Defying the Virus Sarah-Maria Fendt and Markus Ralser Journal

Home , Alexander Stark, Marc Feldmann, Max Perutz Labs, The EMBO Journal

WINTER 2020/2021

ISSUE 44

How EMBO Members and their colleagues have risen to the scientific challenge Defying the virus PAGES 2-3

EMBO Gold Medal 2020 A look at the first nine months Sarah-Maria Fendt and Journal-independent Markus Ralser peer review PAGE 7 PAGE 11

Meeting report Excellence in the life sciences Homecoming Gender roles in academia The new EMBO Members Experiences from EMBO Installation Grantees

PAGE 10 PAGE 13 PAGE 12

www.embo.org TABLE OF CONTENTS EMBO NEWS

Defying the virus EMBO Member rising to the scientific challenge Pages 3-4

Papers, preprints, and free lunches Interview with EMBO Head of Scientific Publishing, Bernd Pulverer Page 5

Promoting best practice in European science Meeting report Obituary Reflections on ways to tackle scientific Gender roles and their impact in academia Hermann Bujard (1934–2020) – pioneering misconduct Page 10 researcher and visionary science politician Page 16 Page 6 SDash: the SourceData dashboard Accelerating collaboration Page 11

In contrast to the HCA, the group Defying the virus leaders responsible for setting up and running the Vienna Biocenter’s Across the world, scientists and clinicians have combined in extraordinary impressively efficient SARS-CoV-2 efforts to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Three members of the EMBO testing programme had no prior experience in community tell how they and their colleagues have risen to this scientific the field, but simply felt that they needed to help. “We had the instruments, we had extensive Around the world challenge. EMBO Gold Medal 2020 expertise in molecular biology, and we thought Recent EMBO Global Activities together with we should pool our brainpower and equipment,” Sarah-Maria Fendt and Markus Ralser awarded By Kathy Weston Associate Member States says one of them, Andrea Pauli. Page 7 Review Commons: A look at the first Page 17 In her role as co-founder of the are far easier to catch. Due to the public health Three parallel initiatives were set up: an RT-qPCR nine months Human Cell Atlas (HCA), EMBO implications, the results were fast-tracked into pipeline for in-house testing and monitoring, led by Journal-independent peer review EMBO community Member and Gold Medallist Sarah print in a much-cited paper in April 2020. Johannes Zuber, and also involving Stefan Ameres; Updates from across Europe Teichmann coordinates a network More recent data show there is good concord- next generation sequencing, led by Ulrich Elling, Page 11 Pages 18-25 of hundreds of researchers around the world. As ance between the consortium’s predictions of Luisa Cochella and Alex Stark; and RT-LAMP, led the first ominous hints that SARS-CoV-2 was no where the virus would enter, and where it is by Julius Brennecke and Pauli. Interestingly, all Installation grants Awards and publications ordinary coronavirus appeared in early 2020, the actually found. “A good example is if you map seven are either EMBL alumni, present or past © Ine Dehandschutter © Homecoming - experiences from grantees Achievements and papers by members of the HCA community mobilised. “If you have a pre- the oral cavity from healthy donors and COVID- EMBO Young Investigators, or EMBO Members. Page 12 EMBO community existing community,” Teichmann says, “people 19 patients,” says Teichmann. “There are cells in They were joined by many other volunteers from Page 26 know each other, and they are very willing to the salivary glands that have high expression of the Vienna Biocenter research community. EMBO Membership collaborate”. From her laboratory at the Wellcome ACE2, and when we stain in tissue sections you Neither Pauli nor Brennecke had worked on Sanger Institute in Cambridge, Teichmann asked can see the virus sitting there.” anything related to LAMP (loop-mediated isother- her fellow researchers to use their published and To accompany their ongoing COVID-19 work, mal amplification) technology before. “I’m a “The award highlights that our research unpublished data to generate a map delineating the HCA community now maintains an open zebrafish embryologist and Julius works on RNA on metabolism and metastasis THE where in the body a panel of genes involved in access data portal, containing reference data from biology in flies, and to be honest, I didn’t even know formation is important” EMBO viral uptake was expressed. many more healthy tissues, together with single what LAMP was in March!” Pauli laughs. However, JOURNAL Interview with EMBO Gold Medallist It soon became clear from the pooled data that cell mapping of patient sample data, and spatial LAMP proved to be the best solution to developing Sarah-Marie Fendt one of the reasons for SARS-CoV-2’s rapid trans- mapping data from infected post-mortem tissue. a cheap and robust assay that could also be used in Page 8 missibility was the presence of the viral receptor The portal has become an invaluable resource, lower- and middle-income countries, where uncer- ACE2 and its associated protease TMPRSS2 on accessed tens of thousands of times. “It’s really tain supply chains and limited equipment make cells in the nose, mouth, upper airways and eyes; helped me get through this terrible year to know testing for SARS-CoV-2 especially challenging. this may explain why some respiratory viruses that we’ve been able to contribute something The assay costs less than 1€ per reaction, and Lifetime honour for 63 leading scientists like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, whose receptors useful,” Teichmann says. only requires simple reagents and a waterbath Pages 13-14 are more highly expressed in the upper airways, set at 63ºC. An open-access version with home- © Janie Airey © Fresh from EMBO Press made enzymes is available, and Pauli hopes it Four of EMBO Press‘ latest publications at will be adopted not only in Austria, where diag- EMBO Members in the spotlight a glance Surprising moments that influenced their nostics labs and hospitals are now recommended Page 27 research “People know each other, to use it for testing, but worldwide. Page 15 Of the testing programme in general, Pauli EMBO events and they are very willing emphasizes that it was a team effort: “The whole Upcoming courses, workshops and courses campus has come together, from the directors, Page 28 to collaborate” “It feels great that metabolism is back particularly Harald Isemann (managing director of the IMP), to the students and technicians in focus” Sarah Teichmann running the assays. To some extent, the pandem- Interview with EMBO Gold Markus Ralser ic pushed us apart, but this project has really Page 9 brought us together.” photo courtesy of Sebastian Nevols

