2014 (and in the exceptionally receptive to new advancements in interview in this issue of FEBS News) he academic publishing during the migration of print to summarizes his ambitious plans to develop the digital journals, as evidenced by early introduction journal into a leading multidisciplinary forum in the of the online submission system, by prepublication life sciences. To achieve this in the turbulent and availability of electronic versions of the articles, and highly competitive world of current academic by decreasing publication times to a few weeks. The publishing he will need maximal help and assistance FEBS Journal adopted online-only publication at the from all of us in the FEBS leadership as well as the beginning of 2013, recognizing that the FEBS community of our Constitutive Societies. disappearance of hard-copy subscriptions and sales László Fésüs is an irreversible process. New initiatives such as Chair, FEBS Publications Committee 23 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS
An interview with Prof. Seamus Martin, the new FEBS Journal Editor-in-Chief What attracted you to the As an author and reader, what are the key benefits of the position of Editor-in-Chief of FEBS Journal? the FEBS Journal? The FEBS Journal publishes relatively few papers per I have been involved with issue (approximately 20 or so) and this has the benefit of several journal editorial boards greatly increasing the visibility of the articles we publish. during the past 10 years This is a major benefit to authors and readers, as we all (Science Signaling, Oncogene, know of journals where the table of contents listing is so Cell Reports, JBC, Cell Death long that relevant papers can be easily overlooked. and Differentiation among The FEBS Journal is multidisciplinary and this is a great others) and have enjoyed the asset because it exposes authors’ work to a more diverse process of helping fellow audience beyond their specialist field. Science is rapidly scientists to improve their work and get it published. breaching the traditional disciplinary boundaries, so it is Becoming editor-in-chief of a journal seemed like the an advantage to publish in a journal that is read by natural next step, and taking over from Richard Perham at scientists from diverse backgrounds. the FEBS Journal is a great opportunity, as I believe that The additional benefits of publishing in the FEBS Journal the journal has considerable potential for further growth. include fast decision times, rapid turnaround of accepted The FEBS Journal has a long history and, like its sister articles, and no page or colour figure charges. In addition, journal FEBS Letters, we all know it well but sometimes we reviews are made free online from the moment of overlook the journal when submitting papers. I plan to publication. increase awareness of the FEBS Journal and to improve its visibility within Europe and elsewhere to attract a greater What are your future plans for the journal? share of excellent papers. I plan to continue to expand the readership of the FEBS So, I see the Editor-in-Chief position at the FEBS Journal Journal by attracting more high-quality primary papers to be both an opportunity as well as a challenge. I look and excellent reviews by leaders in their respective fields. forward to helping to raise the profile of the journal and to As we all know, the quality of a journal rests with the developing it into one of the leading multidisciplinary quality of its content and this is an area in which I will be journals in the molecular life sciences. investing a lot of effort over the coming months and years. What do you perceive as the current strengths and We will be launching a new ‘state-of-the-art’ challenges for the journal? minireview series, written by experts in their fields, and The FEBS Journal has a very strong and committed team of these will provide sharply focused, personal perspectives Editors and Editorial Advisory Board members, which on a variety of topics. Personally, I find these types of ensures that papers are fairly and expertly reviewed, review article very helpful, as they tend to highlight the supported by an efficient editorial office in Cambridge. key issues as well as unsolved problems in an area. The journal also has a very wide readership, providing I also plan to continue to publish ‘special issues’ on maximum visibility of published papers, and is carried by topics where there is currently a lot of research activity. all of the major Institutions. These are all great strengths. These issues are usually aligned with a major meeting in The challenges? Well, there are challenges for all of the the field and are very useful for gathering diverse traditional journals right now due to shifts in the scientific perspectives on a particular research topic together in one publishing model. It is worth remembering that place. We have special issues on ‘Cell Death’, ‘Epigenetics’ professionally managed