In addition to his academic research, Vivier is also Chief Scientific Officer of Innate Pharma, Papers, preprints, and free lunches which had acquired Avdoralimab, an anti-C5a drug which had already passed phase 1 trials, Biologist Bernd Pulverer, Head of Scientific Publication at EMBO, discusses papers, some years previously. Aided by a French govern- preprints, academic presses, and the curse of the journal impact factor ment grant, Innate has provided the drug gratis to be tested against placebo in an ongoing Interview conducted by Thiago Carvalho Photo courtesy of IMP/Benedikt Mandl Photo courtesy of IMP/Benedikt double-blind randomised trial. Results are yet to be published, but Vivier is cautiously opti- Let’s jump right in. Why isn’t The EMBO Journal a mistic. “This is a potential path,” he says. “I’m fully open access journal? not saying that it’s definitely going to work—it That’s a very good question, because we have may not—but we may provide some treatments three open access journals, and one does wonder for patients who need them. And that would why they are not all open access. The reason is that be extraordinary.” our journals are quite expensive because they are highly selective and because the selection is based on in-depth editorial- and peer-review. It costs about 10,000 euros to produce a single published article. In the traditional open access model, the Life science author pays directly from whatever source they researchers’ efforts can find, and often this would unfortunately be “The pandemic pushed us their research budgets. This increasingly is flip- apart, but this project has to fight ping to a model where institutions or funders pay. In the institutional subscription model that The really brought us together” COVID-19 EMBO Journal and EMBO Reports have, this cost is distributed to many more readers. Andrea Pauli In April 2020, EMBO invited its 1800 Members Bernd Pulverer and 150 Young Investigators to report on Why do open access fees vary between different any efforts they or their institutions are From left to right: Ulrich Elling, Luisa Cochella, Johannes Zuber, Stefan Ameres, Alexander Stark EMBO Press publications? making to help fight the ongoing COVID- (at rear), Harald Isemann, Andrea Pauli, and Julius Brennecke. We’re trying to price our open access journals “Do not use journal-based metrics, such as journal Springer Nature, where at the end of the day what- 19 pandemic. We received responses from at an equitable level, and we are cross-financing impact factors, as a surrogate measure of the qual- ever project you do has to have a profit-compati- close to 400 scientists, of which 328 reported these journals from our subscription journals. ity of individual research articles, to assess an indi- ble business plan. Three examples of projects that SARS-CoV-2-related activities of their own Five years ago, EMBO Member 40 molecules for which drugs had already been That’s why we’ve kept two journals hybrid, and vidual scientist’s contributions, or in hiring, promo- don’t have a business model are preprints, set research groups, of their institutions, or their Eric Vivier co-founded Marseille developed in other contexts. “It turned out that these are the two big journals. We’re about to tion, or funding decisions”. The San Francisco up by Cold Spring Harbor as a nonprofit activ- own personal efforts. EMBO Members and Immunopôle, a federation dedi- one of these molecules was not just interesting, move OA charges to the same level, because it is Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) ity; the Review Commons project run by EMBO Associate Members (282), Young Investigators cated to the research and devel- it was phenomenal”, says Vivier. The Explore ultimately strange to have a price gradient that urged the scientific community to commit to this and ASAPbio; and our own SourceData project. It (33), Installation Grantees (eight), and others opment of immunotherapy antibodies and cell COVID-19 group, recruited from Immunopôle does not reflect a gradient in quality or selectiv- principle in 2013. What has changed? takes time for a project like SourceData to become (three) shared examples of work directed therapies. Vivier believes its members have been members, rapidly analysed 82 patient samples ity. We’re worried that people will jump to the EMBO was one of the first organisations to ban a standard, at which point it will hopefully flip towards the pandemic. The majority are in crucial for the rapid development of a potential provided by local hospitals, and showed that conclusion that one journal is better than the the use of the journal impact factor (JIF) in appli- into something that is useful to the community, Europe (289), but we have also had respons- anti-COVID-19 drug, now in phase 2 clinical trials. levels of soluble complement factor C5a were other because of the price difference. cations and nominations. The ERC very actively but not based on a financial motive. es from Canada, Israel, Singapore, and the “Even though we were not working in inflamma- exactly commensurate with the severity of the polices that the JIF is not the first thing people United States. tion or virology, we knew that being experts in disease. C5a and its receptor C5aR1 have a key Do we still need journals in the age of preprints? jump on in their selection panels. Wellcome and While some scientific groups have nteni - immunology could help to describe the impact role in initiation and maintenance of several I think that highly selective journals optimally Howard Hughes Medical Instituteare also trying sified their work on or pivoted their research of the disease on the immune system”, he says. inflammatory responses, and the high levels of contribute to the scientific process with the to move beyond JIF based evaluation. The crux to COVID-19, others who may not be able to “Then we went one step further by trying to repur- both suggested a role in the acute respiratory support of preprint servers. The four EMBO Press with all of these is that all the core assessment The cost of publishing conduct research because of lack of expertise pose drugs.” distress syndrome suffered by COVID-19 patients. journals end up publishing just over 10% of is done by researchers themselves. If you grow or access to their laboratories found novel Few publishers and journals have disclosed Alerted in March to the worsening situation in The paper describing these results, submitted less submitted manuscripts. Journal selection for qual- up in a certain system yourself, and you succeed ways to support the scientific enterprise. their costs and charges and what they consist Marseille’s intensive care units, Vivier hit upon than a month after the first sample was collected, ity, depth and interest is important, but we are within that system, it is very hard for you to wean Some reported switching from researcher of, making it near impossible to assess the true the idea of an immunomonitoring programme for was published in Nature in July. rejecting many papers that are perfectly reason- yourself off that system. In my view, there has to clinician mode, while others decided to cost of publishing a paper. An open discussion seriously ill patients that specifically looked at able science, which should be shared. The advent to be an element of a top-down process where work on devising personal protective equip- of what it costs to run and maintain high qual- of preprint servers allowed the research commu- you remind the researchers during the evalua- ment or volunteer for testing patients. Others ity, selective journals, and who should pay, is nity to share this information without long delays. tion, and you police it. The EMBO Gold Medal are disseminating information via lectures, only possible on the basis of real data. We feel that there shouldn’t be a flip to a much is a nice example. EMBO Council selects a short articles, blogs, interviews, and social media EMBO and EMBO Press therefore made cheaper purely preprint based system, because list of candidates, nominated by EMBO Members, to policymakers, students, and the public. A their journals’ finances public to provide there’s a huge hidden cost, which is the cost of and the final selection process contains a step few scientists, including some who stepped transparency and clarity. finding information, analyzing it, and processing where editors give a 5-minute presentation on out of their retirement, are providing advice, EMBO Press publishes The EMBO Journal, it. If you expect readers to do the work of editors each candidate’s science, without any mention of mentorship, or a historical perspective. EMBO Reports, Molecular Systems Biology and and referees, you’ll immediately see that, given journals upon which the EMBO Council Members “We went one step This summary captures many but not EMBO Molecular Medicine. EMBO Molecular the millions of papers that are being published, then base their discussion and ultimate decision. all of the programmes, projects, and initia- Medicine and Molecular Systems Biology are further by trying to this would be vastly less efficient. Post-publication People often ask what DORA has achieved in its tives undertaken, and the number of people fully open access (OA), The EMBO Journal and commenting certainly has not addressed this and, seven years - I think we easily forget how hard it is involved in these efforts. This is an impressive EMBO Reports are subscription-based, with repurpose drugs” in my view, will not. to change an engrained, complex process. record. The accompanying article is dedicated an OA option for authors. Eric Vivier to examples of three such efforts. Is there a unique role for non-profit and academic www.embo.org/news/articles/2019/ the-publishing-costs-at-embo.html www.embo.org/news/articles/2020/ presses in scientific publishing? life-science-researchers-efforts-to-fight- Our primary mandate is to support the research covid-19.html community at large. There is a fundamental differ- Huron © ence in the mandate of someone, for example, at

Promoting best practice in European science Sarah-Maria Fendt and Markus Ralser Members of the EMBO community and research integrity experts reflect awarded EMBO Gold Medal 2020 on ways to tackle scientific misconduct in Europe EMBO awards the Gold Medal to younger researchers in Europe in recognition of outstanding achievements in the life sciences. The award consists of Research integrity, which includes core principles such as honesty, accountability, and fairness, is widely a gold medal and a cash prize of 10,000 euros. This year’s EMBO Gold Medal regarded as key to developing an environment conducive to excellent science and tackling issues such as fraud, conflicts of interests, and selective reporting. EMBO has developed a range of activities to promote is going to two researchers who study cell metabolism: Sarah-Maria Fendt research integrity, including international workshops, mandatory training courses, and contributions to and Markus Ralser. conferences and expert groups. One recent initiative brought together experts to explore options for a coordinated approach to governing research integrity in Europe, with findings published in a report writ- ten by Sandra Bendiscioli and Michele Garfinkel of EMBO Research and Policy Affairs in June 2020. The report is available at: www.embo.org/documents/science_policy/governance_of_ri.pdf

Drive consistency Build support Take responsibility Be proactive One of the most striking findings of Science in Europe is very diverse: Integrity can be seen as an attitude Research integrity has become a our report was that many partici- different countries have different in life – something that research- very important theme: high-profile pants thought research institutions laws, regulations, and codes of ers need to believe in and continu- cases have cast a spotlight on prob- are not doing enough to foster conduct. It is not easy, then, to build ously pursue. It involves a colour- lems that need to be addressed. integrity. There was a strong feeling a common approach to investigating ful array of aspects such as: taking This presents an opportunity: young that the establishment of a body to scientific misconduct, but the bene- pride in experiments rather than scientists are now more aware that support institutions in addressing fits of doing so are clear. Research chasing awards; giving credit where misconduct happens and open to research integrity and misconduct integrity places emphasis on quality it is due; reducing pressure on addressing it. Research institutions issues would be positive and drive over quantity – some institutions young researchers; and prioritising need to be proactive in training consistency in approaches across might see this as a hindrance, but truth. Clear and consistent cross- students and postdocs in issues Europe. We looked at the different it makes science better and more border rules for misconduct would of research integrity – if they are responsibilities that a pan-European sustainable and is clearly good for help reduce the risk of fraud and given the tools to tackle them, we body could have – such as advisory, European research. Today, many in conflicts. Some situations do not will be able to prevent many cases arah-Maria Fendt, a biochemist at the VIB at KU Leuven. In addition to opening new avenues new technologies that facilitate the quantification investigatory or oversight roles –, the scientific community increas- commandeer specific guidelines of misconduct. There is a need for Center for Cancer Biology and KU Leuven, for cancer metabolism research, Fendt’s work of enzymes and other proteins in thousands of identifying advantages and disad- ingly want to find solutions that and oftentimes issues are highly research integrity specialists in SBelgium, was awarded the Gold Medal for “provides truly novel concepts that have the poten- samples. Using machine-learning algorithms, the vantages, as well as examining improve the system and culture. nuanced, especially when it comes institutions that can advise students her contributions to the molecular understanding tial to increase long-term patient survival,” says team has also succeeded in capturing interactions possible structure and funding. It Here, it is important to connect with to conflicts of interest or authorship. and researchers on a regular basis. of metabolic changes that occur during cancer EMBO Member Karen Vousden at the Francis Crick between genes and metabolic pathways at the will be necessary to confront issues people’s heads and hearts: to estab- It is crucial that we embed research There is also a need for guidelines, proliferation and metastasis formation, in particu- Institute in London, United Kingdom. level of the entire cellular system. such as institutional sovereignty lish common guidelines, but also integrity themes in PhD training as policies, and common standards lar for her discoveries on how the cellular envi- Markus Ralser, a researcher in systems metabo- “Markus Ralser is an impressive young molec- and national laws, but the benefits garner support. It would be great a basis for discussion about what it between countries in Europe, not ronment influences the metabolism of tumours. lism at the Charité  Universitätsmedizin Berlin, ular biologist who is performing cutting-edge of joining up approaches, support- to see more bottom-up initiatives, involves and its practical implica- only in what is acceptable or unac- Fendt’s recent work has uncovered a new lipid Germany, and the Francis Crick Institute, London, research in metabolic systems biology, excelling in ing investigations, and developing such as research integrity cham- tions, so that researchers know their ceptable, but also in dealing with metabolism pathway in cancer cells that can is recognized for conceptual and technologi- all domains of the subject: ‘omic’ analyses, math- cross-border policies are compel- pions at institutions and training responsibilities, can live up to them, cases of misconduct. EMBO is make the cells resistant to anticancer drugs. cal advances in the understanding of the origins, ematical modelling, and molecular genetics,” says ling. We now want to explore the as well as mentoring initiatives. If and can learn how to resolve issues. playing a crucial role in promoting She has also discovered how the metabolism evolution, and functionality of metabolism. Ralser EMBO Member Stephen Oliver at the University of needs and thoughts of the commu- people believe in research integrity, The EMBO initiatives in research discussion, guiding researchers, and of metastasizing cancer cells regulates extracel- has uncovered how the metabolic network of Cambridge, UK. Ralser, he adds, “combines a will- nity with a view to developing some then you will be able to get them integrity are extremely useful in training on these issues. lular matrix remodelling of the metastatic niche. eukaryotic cells can quickly self-adapt to protect ingness to develop and perfect new technologies of these ideas. While it requires onboard. The EMBO workshop developing these discussions. Because this metabolic regulation can be targeted cells from toxic substances or changes in the envi- with the courage to probe beneath what ‘every- Claudio Sunkel, Director of the resources, fostering research integ- brought together participants with to reduce metastasis formation, the finding could ronment. His work has also shown that a very body knows.’” Gerrit van Meer, Professor and Dean Institute of Molecular and Cell rity – in practical science, but also very different insights and provided help to develop more effective cancer therapies. central metabolic pathway, known as glycoly- Emeritus at the Faculty of Science, Biology in Porto, Portugal and Sarah-Maria Fendt and Markus Ralser will be in how researchers interact, publish a great platform to discuss these As a contributor to an EU-funded programme for sis, can function in the absence of enzymes. The University of Utrecht and EMBO Director of the Institute for presenting their award lectures in occasion of papers, and a range of other issues challenges. Member female researchers, Fendt also acts as a mentor finding was the first experimental evidence for a Research and Innovation in Health Cell Bio 2020 Virtual, 9 December, held jointly by – improves quality and builds trust for women in science, supporting their career ‘metabolism first’ hypothesis about the origin of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and Nicole Föger, Head of Office, (i3S) and EMBO Member in science. Austrian Agency for Research development. life, according to which some of the primordial EMBO. “Sarah’s research line is seminal, novel and reactions did not arise from Darwinian selection Sandra Bendiscioli, Senior Policy Integrity, participant in an EMBO Officer, EMBO research integrity workshop paradigm-shifting in our understanding of cancer but were catalysed by simple inorganic molecules. progression,” says EMBO Member Peter Carmeliet In recent years, Ralser’s group has developed

6 EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] ©2020 EMBO ©2020 EMBO EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] 7 EMBO NEWS EMBO NEWS “The award highlights that our research on “It feels great that metabolism is back in focus”

metabolism and metastasis formation is important” Markus Ralser, one of two recipients that looks very much like glycolysis, one of the new and make an impact. We need to break down of the EMBO Gold Medal 2020, most central metabolic pathways, spontaneously the walls that exist between the different disci- Sarah-Maria Fendt, one of two You have also looked at the relationship between What advice do you pass on to students in talked to EMBO about his work assembles in the presence of Fe(II), which is a very plines. This, of course, requires a lot of patience recipients of the EMBO Gold Medal metabolism and metastasis formation. What your lab? abundant metal ion in Archaean sediment. So, and tolerance from the ‘experts’, and also some insights did your work reveal? One of the things that I tell my team members on the origins, evolution, and the basic structure of metabolism may not have self-confidence when someone calls you ‘naïve’. 2020, talked to EMBO about her We looked at one nutrient, called pyruvate, and is that, when they ask a research question, they functionality of the metabolism, originated over time by evolution, which was the work on the metabolic changes that we found that cancer cells that reach organs such should design experiments that are conclusive to his fascination with biology, and dominating view, but it is the consequence of the You started your own lab when you were only occur during cancer proliferation and as the lungs use pyruvate to make their metastatic answer that question. And I tell them that it can reaction properties of the metabolites that consti- 27 years old. What did you learn and what’s your niche more permissive so that they can prolifer- happen that their hypothesis is totally wrong— the challenges he faced during tute metabolism. For the first time, we had experi- advice to young group leaders? metastasis formation, her role as a ate. Scientists thought that the interaction between that's not a drama, it's part of science and will his career. mental evidence that the origin of metabolism is The challenge of becoming group leader at a cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment reveal new insights. likely an environmental-chemical one. young age is that you are less experienced than mentor for young female researchers, Interview conducted by Giorgia Guglielmi and how she manages her lab during was regulated only by transcription factors, acti- somebody who has done a lengthy postdoc. And vated for example by hypoxia. We showed that for As a member of the LIBRA Career Development This discovery revived a long-discarded idea the nice thing is that you are less experienced, and the COVID-19 pandemic. the remodelling of the metastatic niche and thus Compass, you act as a mentor for young female about how metabolism could have evolved in although you do some mistakes, there is some Interview conducted by Giorgia Guglielmi the metastatic process to happen, cancer cells researchers. What advice do you pass on to early life forms. How did the scientific commu- tolerance among senior scientists about that. I also need certain nutrients that drive their ability women in science? nity meet your findings? started my own lab before I had kids, which to nest into a new organ. This discovery allows In many research institutes, we often have more Some colleagues really loved it, but other people means I had to learn that when people have fami- us to better understand the interaction between than 50% female PhD students and postdocs. called me an idiot. Now, getting the EMBO Gold lies, things are different. My advice to young group metastases and their environment. At some point, But when you look at the PI level, the propor- Medal means that people start to trust our find- leaders is to appreciate that people are different we hope to be able to prevent metastases. This is tion of women drops dramatically. I’d like to ings, but at the beginning not everyone would from you: you can create a very nice atmosphere years away, but it could really make a difference make junior female researchers aware that it is say, ‘well done,’ and pat me on the back—no way. in the lab if you accept that everyone tries to work for patients. possible to become a PI. I tell women in my lab That’s part of science: if you find something that hard towards the goal in different ways. that they should believe in themselves, that their everyone already knows intuitively, then every- Some of your findings could help to increase the research is good and they can proudly present it. one agrees from the start. But if you come up with At the moment, you have one lab in London and survival of people with cancer. How important It's so important that we support junior research- something that is not obvious, or something that one in Berlin. How do manage to coordinate is that your research has the potential of being ers, regardless of their gender, religion and ethnic Markus Ralser has been categorically excluded by some leaders research in two different countries? translated? background. Diversity is very important for any Janie Airey © in the field, then people get sceptical, and that's It works because I have brilliant, smart, self-confi- It is very important. But if we only focus on trans- innovative process, because it generates new ways exactly how science needs to be. dent lab members, who make my life as a supervi- lational research, within five to 10 years there will of thinking. sor very easy. Sarah-Maria Fendt be nothing left to translate. Take the research- When did you first become fascinated by You have also contributed to our understanding © Ine Dehandschutter © ers that got the Nobel Prize for the discovery of How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your biology? of how metabolism functions. What insights did How did the COVID-19 pandemic influence your cancer immunotherapy in 2018: they got a basic research? I grew up on a farm in northern Italy, so I was your work reveal? research? During your postdoc, you started to study understanding of how immune cells are regulated, The biggest challenge was to shut down the lab surrounded by biology from my early childhood. We observed that if you stress cells—by exposing When the pandemic hit Europe, we were work- metabolism in the context of disease. What which, decades later, led to the development of for about six weeks. My greatest worry was about Genetics, biology, chemistry have always been them to something toxic or to heat—metabolic ing on a high-throughput proteomics pipeline, so motivated you to focus on cancer metabolism? cancer immunotherapy. We need basic-science my team members, because lots of them live alone, my favourite school subjects. After high school, pathways regulate themselves within seconds. we have been actively engaged in this research Throughout my career, I had an interest in the discoveries, and if you’re in the lucky situation far from their families. The most important thing I was supposed to take over my parents’ farm This helps the cell to establish a protective metab- ever since: we have run thousands of samples medical field, so I wanted to apply metabolism on that your discovery helps to develop new drugs or was to make sure that they were doing okay, so in the Alps, but then I said, ‘maybe I try some- olism. This system does not always require chang- on our mass spectrometers, and we can now something that could have a medical application. improve the chance of cancer patients to survive, I increased the frequency of our group meetings thing else,’ and I enrolled in an undergraduate es in gene expression or signalling—it’s a self- predict COVID-19 disease progression. In a way, Cancer made a lot of sense to me, because when I that is amazing. and made sure we could discuss about science, programme in genetics. I never planned to be a regulation of metabolism, and it can work really it was a very productive time—that’s important, started my postdoc, the field of cancer metabolism but also about more personal things. Now, we scientist—perhaps I didn’t know at that age what fast. More recently, we found that cells take up because we are in the middle of a big crisis and was rising. And I think everybody knows some- What is your lab focussing on now? are working in two shifts to reduce the number of being a scientist really means—but the closer I some metabolites not only for growth, but also to there is a lot of work that needs to be done. My body who died of cancer: for me, it was my grand- We would like to understand better how nutri- team members that are in the lab at one moment, got to it, the more exiting it became, so I ended become more robust and stress-tolerant—we call lab was always operational for projects that were mother. We still need to understand more about ents and diet influence metastasis formation, and and social gatherings are no longer possible. So, up doing a PhD. this ‘metabolic harvesting’. So, another key take considered of high importance such as the COVID- cancer to be able to progress further, but hopefully, whether they can be used to prevent metastases. we organize things such as walks outside or from our work is the self-regulatory capacity of 19 project. But we had to shut down the basic at some point, it will be a manageable disease. Cancer patients often ask their physicians whether picnics where we keep a safe distance from each During your PhD, you focused on neurodegenera- metabolism, and its role in stress protection. science projects. Many of my lab members had certain diets or supplements would support treat- other. And because we are not traveling, scien- tive disorders, then you transitioned to study lots of datasets they needed to analyse, so they You have made some important discoveries ment. Despite the fact that certain dietary condi- tific interactions are limited. Virtual conferences metabolism. What motivated you to pursue What is your lab focussing on now? did this from home. Also, since my lab is split about the role of metabolism in cancer prolifera- tions such as obesity are known to influence are better than nothing, but they are no replace- metabolism as a research interest? We're after the basic principles of metabolism. between London and Berlin, we were used to tion. What were the key findings of your studies? the risk and severity of certain cancers, we lack ment for in-person conferences or meetings, so Neuroscience is exciting, but I always had the The more we understand the rules that govern use video conferencing software already before In cancer, fat metabolism is often upregulated, molecular understanding and thus it is hard to we ask other PIs to give talks in our group meet- feeling that we are far away from understand- metabolism, the closer we get to understand what the pandemic, all of our meetings had a virtual because when cancer cells proliferate, they need give dietary advice to patients. With our research, ings—these are informal session where people can ing neurodegenerative diseases. When it came defines a cell and the basic properties that make component. So, for us it wasn’t a big shift to move fatty acids to make new cell membranes. So, we we would like to help overcome this limitation. show and discuss preliminary data. We are trying to metabolism, it was exciting to be able to use biological systems work. At the same time, our to the cloud for organizing the lab. We had a little looked at a specific class of drugs that inhibits the to make the best out of this crisis. simple systems and have problems that are so lab works a lot on technologies that help us to bit of a head-start in that sense when the catastro- processing of fatty acids, and we found that some You have established several collaborations precise that they were much easier to address. study metabolism. phe started to unfold. cancer cells can evade those drugs: the cancer cells with researchers worldwide. How important is What does receiving the EMBO Gold Medal mean activate a different metabolic pathway of the fatty collaborative research for you? to you? You have made some important discoveries You made some fundamental discoveries by What does receiving the EMBO Gold Medal mean acids, which allows them to proliferate even in the It is essential. I like the inspiration that comes from A: It's a big honour, and it highlights that our about the origins and evolution of metabolism. building your own tools to address specific to you? presence of the drug. It’s important to understand talking to people with different backgrounds. As a research on metabolism and metastasis formation What were the key findings of your studies? questions. How important is interdisciplinary It’s just brilliant, I’m super happy. I was also so that such a mechanism exists: if this alternative scientist, the most exciting thing is to discuss with is important. It also allows me to be a role model We observed that metabolic pathways are much research for you? happy to hear that Sarah-Maria Fendt is the other pathway is active in some cancer patients, it might somebody who has a totally different perspective for women in science: I hope that junior female more flexible and dynamic than one would have It is key. However, you cannot be at the same recipient—I've known her for many years, and not be a good idea to use a certain inhibitor of on a problem. I try to tell my team members that researchers will look at this award and say, ‘this anticipated from the textbook, and that the core time a top-tier biologist, top-tier physicist, top-tier she does fantastic work. It feels great that metabo- fatty acid processing, because the cancer could they should collaborate with other people, because is what I can achieve.’ structure of metabolic reactions doesn’t depend mathematician. If you do multidisciplinary science, lism is back in focus. just bypass it. when you bridge your own expertise with that of on the evolution of enzymes. We observed—more you need to work with colleagues and learn from somebody else, you get a synergistic effect. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. or less by accident—that a reaction sequence them—that's the only way to generate something This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