journals provide a critically and one to celebrate the International Year of important ‘checkpoint’ in the scientific process, which ensures Crystallography in the pipeline this year so far. I would that the data we publish has been quality checked by our encourage scientists who have an idea for a special issue peers and has been strengthened for publication. The peer to get in touch by emailing me at: [email protected]. review process adds a great deal of value to the end product and helps us, as scientists, to decide what to read, as the How can the FEBS community be more involved with the literature is simply too vast for us to cover it all. We have to FEBS Journal? be selective in what we read and quality journals help us to This is an easy one. Simply by submitting their excellent make the important choice of what is worth our attention. papers to the journal! I would also encourage FEBS High-quality, expert, peer review is essential to the members and conference attendees to promote the FEBS scientific process and is what the established journals, like Journal within their scientific networks. The FEBS Journal the FEBS Journal, do very well. And it’s absolutely has a very wide readership internationally, but I would like essential. The challenge will be to safeguard the peer to see more submissions coming from European review process going forward, in the face of an increasing laboratories. The income from the FEBS Journal supports flood of publications competing for a relatively fixed pool the many meetings and practical courses run by FEBS, as of high-quality referees. well as providing fellowships, travel grants and prizes. 24 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS
Prof. Joe Trapani is Executive Dear Fellow Scientists, Director Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer The start of 2014 sees not only Centre, Melbourne, Australia. a new FEBS Journal Editor-in- His research interests straddle Chief, Prof. Seamus Martin (see preceding pages), cellular immunology and but also four new members of the FEBS Journal signalling. He is particularly Editorial Board. It is with pleasure that we interested in announce the recent appointments of Dr Lawrence immunopathology of viral and autoimmune Banks (Trieste), Dr Masashi Narita (Cambridge), diseases, induction of apoptosis by cytotoxic Prof. Anne Spang (Basel) and Prof. Joe Trapani lymphocytes, and cancer immunotherapy. (Melbourne). They are introduced below, and you can find out more about them on our webpage FEBS Journal highlights New members of the Editorial Board. The latest FEBS Journal Special Issue is a double Dr Lawrence Banks is Head issue on Signalling, of the International Centre for which includes both Genetic Engineering and reviews and regular Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy, papers. One series of with expertise in the areas of articles, headed DNA tumour virology, ‘Frontiers in Cell protein–protein interactions, Signalling’, was cell signalling, cell polarity coordinated by Roger and cancer cell biology. In particular, his research is Daly and Tony Tiganis, focused on human papillomaviruses, cellular target University of proteins and the perturbation of cell polarity in the Melbourne, and the accompanying series, ‘Ca2+ development of cervical cancer. Signalling and Transport in Health and Disease’, was coordinated by Henning Tidow and Poul Dr Masashi Narita is Senior Nissen, University of Aarhus. Group Leader at the Cancer We would also like to draw your attention to a Research UK Cambridge recent review and some recent minireview series: Institute. His works focuses Review: on cellular senescence in the Protein crystallography for aspiring crystallographers or how context of tumourigenesis, to avoid pitfalls and traps in macromolecular structure and he has particular determination, by Alexander Wlodawer, Wladek expertise in pathological Minor, Zbigniew Dauter and Mariusz Jaskolski aspects of autophagy/ mTOR, dynamic chromatin structure changes and Minireview series: gene regulation related to the unique phenotype Dynamic proteins: changes in structures, activities and senescence-associated heterochromatic foci networks, coordinated by Lisa Jenkins and Daniel (SAHFs). Figeys Systems medicine: opportunities and challenges for systems Prof. Anne Spang is biology approaches, Walter Kolch and Boris N. Professor of Biochemistry Kholodenko at the Biozentrum of the Lipid signalling in health and disease, Daniela Corda and University of Basel in Maria Antonietta De Matteis Switzerland. Her work is Thiamin-dependent enzymes, Victoria Bunik
focused on understanding Reviews and minireviews can be read online and how intracellular transport downloaded free of charge from the time of contributes to cell polarity publication on the FEBS Journal website. Podcasts by and organogenesis and how authors highlighting their review articles can be defects in these processes cause disease. found here.