8 EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] ©2020 EMBO ©2020 EMBO EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] 9 MEETING REPORT EMBO NEWS Accelerating collaboration with SourceData

ourceData, the scientific data discovery information. Through a simple gallery interface, for early dissemination, exchange of ideas and and sharing platform from EMBO, is firmly users can share figures with project groups and critical debates.” Sembedded in the publishing process at EMBO invite feedback through a commenting system. A working prototype of SDash is currently Press. Over 40,000 experiments have been added SDash supports open metadata standards allow- being trialled with the multidisciplinary collabo- to the SourceData database, joined by the figures ing figures to be exported to a variety of common rative research centre “Mechanisms and distur- from every new research report published in an formats. Figures can also be exported to a desk- bances in memory consolidation: from synapses Gender roles and their EMBO Press journal. Curated figures are convert- top SmartFigure Editor application where they to systems” led by Matthew Larkum of Humboldt ed into SmartFigures, linked to their underlying can be prepared further for journal publication. University, Berlin. The early feedback from part- data which is hosted in the EMBL-EBI Biostudies SourceData scientific co-ordinator Hannah nerships such as this will help to shape the devel- impact in academia database and enriched with links to thematically Sonntag explains the enthusiasm for the project: opment of the project. related research. These are made openly accessi- “By providing a practical, useful platform for shar- By Ivy Kupec sourcedata.embo.org ble and searchable through Google Dataset Search ing scientific results, SDash can lower the barrier or SourceData’s own semantic search engine. Thomas Lemberger, the SourceData project lead at EMBO, now has even bigger plans for the conference designed not “just to talk, but the rise of women in the US Senate and among Confronting unconscious bias, achieving real capabilities of SourceData. “SourceData helps to explore solutions”. That’s how EMBL CEOs and world leaders. Mel pointed out that meritocracy, and building bridges in the search for published data,” he explains, A Director General Edith Heard opened the countries led by women were among the most The final keynote address delved into one of “but publication happens after the research is conference ‘Gender roles and their impact in successful at controlling the spread of COVID-19. the most challenging aspects of building a more complete. Making results findable and shareable academia’, co-hosted with EMBO and the Howard “When I see all this, I’m very encouraged about diverse working environment: unconscious biases. can be extremely useful at every stage of a project, Hughes Medical Institute. Almost 500 people the future because of the trajectory,” Mel said. Jo Handelsman, Director of the Wisconsin Institute not just at the end.” from around the world registered to participate. “Unfortunately, it is a slow process.” for Discovery, looked back over 50 years of research Motivated by this goal, the SourceData team “There’s increasing evidence that when we Claartje Vinkenburg, Associate Professor concluding that “unconscious bias is so difficult to is developing an open source, community- build diversity into organisations and research, at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Joseph root out. It’s very difficult to expect anyone to be oriented figure-sharing platform, nicknamed the outputs – which then combine multiple Hermanowicz, Professor of Sociology at the free of unconscious biases. All we can do is use our “SDash” – the SourceData Dashboard. At the perspectives – are richer, more resilient, and carry University of Georgia, noted that this is what also conscious mind to mitigate the impact.” heart of SourceData is the concept that figures a lower exposure to risk,” said Eileen Furlong, happens to our meritocracy. They pointed out EMBO Director Maria Leptin raised the question provide a convenient, comprehensible unit of Head of EMBL’s Genome Biology Unit and one of how merit is not a well-defined concept and has of merit as an ill-defined concept in the workplace, research data. SDash applies this principle to the conference’s scientific organisers. a strong gender component. pointing out that we have a long way to go to chal- collaborative research, allowing collaborators During the conference, participants engaged Cordelia Fine, Professor of History and lenge the way merit, confidence, competence, and to share individual figures and their underlying Utilizing figures as a convenient, comprehensible unit of research data: “SDash”, the SourceData in conversation to identify conditions that enable Philosophy of Science at the University of leadership are currently envisioned with a male data, annotated with structured keywords and Dashboard, allows collaborators to share individual figures and their underlying data. A working gender equity and those that limit it, with the Melbourne, gave the keynote lecture on the second bias. Looking more closely at reasons why women linked to files, scripts, protocols or other relevant prototype of SDash is currently being trialled at Humboldt University, Berlin. hope of generating new norms. The conference day of the conference, focusing on the question and minorities do not rise through the ranks was anchored by the principles that norms are of justice. “There are several important reasons proportionately, given their representation in soci- not set in stone and that international organisa- to increase workplace gender diversity which are ety and academia, is key to formulating solutions. tions have a responsibility to redefine the equal- rarely discussed in print media,” she said. The conference acknowledged the reali- ity, diversity, and inclusion agenda. ties of intersectionality that exist within the Review Commons – the first nine months Finding balance in academia group ‘women’. Ijeoma Uchegbu, Professor of Tracing biological and societal connections Sarah Damaske, Associate Professor of Sociology, Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College Review Commons produced collegial, reasonable Mel Konner, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor Labor and Employment Relations, and Women’s London (UCL) and UCL Provost’s Envoy for Race Review Commons improves upon and unbiased reviews as compared to the tradi- in the Department of Anthropology at Emory Studies at Pennsylvania State University, Equality, shared the multi-pronged approach that traditional peer review in three ways: tional approach. University in Atlanta, Georgia, explored the arc explored the gender issues that have arisen for UCL is taking to tackle systemic inequality through An impact on avoiding serial reviews is also • It increases the efficiency of the process by of evolution in his keynote lecture. He noted men, particularly in households where family a review of pay gaps, recruitment processes, and evident. Review Commons manuscripts are trans- eliminating repeated peer review cycles. responsibilities are shared equally. By poll- transparency in demographic data. ferred to a median of two partner journals. No ing male academics, she found disparities that Other speakers reported on a number of meas- • It focuses the peer review process on additional reviews are sought in 98% of accepted echoed the challenges faced by these academics’ ures already being taken. Some experiments science by asking reviewers to evaluate and 86% of rejected papers. Although it is too early female counterparts, particularly among those involving quotas are happening in Germany and the reported findings in a journal-inde- to compare average publication cycle durations, early in their careers, who consciously opt out of the Netherlands, while the European Research pendent manner. avoiding delays due to repeat reviews is expected marriage and family or struggle to find balance. Council and Swedish Research Council are putting aunched in December 2019, Review • It accelerates the transparent dissemina- to result in a faster publication time overall. Tugce Bilgin Sonay, a lecturer in evolutionary emphasis on educating selection panels to reach Commons is a peer review platform that tion of peer reviewed research by encour- At present, 30% of manuscripts have been biology at Columbia University, helped to found equal success rates. Loffers high quality peer review for scientific aging authors to post their referee reports posted to bioRxiv as refereed preprints and 90% a commission for gender equality in academia The conference ended with the message that manuscripts before journal submission. The plat- alongside their manuscript on the preprint of the published papers are accompanied by trans- and is one of three women who established collaborative work by a range of advocates and form facilitates the posting of reviews alongside servers bioRxiv and medRxiv. parent reviews on the publishing journal’s website. EMBO organisers: SURGE, a programme to foster diversity in STEM. change-makers would be key to accelerating preprints on bioRxiv or medRxiv and authors can Support for open science is cited as the most Gerlind Wallon and Her own experiences of overcoming a physical change. During her final remarks, Maria Leptin transfer their reviewed manuscripts directly from common motivator for posting a refereed preprint. Michele Garfinkel disability through the goal of simply being able to pointed out that all discussions and contributions the platform to any of 17 partner journals, includ- After nine months of service from Review For a more in-depth look at the first nine month commute to work by bicycle opened her eyes to to the conference will be incorporated into a policy ing those published by PLOS, The Company of Commons, the project team from ASAPBio and of Review Commons, see https://asapbio.org/ how the right infrastructure leads to success and study led by the EMBO Science Policy Programme, Biologists and EMBO Press, and to The Journal EMBO are assessing progress towards these goals. review-commons-9-months “With this conference we want to confidence. “Diversity challenges are surmount- which will be conducted over the next six months of Cell Biology, eLife and Molecular Biology of To date 16 of the 17 partner journals have accept- explore the science behind gender able, especially if you build a support network. to fully analyse options that institutes may adopt to the Cell. These journals have all agreed to use ed papers based on Review Commons reports, reviewcommons.org I accepted myself for who I am – with all the work towards equity. Review Commons reviews for their editorial deci- suggesting that their science-focus and independ- roles and their impact on academic differences and challenges – and I address them,” sions without starting the peer review process ence makes them highly portable and usable Abridged version of the article “Taking charge careers, both for women and men.” she explained. by seeking ways to achieve gender balance”, 16 afresh, bringing an efficient, streamlined publica- across a broad range of journals. Survey results October 2020, published at embl.de/news tion process. from 95 corresponding authors showed that

10 EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] ©2020 EMBO ©2020 EMBO EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] 11 EMBO NEWS EMBO NEWS Homecoming – experiences from EMBO welcomed EMBO Installation Grantees its new members

Three of the 2019 Installation Grantees explain how the programme has Karaca, whose research goal is to dissect the EMBO has bestowed upon 63 leading scien- helped them establish their labs in some of Europe’s regions with less structures of molecular complexes to uncover the tists the lifetime honour of EMBO Membership in physical principles of biomolecular interactions, recognition of their remarkable achievements in Gregor Anderluh Alexander Aulehla Eva Bártová Patricia Bassereau National Institute of EMBL, Heidelberg, DE Institute of Biophysics of the Institut Curie, Paris, FR well-developed infrastructures is not the only EMBO Installation Grantee who the life sciences. Chemistry, Ljubljana, SI Czech Academy of Sciences, went back to their home country. After a PhD in 52 new Members and 11 Associate Members, Brno, CZ By Giorgia Guglielmi Switzerland and a postdoc in England, infectious residing in 25 countries, have been elected disease biologist Rafał Mostowy got a group lead- in 2020 and join the community of the EMBO er position at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Membership. The new Members boast a large range Poland, the country where he grew up. of accomplishments, with candidates elected based Mostowy’s group focuses on the genomics of on scientific excellence and pioneering research. infectious microbes. The researchers are looking 44% of the new EMBO Members are women. at the interactions between bacteria and their EMBO’s tradition of recognising outstanding viruses, called phages. “Many bacteria have life scientists as Members dates back to 1963. stopped responding to antibiotics, and we have Since then, EMBO Members have been invited Filippo Del Bene Caroline Dive Fiona Doetsch Wolfgang Driever Institut de la Vision, Paris, FR Cancer Research UK Biozentrum, University of Universität Freiburg, DE been coming back to the idea of using phages to to nominate and elect exceptional researchers to Manchester Institute, Basel, CH kill bacteria,” Mostowy says. Using bioinformat- join the community, which now exceeds 1,800 University of Manchester, UK ics tools, Mostowy and his team aim to under- Members and Associate Members. The new stand microbial population dynamics in order to EMBO Members join a growing list of renowned help design better medical interventions against researchers elected before them, which includes disease-causing bacteria. 90 Nobel laureates. In the long run, Mostowy hopes that the An online directory listing all EMBO Members, Ezgi Karaca Rafal Mostowy EMBO Installation Grant will help his team to their affiliations and areas of expertise is avail- supplement the bioinformatics work with simple able at people.embo.org. experiments. “It's hard for computational biologists to start doing experiments, so we’re building Paul Flicek Alain Goossens Berthold Göttgens Eva R. Hoffmann EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK VIB - UGent (Flanders Wellcome - MRC Cambridge University of Copenhagen, collaborations,” he says. “The flexibility of the Institute for Biotechnology - Stem Cell Institute, DK EMBO Installation Grant will hopefully give us Ghent University), Ghent, BE University of Cambridge, UK the opportunity to do experiments by ourselves.” Other grantees are keeping the money as a strategic reserve at a time when national research budgets are tight. “We don't know how much local funding we’ll be able to get next year, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic,” says bioinformatician Panagiotis Alexiou, a Junior Panagiotis Alexiou Group Leader at the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) in Brno, Czech Republic. Thorsten Hoppe Ursula Klingmüller Pierre-François Lenne François Leulier Kathryn S. Lilley Guillermina López-Bendito University of Cologne, DE German Cancer Research Developmental Biology Institute Institut de Génomique University of Cambridge, UK Instituto de Neurociencias, Born and raised in Greece, Alexiou established Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, of Marseilles (IBDM), FR andTur- Fonctionnelle de Lyon UMH-CSIC, San Juan de Alicante, ES DE ing Center for Living Systems (IGFL), FR his independent lab at CEITEC in 2018, after (CENTURI), Marseille, FR omputational structural biologist Ezgi “With the grant money, I could get instruments completing a Master’s in the Netherlands, a PhD Karaca always wanted to go back to Turkey, that helped me to establish my lab.” in Greece and a postdoc in the United States. Cher home country, but she didn’t expect Since 2006, EMBO has used the Strategic Alexiou’s team uses machine learning tools to it would be so hard to get her lab going. After Development Installation Grants to help talent- identify patterns in genomic data. One promis- her Master’s at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, ed early-career scientists to establish their own ing project is aimed at building models of how where she became fascinated with how the laboratories in some of Europe’s countries with different RNA-binding proteins bind their targets. structure of biomolecules dictate their function, less-developed infrastructures. So far, six coun- This information could then be used to predict Karaca moved to the Netherlands to do a PhD in tries—Czech Republic, Estonia, Montenegro the function of newly discovered RNA-binding computational structural biology. She then relo- Poland, Portugal and Turkey—have taken part proteins. “During my first years as an independ- Jean-Christophe Sascha Martens Maria Dolores Ana Martin-Villalba Sophie G. Martin Brian McStay cated to Germany for a postdoc, and in 2017 she in the programme and financed the labs. The ent researcher, the EMBO Installation Grant gives Marine Max Perutz Labs, University Martin-Bermudo German Cancer Research University of Lausanne, CH National University of VIB-KU Leuven Center for of Vienna, AT Centro Andaluz de Biología Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Ireland, Galway, IE got an Assistant Professor position at the Izmir grantees receive 50,000 euros annually for three me the stability that I need to become competi- Cancer Biology, BE del Desarrollo, Universidad DE Biomedicine and Genome Center in Turkey. to five years. They also become part of the EMBO tive for other grants,” he says. Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, ES For the first two years as an independent Young Investigator Network, through which they Mostowy agrees that financial stability is researcher, Karaca struggled to get funding. can attend conferences, access lab management important to succeed. “Perhaps you want to Structural biology is an emerging research field training courses, and set up collaborations with launch a risky project—with an EMBO Installation in Turkey, and after years abroad, her name other young scientists in Europe. Grant, you can generate preliminary results that wasn’t well known in the local scientific commu- With the coronavirus pandemic continuing you can use to apply for more ambitious grants nity. Then, at the beginning of this year, EMBO to have a huge impact on face-to-face scientific later on.” What’s more, he says, the grant gives announced that Karaca was among the 11 recipi- gatherings, EMBO has moved this year’s Young researchers visibility and prestige. “When people ents of its Strategic Installation Grants. Karaca Investigator meeting online, so Karaca couldn’t look you up and see the EMBO stamp, they Raphaël Mercier Felix Naef Serena Nik-Zainal Caren Norden Dónal O'Carroll Giles Oldroyd was elated. “The most amazing thing is that you participate in person. But she tried to get the immediately know that you're doing exciting, Max Planck Institute for Swiss Federal Institute of University of Cambridge, UK Instituto Gulbenkian de Centre for Regenerative The Sainsbury Laboratory, can decide where to spend the money—none of most out of it. “I met so many people,” she says. ambitious research.” Plant Breeding Research, Technology, Lausanne, CH Ciência, Oeiras, PT Medicine, UK and UK and Cologne, DE Wellcome Centre for Cell Crop Science Centre, the national grants offers this luxury,” she says. “That made me feel the power of the EMBO Young Biology, Edinburgh, UK University of Cambridge, UK Investigator Network—it was great.”