25 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS And finally, don’t miss our latest Virtual Issue Top 5 most downloaded articles on Epigenetics. The in FEBS Journal in 2013 Virtual Issue was (Jan to Oct 2013) compiled by Editor Pura Muñoz-Cánoves, Lipid metabolism in cancer Santos, C.R. and Schulze, A. and includes recent FEBS Journal 279, 2610–2623 (2012) FEBS Journal research papers and reviews on ERK and cell death: Mechanisms of ERK-induced cell death – the influence of apoptosis, autophagy and senescence chromatin and Cagnol, S. and Chambard, J.-C. chromosome FEBS Journal 277, 2–21 (2010) organization on gene expression and the roles of Dichotomy of decorin activity on the insulin-like growth epigenetic mechanisms in development and factor-I system disease. Morrione, A., Neill, T. and Iozzo, R.V. More about Virtual Issues to celebrate FEBS’ FEBS Journal 280, 2138–2149 (2013) 50th Anniversary in 2014 can be found on page 4.
Mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle growth and atrophy With very best wishes for a happy New Year from Schiaffino, S., Dyar, K.A., Ciciliot, S., Blaauw, B. and Sandri, M. the FEBS Journal team. FEBS Journal 280, 4294–4314 (2013)
Seamus Martin, Editor-in-Chief Proteoglycans and their roles in brain cancer Vanessa Wilkinson, Editorial Manager Wade, A., Robinson, A.E., Engler, J.R., Petritsch, C., James, C. Giannina Bartlett, Editorial Assistant D. and Phillips, J.J. Juanita Goossens-Roach, Editorial Assistant FEBS Journal 280, 2399–2417 (2013)
In Memoriam Dr Frederick Sanger 1918–2013 We are deeply saddened to report the death of Dr Fred Sanger, OM CH CBE FRS, on 19 November 2013 at the age of 95. For many years he was Honorary Chair of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Biochemistry, and later the FEBS Journal after the change of name in 2005. Dr Sanger studied Biochemistry as an undergraduate at Cambridge, UK from 1936–1939 and then took his PhD Degree working on the metabolism of lysine under the supervision of Albert Neuberger. He was a member of the (above, left) Portrait Biochemistry Department in the University of of Dr Sanger from the Nobel Foundation, Cambridge until 1962, when he became a founding for the Nobel Prize in member of the new MRC Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry, 1958 Biology in Cambridge. Dr Sanger was awarded the (Copyright © The Nobel Prize for Chemistry twice, the only person Nobel Foundation); (above, right) portrait of Dr Sanger in 2007 thus far to achieve this great distinction: once in by the artist Paul Hodgson (courtesy of the Master and 1958 for determining the first complete amino acid Fellows, St John’s College, Cambridge). sequence of a protein (insulin), and again in 1980 for developing the dideoxy method for determining obituary can currently be found at: the sequences of nucleotides in DNA. www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/20/ A fuller account of Dr Sanger’s contributions is frederick-sanger expected to be published on the FEBS Journal Richard Perham website later in the year, and a more detailed FEBS Journal Editor-in-Chief, 1998–2013
26 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to a Dear Fellow change in the FEBS Letters Young Group Leader Scientists, Award. In 2014, the FEBS Letters Young Group Leader Award will be awarded in the same way as now (with the recipients selected from papers Happy New Year! All of us at the FEBS Letters published during 2013). From 2015, however, we Editorial Office would like to wish you a have decided to adopt a new scheme that will better prosperous and successful 2014. We would also like complement the overall objectives of FEBS as a to thank all of you who submitted your work to our charitable organization dedicated to fostering journal in the last year, and all the reviewers who biochemical research, education and scientific contributed with their expertise and time in cooperation. FEBS Letters will open its prize of €10,000 evaluating manuscripts. to the senior authors of all papers published in the We were very pleased to have received an journal, regardless of the age or standing of the increasing inflow of submissions (more than 2300!) authors. The FEBS Letters prize will be awarded in 2013, and to have been able to publish three every other year, also with an invitation to present a Special Issues with excellent contributions from plenary lecture at the corresponding FEBS Congress. leading scientists in their respective fields. You can find current and past Special Issues here: http:// As always, we look forward to receiving your www.journals.elsevier.com/febs-letters/special- manuscripts. issues/. Best wishes, James