12 EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] ©2020 EMBO ©2020 EMBO EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] 13 EMBO NEWS EMBO NEWS Some of the EMBO Members elected this year recall surprising moments that influenced their research

By Adam Gristwood

Uta Paszkowski José R. Penadés Anna Philpott Mariana G. Pinho Karel Říha Pere Roca-Cusachs Surprising symbionts Driving division Exploring evolution University of Cambridge, UK Imperial College London, UK University of Cambridge, UK Instituto de Tecnologia CEITEC Masaryk University, University of Barcelona, ES Química e Biológica, Brno, CZ andInstitut de Bioenginyeria In 2008, EMBO Member Luis Teixeira was screen- In 2005, Hongyan Wang was performing a Universidade Nova de de Catalunya (IBEC), Lisboa, Oeiras, PT Barcelona, ES ing fruit flies for genetic mutations that could novel genetic screen, aiming to isolate genes make them more vulnerable to viral infection. But involved in the development of the central nerv- his postdoc project was not going to plan. “I was ous system of fruit fly larvae. She was amazed looking for innate immunity genes that might be to see that mutations in a gene called aurora- antiviral, but it was clear something was terribly A – a well-known cell cycle regulator – had led wrong – my control flies were dying faster than to the larvae developing unusually large brains, my mutant strains,” explains Teixeira, whose brimming with neural stem cells. “They resem- group studies host-microbe interactions at the bled tumours, and I thought this could be a Instituto Gulbenkian Ciência in Lisbon, Portugal. great new model to study brain tumour suppres- María Carla Saleh Yardena Samuels Anne Simonsen Jan Steyaert Katja Sträßer Eörs Szathmáry sors,” says Wang, whose group at Duke-NUS Institut Pasteur, Paris, FR Weizmann Institute of University of Oslo, NO VIB-VUB Center for Justus Liebig University, Centre for Ecological Science, Rehovot, IL Structural Biology, Vrije Giessen, DE Research, Tihany, HU Medical School in Singapore investigates how Universiteit Brussel, BE neural stem cells divide and proliferate. “But it also raised a puzzling question: how could mutations that slow the cell cycle generate so many neural stem cells?” Eörs Szathmáry Stem cells typically divide asymmetrically: one daughter cell retains self-renewing ability, while the other is more fate-restricted. Wang In 1992, Eörs Szathmáry returned home to find discovered that mutations in aurora-A led neural a letter waiting on his desk addressed in familiar stem cells to divide symmetrically, sending the handwriting. It was from his former mentor, John Christopher G. Tate Luis Teixeira Aurelio A. Teleman Matthias H. Tschöp Beatrice Vallone Danijela Matic production of self-renewing stem cells into over- Maynard Smith, a renowned evolutionary biolo- MRC Laboratory of Instituto Gulbenkian de German Cancer Research Helmholtz Zentrum University of Rome 'La Vignjevic Molecular Biology, Ciência, Oeiras, PT Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, München, German Research Sapienza', Rome, IT Institut Curie, Paris, FR drive. She also identified the oncogenic role of gist, who was inviting him to cowrite a book on Cambridge, UK DE Center for Environmental a key transmembrane receptor called Notch in the major transitions of evolution. “In the letter, Health, Neuherberg, DE the brain, which was negatively regulated by John said that no one could write such a book Luis Teixeira Aurora-A. “We showed that tumour suppressors alone and suggested we do it together: this letter could play a crucial role in the asymmetric divi- is the biggest honour of my life,” says Szathmáry, sion of neural stem cells – and that defects lead whose broad ranging research at the Centre for After weeks fretting over his project, it occurred to brain overgrowth,” says Wang. Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary, investi- to Teixeira that although he had treated his flies gates the comparative aspects of such transitions. with antibiotics to combat any interference from In the book, they argue that evolution depends bacteria, that batch of mutant strains was not on changes in the information passed between Dolf Weijers Sara A. Wickström, Eske Willerslev Marta Zlatic Sumantra Chattarji* Job Dekker* treated. He had read about a remarkable intracel- generations – and that major transitions such Wageningen University, NL University of Helsinki, FI University of Cambridge, MRC Laboratory of National Centre for Biological Howard Hughes Medical UK and University of Molecular Biology, Sciences, Bangalore, IN Institute, University of lular bacterium called Wolbachia and wondered as the first replicating molecules, cells, multi- Copenhagen, DK Cambridge, UK and Massachusetts, Worcester, now if the antibiotics in his control had killed off cellular organisms, and human societies have University of Cambridge, UK US a key line of defence. “Wolbachia is exceptionally involved major changes in the way information common in insect species: sometimes it’s path- is stored and transmitted. Szathmáry’s research ogenic, sometimes it’s beneficial, but it did not has sought to answer major related questions seem to have strong effects in Drosophila mela- in relation to how higher levels of evolutionary nogaster,” he explains. He decided to find out. “It units appear from lower level ones, and how new was the difference between living and dying of types of inheritance systems emerge. “Essentially, viral infection.” we want to understand how we came about,” Wolbachia, it turned out, gives protection Szathmáry says. Anne-Claude Gingras* Christian Noboru Mizushima* Akihiko Nakano* Jodi Nunnari* Mitinori Saitou* against viral foes not only to fruit flies, but “Questions such as the origin of the genetic Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Gonzalez-Billault* University of Tokyo, JP RIKEN Center for Advanced University of California, Kyoto University, JP also mosquitos. The work has informed stud- code or our language capacity are still very much Research Institute, Toronto, Universidad de Chile, Photonics, Saitama, JP Davis, US Hongyan Wang CA Santiago de Chile, CL ies led by others looking to spread Wolbachia open questions, but there has been progress – in mosquitos to tackle vector-borne diseases partly because of better experimental techniques such as dengue and yellow fever. Now, Teixeira Neural stem cells are now an established and partly because we are now asking more continues to explore the mysteries of how hosts model for studying stem cell renewal and tumour focused questions,” he explains. “One question such as Drosophila interact on a functional and formation. Following these initial discoveries that I find particularly exciting is whether some- evolutionary level with microorganisms in nature by Wang and a handful of other groups, a simi- thing like replication with variation is happening – pathogenic or mutualistic. “Under every stone lar association was identified in human brain in the brain in real time on the millisecond scale we turn there is something new,” he says. “It’s tumours. Wang’s research now focuses on related when you are doing complex problem solving – very exciting.” puzzles such as how differentiated neural cells for instance when a child acquires language. I can revert back to stem cells and how quiescent have ideas, but that is very much in the making.” Geraldine Seydoux* Peter M. Visscher* Hongyan Wang *EMBO Associate Member Johns Hopkins University, Institute for Molecular Duke-NUS Medical School, – or “sleeping” – neural stem cells can reenter the Baltimore, US Bioscience, University of Singapore, SG cell cycle. “This field is still very new, at each Queensland, Brisbane, AU stage there are new discoveries to be made,” Wang adds.

Obituary Hermann Bujard (1934–2020) – pioneering researcher and visionary science politician

By Bernd Bukau, Michael Lanzer, Fritz Melchers and Gerlind Wallon

n July 31, 2020, Hermann Bujard red thread throughout his life: He was never shy to when it came to translate his findings into an (*16.04.1934) passed away. Hermann take on a challenge and had the intelligence, politi- experimental vaccine. EMBO around the world Opioneered our understanding of gene cal wit, and tenacity to pull it through. In 2007, at the age of 73 and well into his promoters, developed the widely used Tet system One of us (Fritz Melchers), at the time the retirement, Hermann was asked to take on the We catch up on some of the recent global activities EMBO has carried out together with to induce and precisely tune gene expression, and director of the Roche-owned Basel Institute for directorship of EMBO for a short interim period Associate Member States India and Singapore and cooperation partners in Chile and Taiwan advanced the development of a malaria vaccine Immunology (BII), proposed to Roche’s president until a new director was found. His directorship from basic research to phase I clinical trials. He to hire Hermann as the director of a newly estab- turned into three years during which he launched By Adam Gristwood was also an exceptional person who touched lished section of molecular biology. Hermann, The EMBO Meeting and changed the manage- many people’s lives as a teacher and mentor, an having grown unhappy with the conservative ment structure of EMBO Press among many other advocate for liberal research structures similar to environment at the University of Heidelberg reforms. Crucially, yet unnoticed by many, he saw those he implemented at the Center for Molecular at that time, accepted and set up biomolecular to it that the status of EMBO as a not-for-profit Online odysseys Innovative investigators Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), and a research at Roche. His influence on the future organization registered in Switzerland, but located In February 2020, when Smita Jain and Shantala “Both sides have put in an While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented visionary science politician. development of the company cannot be overes- in Heidelberg, was rendered legally sound. Hari Dass sat down with Gerlind Wallon, Head unexpected hurdles for scientific training and Hermann was born in 1936 in Heidelberg, timated: He established the use of large molecu- After his short but decisive stint at EMBO, he of the EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme, enormous amount of effort, networking, it has not stopped EMBO’s first Germany, and grew up in Freiburg as one of five lar weight pharmaceuticals, based on his exper- returned to concentrate on the malaria vaccine. to explore ideas for a new online seminar series the response has been cohort of Global Investigators forging internation- children of a protestant priest. He often said that tise on gene expression, which has transformed In order to continue the clinical evaluation of focused on essential skills for young researchers, al connections. Amongst them is Yen-Ping Hsueh, the high moral values taught and lived by his Roche into what is today one of the largest phar- MSP1, Hermann founded Sumaya Biotech in they did not imagine the initiative could come to remarkable” a group leader at the Institute of Molecular Biology, father had imprinted him for life. After his PhD maceutical companies. 2014. However, since it was difficult to find capi- fruition within just a few months. But then the Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, whose work in organic chemistry in Göttingen, Hermann left After three years at Roche, he was hired back tal, he eventually financed the manufacturing COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We met for coffee and Smita Jain focuses on the cross-kingdom communication for the United States in 1962, inspired by the tea to Heidelberg in 1986 to direct the newly estab- of full-length MSP1 under GMP conditions and the idea immediately began to take shape, although and co-evolution of predator fungi and their hours held by Manfred Eigen, to do his postdoc lished ZMBH. Many visits to the ministry in the first in-human study mostly out of his own at the time I had no idea it could take off and fly nematode prey. “Carnivorous fungi are not very with Charly Heidelberger and Gobind Khorana Stuttgart were necessary to give it the constitu- pocket. Sumaya Biotech will continue to evaluate so quickly,” says Jain, who is Executive Director well studied despite being almost universal in the in Madison, Wisconsin. After only two years, tion and departmental structure that he desired, MSP1 in clinical trials and test the prime/boost of IndiaBioscience. It has developed several initia- soil environment,” she explains. “By using genet- he was offered an assistant professorship at the drawing on his experience of the departments strategy in challenge studies in Africa. tives together with EMBO, including conferences, ics to study the molecular interactions between Southwest Center for Advanced Studies in Dallas, that he had seen in the United States. He wanted Hermann’s impact on German parasitology lectures, and awareness-raising programmes. the nematode C. elegans and carnivorous fungi, Texas, where he started his research on DNA early independence for young scientists, and an cannot be overestimated. He was instrumental “The first workshop, focused on grant writing, Amongst those attending the firstwe want to shed light on how their interaction structure and DNA-protein interactions. When he institute structure that offers scientists maximal in revitalizing this discipline in Germany and took place in June and attracted more than 450 EMBO|IndiaBioscience online workshop was Zill- shapes predator-prey coevolution and maybe was appointed as a professor of molecular genet- freedom to pursue challenging research ques- contributed to a roadmap commissioned by participants. We followed this up with a second in e-Anam, a final-year PhD student at Jawaharlal come up with ways to combat parasitic nema- ics at Heidelberg University in 1970, he, his wife, tions. Under his 10-year directorship, the ZMBH the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). September and the series will eventually include Nehru University in New Delhi. “We learned how todes in the future. EMBO provides a great plat- and two children moved to Heidelberg where he developed into an internationally highly recog- Hermann further helped shaping the Zentrum a wide range of themes such as science commu- to make grant applications stand out from the form to learn, network and share ideas. I have changed his focus to study transcriptional control nized research centre that promoted countless für Infektionsforschung at the University of nication, lab management, and research integrity. crowd,” says Anam, whose work focuses on malar- taken part in online trainings and am looking mechanisms in prokaryotes. Hermann teamed up successful research careers. Würzburg, where he served as chair of the scien- Both sides have put in an enormous amount of ia drug discovery and who was one of 20 partici- forward to travelling when the situation allows. with a colleague, Peter von Sengbusch, to work Hermann had brought with him from Roche a tific advisory board. effort during the pandemic and the response has pants selected to take part in a further hands-on Connections with EMBO provide a great opportu- out a new curriculum, which transformed teach- new project: the quest for a malaria vaccine. He set Over the course of his long life, Hermann has been remarkable.” session. “The exercises helped me to see where nity for researchers in Taiwan to meet and work ing at the faculty. Well-trained students with a up collaborations with Yeya Touré and Ogoabara received numerous prizes and awards for his I am going right and wrong, with scientists around the world.” strong background in molecular biology soon Doumbo in Mali and went several times to Africa scientific oeuvre, such as the Beckurts Award, and how I can do better – for became a treasure of the faculty. to collect serum samples in endemic areas, once the Prix Yvette Mayent, the Robert-Koch Gold instance by soliciting feed- In the early 1970s, EMBO invited proposals for contracting malaria himself. He often talked about Medal, and the Medal of Merit of the Federal back from colleagues outside “EMBO provides a great a laboratory to be set up somewhere in the Federal the children who were most at risk and that many State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. But he was most my specific field, building a platform to learn, network Republic of Germany. Munich initially seemed the of them would no longer be alive when they proud of the feedback from his former students compelling narrative that most likely choice, but Hermann, Peter, and Ken returned a year later to collect more samples. He who praised him as a great teacher and mentor. makes sense to outsiders, and share ideas” Holmes, during long nights, worked out a compel- identified the major surface protein 1 (MSP1) as With his sharp mind and impressive knowledge and identifying a backup ling proposal, so that Heidelberg eventually got the the, in his well-argued but challenged view, most in broad aspects of life, he was an inspiring and plan for if experiments do Yen-Ping Hsueh nod for the EMBO/EMBL campus. The proposal promising candidate for a protective antigen. stimulating discussion partner, not afraid of not go as expected. The offered EMBO young talented local students taught At that time, his group worked on a tetracy- controversies. At the same time, he had a fine trainer, Chapin Rodriguez, by the modernized biology curriculum, and scien- cline repressor-based gene switch, the Tet system, sense of humor and was a delightful and charm- was very knowledgeable and tific cooperation with local university departments, together with his PhD student and later postdoc ing storyteller. Hermann was a great scientist, a gave me some great tips and as well as the Max Planck Institute for Medical Manfred Gossen. Heidelberg University felt that charismatic and disarmingly humorous colleague, tricks to get started. I have Research and the German Cancer Research Center the challenge and effort to patent this were too mentor, and friend. gained skills that I can put (DKFZ). The EMBO site committee arrived in large, so Hermann set off to do this himself. His Honoré de Balzac said that you live twice: into practice when I come to The EMBO Global Investigator Network, Heidelberg after having been wined and dined in company TET Systems was able to market and once in reality, the second time, in memories. In write my own grant applica- launched in 2019, supports researchers in areas Munich, and Hermann and his fellow campaigners, innovate the technology such that it is still today, OUR memories. tions – in some respects it such as training, attending conferences, setting including the mayor of Heidelberg and the direc- some 25 years after the initial discovery, making was better than an in-person up joint lab meetings, and childcare. Yansong Reprinted with permission from Wiley/The EMBO tors of the different institutes, took them to rather good profits from licensing, which Hermann used Journal workshop.” Miao, Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technical more down-to-earth boisterous student pubs. The to finance the development of the malaria vaccine. University in Singapore, says that being part of the enthusiasm of the locals and the unique status that This was very much needed, since Hermann had The EMBO Journal EMBO network will be a boon to his research stud- the EMBO lab would have in Heidelberg appar- to realize that while the German government was Bernd Bukau et al. ying how cellular signals influence the shape of EMBO|IndiaBioscience online workshop on essential skills ently convinced the committee. This success also happy to fund his basic research on malaria with DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106981 the diverse actin networks that coordinate different for young researchers shows a characteristic of Hermann that runs like a millions of euros, there was no money available cellular processes. “Actin cytoskeleton assembly is

“Being an EMBO Global Investigator will enable me to develop collaborations with researchers across a range of disciplines”

Yansong Miao

important for numerous cellular activities including migration, protrusion, and immune response,” he explains. “We want to learn more about how signal transduction can reshape and reorganise actin filaments, and how proteins that regulate this framework are able to sense different signals. The massive complexity means taking an interdisciplinary approach and being an EMBO Global Investigator will enable me to develop collaborations with researchers across a range of disciplines. While it has not yet been possible for me to travel to Europe, there have been a lot of opportunities to meet virtually, attend training courses and connect with scientists all over the world.” At the India|EMBO Symposium on synthetic biology, Chennai/India, January 2020 Alluring lectures EMBO also supports lecture series involving exchanges between scientists internationally. In November 2019, Michael Hall, Professor of Constructive conferences involved in many activities,” says de Lorenzo, an The symposium, which featured 70 participants Biochemistry at the Biozentrum of the University Ideas for EMBO’s Global Activities Programme EMBO Member whose work looks at the interface and 18 speakers, also delivered practical outcomes. of Basel and an EMBO Member, visited Chile to often snowball from previous initiatives, one between synthetic biology and environmental “Synthetic biology can help to address some of the take part in a series of events across the country. example being an India|EMBO Symposium biotechnology. “The event covered a fascinating most pressing challenges that humanity faces, and Hall is renowned for his groundbreaking work “Thinking about the connections, exchanges and discussions focused on synthetic biology that took place at range of interdisciplinary practical and theoreti- one of the key things to come out of the meeting in TOR (target of rapamycin) signaling. “TOR brings a smile to my face, it was a really great moment” the end of January. The event stemmed from long- cal questions, from new ways to biodegrade plas- was a policy statement on how synthetic biology proteins play a central role in regulating cell tics to understanding how proteins avoid forming in healthcare, agriculture and the environment growth and function but can also contribute to knots when they fold, but also addressed wider should proceed in India,” says Himanshu Sinha, many disorders, including cancer, heart disease Soledad Matus “There is an entire world issues such as gender equality. This was one of whose research deals with complex genetics and (second from right) and diabetes,” explains Hall, who was joined on of interesting science going the most memorable discussions I have ever been systems biology. “There are significant oppor- the trip by Nahum Sonenberg, an EMBO Associate involved in – it was not easy, and really touched tunities to address areas such as pollution, food Member who is Professor of Biochemistry at on in India, it provides on people’s lives. There is an entire world of production, and green chemistry and it is about On the lip of a volcanic crater on Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. The stone marks this place as McGill University, Canada. “One of our recent interesting science going on in India – it provides looking at how to mitigate some of the big chal- the site where rapamycin producing bacteria were first found in 1965. a massive opportunity to studies found that diet-induced obesity in mice a massive opportunity to build partnerships.” lenges that the field faces, such as ethical concerns From left to right: Michael Hall, Mauro Costa-Mattioli, René Luis Vidal Gómez, Soledad Matus, can cause hyperglycaemia, despite normal insu- build partnerships” amongst the public. Some of these issues were Nahum Sonenberg lin signaling – and we have pinpointed a gene, also taken up by participants who were invited to also found in naturally hyperglycaemic Mexican Victor de Lorenzo “Synthetic biology can help co-edit a special edition of a leading biotechnology cavefish, that could be contributing to that. My who also manages the institute’s international to address some of the most journal. This was one of the first conferences on lectures focused largely on these findings that programme. “Even though we have a very produc- synthetic biology to be held in India and you can “In Chile there is a real desire could shed light on how diet causes diabetes. In tive science community, it’s not always easy for pressing challenges that really see the impact of the event on the ground to do science yet also a sense Chile there is clearly a real desire to do science people to come here because of money and time,” humanity faces” – students in Chennai are not often in a position yet there is also a sense of isolation. Through explains Matus, whose work focuses on the biol- where they can travel to conferences and it makes of isolation… we were able to such initiatives, we are able to close that gap and ogy of neurodegeneration. “For us it was not only a huge impact, while at the same time scientists Himanshu Sinha close that gap” it was very gratifying to give these lectures.” about the lectures themselves, but establishing from across the world can learn about the science Rapamycin, the drug Hall used in yeast that led strong relationships. Thinking about the connec- standing connections between Victor de Lorenzo, that is happening in India.” to his discovery of TOR in the early 1990s, was tions, exchanges and discussions that stemmed a Group Leader at the Spanish National Centre Michael Hall originally found in Easter Island bacteria. Hall from Dr Hall’s visit brings a smile to my face – it for Biotechnology, and Himanshu Sinha and visited the Chilean island, also known as Rapa was a really great moment for us. EMBO provided Karthik Raman, both Associate Professors at the Nui, as well as giving talks in Puerto Varas and great support and as soon as it is possible to do so Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai. Santiago during a week-long programme of activi- again, I recommend anyone who has the oppor- “Chennai is somewhat off the beaten track, but the ties. The events were initiated by Soledad Matus, tunity to organise such a lecture series to do so.” campus at IIT and the city are amazing – when a group leader at the Fundación Ciencia & Vida, you arrive you see many talented young people