E. Rothman, who joined FEBS Letters in Felix Wieland, Managing Editor 2013, was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology Aleksander Benjak, Editorial Manager or Medicine, for his work on vesicle trafficking. We Daniela Ruffell, Editor are very honoured to have a Nobel prize winner Anne Rougeaux, Editorial Assistant amongst the members of our Editorial Board, and we hope that this will reaffirm our position and The top 5 most cited articles published in strength in the field of molecular life sciences. FEBS Letters in 2013 Last December, Felix Wieland, our Managing (retrieved 16 December 2013) Editor, was invited to speak at the 82nd Annual Formation of protein complexes in crowded environments - Meeting of Society of Biological Chemists of India From in vitro to in vivo in Hyderabad, India. In addition to presenting Phillip, Y., Schreiber, G. recent work from his lab, Felix gave an overview of FEBS Letters 587(8), 1046–1052
FEBS Letters and FEBS, which was met with great Influence of crowded cellular environments on protein enthusiasm, hopefully attracting even more folding, binding, and oligomerization: Biological potential authors from India to submit their work consequences and potentials of atomistic modelling to FEBS Letters. Zhou, H.-X. FEBS Letters 587(8), 1053–1061
Neurofibrillary tangle-like tau pathology induced by synthetic tau fibrils in primary neurons over-expressing mutant tau Guo, J.L., Lee, V.M.Y. FEBS Letters 587(6), 717–723
Synergistic effect of WRI1 and DGAT1 coexpression on triacylglycerol biosynthesis in plants Vanhercke, T., El Tahchy, A., Shrestha, P., Zhou, X.-R., Singh, S.P., Petrie, J.R. FEBS Letters 587(4), 364–369
MicroRNA-155 is a novel suppressor of ovarian cancer- initiating cells that targets CLDN1 Qin, W., Ren, Q., Liu, T., Huang, Y., Wang, J. FEBS Letters 587(9), 1434–1439
For complete and up-to-date lists, go to the Recent articles Felix (right) in conversation at the SBCI conference, Hyderabad. and Most cited articles links on the FEBS Letters website. 27 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS
In the expectation that the journal will, most Dear Fellow likely, continue to experience a significant yearly Scientists, increase in the number of submissions, we have decided to increase the number of issues published per year from six to eight in 2014. The journal will Molecular Oncology wishes you all a Happy New Year! continue to publish original articles and invited We would like to take this opportunity to thank all reviews, as well as news & views on science policy those who submitted their work to our journal. Our issues, and also Thematic Issues. gratitude goes also to those who kindly provided Molecular Oncology’s Thematic Issues highlight hot their assistance in evaluating the substantial number cancer topics, help to structure the field, and have of manuscripts that we received in 2013; their an educational component. In 2013 we published a contributions are greatly appreciated. single Thematic Issue on Mouse models of cancer: We would also like to highlight some significant Essential tools for better therapies (edited by Anton achievements of the journal in 2013 and focus Berns and Mariano Barbacid). The reviews in this attention on what lies ahead for 2014. issue dealt with modelling of frequently occurring During recent years we have seen a striking rise in human tumours and provided a source of the number of manuscripts submitted to the journal information on current status and future trends in and a near-exponential growth in the number of models of cancer written by experts in the field. article downloads, as well as a steady increase in its Three new Thematic Issues are currently under impact factor, which rose to 6.701 in 2013. These preparation: the first focuses on ‘Resistance to encouraging developments in our journal metrics Therapy’ (edited by Daniel Peeper); the second on are in great part due to the engagement and ‘Critical Issues on Biomarkers Discovery and commitment of our Editorial Board members, who Validation’ (edited by Alan Spatz and Leon van have supported the journal by providing much Kempen); and the third on ‘Personalized Cancer needed advice about current trends in cancer Medicine’, a follow up to the successful 2012 issue research, submitting articles, reviewing manuscripts, edited by John Mendelsohn, Ulrik Ringborg and writing reviews as well as suggesting and editing Richard Schilsky. Thematic Issues. In line with our current journal policy, seven esteemed colleagues rotated off the We look forward to welcoming your submissions. Editorial Board in 2013 and seven new Editorial Board members were appointed, including Best wishes, Geneviève Almouzni, Carlos Caldas, Manuel Julio E. Celis, Editor-in-Chief Hidalgo, Marco Pierotti, Josep Tabernero, Paul José Moreira, Managing Editor Workman and Laurence Zitvogel. Dorte Perdersen, Editorial Assistant Top 5 most downloaded articles in Molecular Oncology* *(in past 90 days, retrieved 7 January 2014)
Deconstructing the molecular portraits of breast cancer The role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in human cancer Aleix Prat | Charles M. Perou Santiago Ropero | Manel Esteller Molecular Oncology 5(1), 5–23 (2011) Molecular Oncology 1(1), 19–25 (2007)
Targeting breast cancer stem cells Discovery of small molecule cancer drugs: Successes, Sean P. McDermott | Max S. Wicha challenges and opportunities Molecular Oncology 4(5), 404–419 (2010) Swen Hoelder | Paul A. Clarke | Paul Workman Molecular Oncology 6(2), 155–176 (2012) MicroRNA and cancer Martin D. Jansson | Anders H. Lund Molecular Oncology 6(6), 590–610 (2012)
Complete and up-to-date lists of Recent articles and Most cited articles are available on the Molecular Oncology website.
28 FEBS News January 2014 FEBS PUBLICATIONS
Dear Fellow Scientists, We are now working with our publishing partner, Elsevier, to bring FEBS Open Bio wishes you enhancements to the all a Happy New Year! We online version of would like to thank all those published articles. Authors who submitted work to our of papers reporting journal and all the reviewers who gave their time structural data will now and expertise to evaluate manuscripts in 2013. The have the option of rate of submissions to FEBS Open Bio has increased displaying 3D molecules in the past six months, and we look forward to alongside their article, publishing many more papers in 2014. using the 3D molecular Some of you will have read about the ‘sting’ run viewer developed by by journalist John Bohannon of Science, in which a Elsevier in association spoof paper was submitted to hundreds of open with Kitware SAS. See access journals, many of which accepted the paper http://bit.ly/18GmjwL for publication. Bohannon’s methodology has been for further information. criticised for focusing on open access journals and The 3D molecular viewer visualizes proteins, not including any subscription journals as a control. ribosomes, chemical compounds, crystallographic FEBS Open Bio did not receive a copy of this data and related structures and supports PDB, PSE manuscript, but we are certain that our editors and and MOL/MOL2 data formats. reviewers would have identified this as shoddy work Publication in FEBS Open Bio is a low-cost and rejected it. alternative for those who are required by their All manuscripts submitted to FEBS Open Bio are funder to publish their work with open access. We peer reviewed. We focus on the technical soundness welcome direct submissions and can promise fast of papers, leaving the assessment of their impact but thorough peer review and rapid publication and and importance to the scientific community. Not all wide dissemination of your research if accepted. manuscripts are accepted, and those that are published have generally been revised following the With best wishes guidance of the reviewers and editors. Mary Purton, Executive Editor
Top 5 most downloaded articles in FEBS Open Bio* *(in past 90 days, retrieved 2 January 2014)
ATAF1 transcription factor directly regulates abscisic acid biosynthetic gene NCED3 in Arabidopsis thaliana Jensen, M. K., Lindemose, S., de Masi, F., Reimer, J. J., Nielsen, M., Perera, V., Workman, C. T., Turck, F., Grant, M. R., Mundy, J., Petersen, M. and Skriver, K. (2013) FEBS Open Bio 3, 321–327
Isothermal titration calorimetry with micelles: Thermodynamics of inhibitor binding to carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 membrane protein Perspicace, S., Rufer, A. C., Thoma, R., Mueller, F., Hennig, M., Ceccarelli, S., Schulz-Gasch, T. and Seelig, J. (2013) FEBS Open Bio 3, 204–211
Preferential apelin-13 production by the proprotein convertase PCSK3 is implicated in obesity Shin, K., Pandey, A., Liu, X-Q., Anini, Y. and Rainey, J. K. (2013) FEBS Open Bio 3, 328–333
Search for adenosine A2A spare receptors on peripheral human lymphocytes Jacquin, L., Franceschi, F., By, Y., Durand-Gorde, J-M., Condo, J., Deharo, J-C., Michelet, P., Fenouillet, E., Guieu, R. and Ruf, J. (2013) FEBS Open Bio 3, 1–5
A recessive X-linked mutation causes a threefold reduction of total body zinc accumulation in Drosophila melanogaster laboratory strains Afshar, N., Argunhan, B., Bettedi, L., Szular, J. and Missirlis, F. (2013) FEBS Open Bio 3, 302–304
Complete and up-to-date lists of Recent articles and Most cited articles are available on the FEBS Open Bio website.
29 FEBS News January 2014 SCIENTIFIC EVENTS CALENDAR
Scientific Events Calendar
Essential Molecular Biology: "Hands on" FEBS–EMBO Lecture Course FEBS Practical Course laboratory course Nuclear Proteomics Microspectroscopy: Functional Imaging 20 Jan – 7 Feb 2014 17–22 May 2014 of Biological Systems Porto, Portugal Kos, Greece 2–11 September 2014 laimm.med.up.pt/index.php/en/ www.nuclearproteomics.org Wageningen, The Netherlands events1/scientific-training/practical- th www.microspectroscopy-course.eu courses-2014 20 Microsomes and Drug Oxidations Symposium FEBS–BS Focused Meetings FEBS Workshop 18–22 May 2014 Single Biomolecules – in silico, in Biology of RNA in Host–Pathogen Stuttgart, Germany vitro and in vivo Interactions www.mdo2014.de 11–13 September 2014 26–29 January 2014 Hertfordshire, UK Tenerife, Spain FEBS Practical Course www.biochemistry.org/Conferences/ Advanced Methods in Macromolecular bioinfogp.cnb.csic.es/ AllConferences/tabid/379/View/ Crystallization VI – the 1st joint FEBS– RNA_host_pathogen_2014/ Conference/Page/3/MeetingNo/SA157/ INSTRUCT crystallization course in the Default.aspx FEBS Special Meeting middle EU ABC Proteins: From Multidrug 20–27 June 2014 Annual Meeting of the German Resistance to Genetic Disease Nove Hrady, Czech Republic Biophysical Society (DGfB) 8–14 March 2014 febs.img.cas.cz 14–17 September 2014 Innsbruck, Austria Lübeck, Germany www.febs-abc2014.org FEBS Practical and Lecture Courses www.biophysical-congress.de Ligand-binding Theory and Practice Bioelectronics: Principles, Materials 29 June – 6 July 2014 FEBS Practical and Lecture Course and Processes Nove Hrady, Czech Republic Fundamentals of Modern Methods of 1–9 May 2014 www.nh.cas.cz/febs_lbtp2014 Biocrystallography – BioCrys2014 Erice, Italy 20–27 September 2014 bioelec2014.wordpress.com OxiZymes Oeiras, Portugal 1–4 July 2014 biocrys2014.itqb.unl.pt FEBS–BS Focused Meeting Vienna, Austria Membrane, Morphology and Function oxizymes.boku.ac.at 25th tRNA Conference 5–8 May 2014 21–25 September 2014 Abruzzo, Italy 5th International Congress on Stem Kyllini, Greece www.biochemistry.org/Conferences/ Cells and Tissue Formation www.trna2014.gr 9–11 July 2014 AllConferences/tabid/379/Page/2/ Dresden, Germany 4th Joint Conference of the German MeetingNo/SA156/view/Conference/ www.stemcellcongress- Society for Hygiene and Microbiology Default.aspx dresden.