New fellowships for core facility staff EMBO Member Emmanuelle Charpentier

arlier this year, EMBO announced an exten- receives Nobel Prize sion of its fellowship programme to include Ea scheme for core facility staff. The new Training exchanges he Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences EMBO Core Facility Fellowships will support has awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Standards training exchanges between scientists and tech- Learning techniques TChemistry to Emmanuelle Charpentier, nicians working in core research facilities, with Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens the purpose of learning specific techniques and in Berlin, and to Jennifer Doudna, University of in synthetic acquiring expertise that they can then implement Acquiring expertise California, Berkeley, USA, for their groundbreaking at their home facility. work on the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. biology EMBO recognizes the essential role that core “There is enormous power in this genetic tool, facilities play in supporting scientists to perform advance their knowledge and skills, which these which affects us all. It has not only revolution- MBO is a partner in the Horizon the highest-quality research, and the value of fellowships will help to do.” ized basic science, but also resulted in innovative 2020 project “BioRoboost: Fostering having the most up-to-date expertise available at These are the first EMBO Fellowships tailored crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medi- Esynthetic biology standardization them. These new EMBO Fellowships, funded by to core facility staff. The fellowships may last cal treatments,” said Claes Gustafsson, chair of through international collaboration”. Along EMBC, will facilitate the advancement of technol- for between one week and one month, and are the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. with over 20 other organizations from ogies at these facilities and promote excellence in intended to be international in nature, so the Elected to the EMBO Membership in 2014, Europe and around the world, the group the life sciences. home and host facilities must be located in differ- Emmanuel Charpentier is now the 90th Nobel is working to define and promulgate the “Staff working at core facilities offer invaluable ent countries. Laureate among the EMBO Members and importance of standards in biological support to research scientists and are an integral Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, Associate Members. research, from a molecular part all the way part of the scientific research community,” says but it is recommended to apply three months through biosafety and industrial standards. EMBO Director Maria Leptin. “It is therefore before the proposed starting date. Several EMBO Members are involved in essential that we support the scientists and tech- www.embo.org/funding-awards/fellowships/ this project through their institutions. nicians working in these facilities to update and core-facility-fellowships Michele Garfinkel, Head of EMBO’s Research and Policy Affairs, along with Making waves in the life science her collaborators from Biofaction (Vienna) was responsible for work to initiate inter- The Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência is advancing life science by fostering interdisciplinary and collaborative research actions between science, industry and Exchanges with Japanese institutes risk assessment authorities in the general hen cell and developmental biologist The benefits of the area of standards in biosafety. This work eligible for EMBO Fellowships Caren Norden was offered to join the IGCs collaborative spirit was carried out primarily through a work- WInstituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) go beyond grant money. shop held in October 2019 and resulted in as deputy director in 2019, her decision was a Thanks to its multidis- a report identifying options for funders, throughout 2020 and 2021 no-brainer. “I came to IGC because I felt that I ciplinary environment, researchers, publishers, regulators, and could be part of something that can set an exam- research infrastructures, risk assessors to use for considering their ple for the rest of the world,” she says. and the support of the use of standards in their work. The IGC, located close to beautiful beaches Gulbenkian Foundation, BioRoboost continues through 2021 and with surfable waves just outside of Lisbon in the IGC has been able to EMBO remains involved in the work. Oeiras, is one of the most competitive research quickly redirect part of centres in Portugal. Founded by the Calouste its research activities to standardsinsynbio.eu/ Gulbenkian Foundation in 1961, the institute is address the coronavirus standardsinsynbio.eu/wp-content/ dedicated to fostering transformative discover- pandemic. In collabora- uploads/2020/09/Deliverable-6.1.pdf ies in the life sciences—exploring how organ- tion with hospitals and isms form, and how they interact amongst each Eight group leaders at the IGC are EMBO Members, including Caren industry, the institute other and with their environment. The vision is Norden (left) and Mónica Bettencourt-Dias (right). helped to produce and that this knowledge can have an impact on both implement coronavi- human health and ecosystem sustainability. levels, from very different fields, who meet each rus diagnostic tests, and it launched collaborative Together with Norden, at the helm of the other and start talking,” Bettencourt-Dias says. efforts to test the immunity to the virus in different IGC there’s biologist Mónica Bettencourt-Dias, The collaborative approach of IGC is paying off. groups of the Portuguese population. who became the institute’s director in 2018. As The institute has attracted talented early-career In parallel with conducting high-quality a research institution, Bettencourt-Dias says, scientists from Portugal and abroad. Six research- research, the IGC offers a number of training “we’re quite unique in Europe”. For one, the insti- ers who set up their independent laboratory at IGC opportunities, including a graduate programme ntil the end of 2021, two of EMBO’s unavailable in the applicant’s laboratory. EMBO tute is leading in promoting gender equality in received EMBO Installation Grants, which were for scientists from African countries of Portuguese Fellowship Programmes will consider Core Facility Fellowships, newly launched in science. Nearly half of the 32 research groups of funded by the Portuguese Ministry for Science, language. The institute has also developed a EMBO is listening Uapplications for scientific exchanges February, support international training exchang- IGC are led by women, and—unlike other research Technology and Higher Education. Because "with project to foster critical thinking and scien- involving institutes in Japan and institutes in an es between core research facilities that provide centres—it attracts many female applicants for very few strings attached,” as Norden says, they tific curiosity in schools, in Portugal and several s a life scientist, you are part of a EMBC Member State, EMBC Associate Member services to institutes and universities. group leader positions. What’s more, scientists at give researchers the freedom to pursue innovative Portuguese-speaking African countries. This year, growing community and we would State or a country or territory covered by a coop- Fellowship applications are accepted on a roll- IGC work in an environment with minimal hierar- ideas, and the prestige and networking opportu- with the support of Oeiras City Council, the IGC Alike to hear from you on all things eration agreement with the EMBC. ing basis. chical structure, which fosters bottom-up interac- nities that come with these grants are a stepping established a Collaborative Centre, which hosts about EMBO! If you are interested in a This update applies to EMBO Short-Term tions. The research teams, which include people stone to secure future funding. Eight group lead- sabbatical programmes, research workshops, and www.embo.org/funding-awards/fellowships/ conversation, please write to the Senior Fellowships and EMBO Core Facility Fellowships. short-term-fellowships.html from 44 nationalities, pursue scientific questions ers are EMBO Members, including Norden and collaborative retreats, and it provides training and Community Engagement Officer, Vid Nukala EMBO Short-Term Fellowships promote interna- in a wide range of fields—from biophysics to Bettencourt-Dias, who have also received support collaboration opportunities for African scientists. ([email protected]). tional research exchanges between laboratories www.embo.org/funding-awards/fellowships/ evolutionary biology to immunology and host- through the EMBO Young Investigator Programme “For us at IGC it is essential that science is acces- in order to facilitate valuable collaborations with core-facility-fellowships.html microbe interaction. “We see very often that earlier in their careers. sible to all,” Bettencourt-Dias says. research groups applying techniques that are ground-breaking ideas come from people of all

Mobilizing young researchers in New platform LifeTime: A vision for cell-based medicine Europe and Japan In its roadmap, LifeTime presents a ten-year doctors to diagnose diseases earlier and intercept to coordinate plan to advance personalized treatment for five them before irreparable organ or tissue damage focus areas: cancer, neurological diseases, infec- has occurred,” according to co-coordinator and tious and chronic inflammatory diseases and EMBO Member Nikolaus Rajewsky from the Max research on cardiovascular diseases. The aim is to improve Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin. healthcare by detecting and intercepting diseases The systems biologist is convinced that “LifeTime brain tumours at the earliest stage – even before symptoms arise. has a unique value proposition that promises to According to EMBO Member Geneviève Almouzni, improve patients’ health in Europe.” co-coordinator of LifeTime: “Interceptive, cell- Rajewsky, Almouzni, Gorski et al., Nature (2020), based medicine should strongly impact both our The LifeTime initiative and the future of cell- he pan-European project LifeTime was economy and our society. Lifting the burden of based interceptive medicine in Europe, DOI: selected last year by the European the disease will impact the societal perception 10.1038/s41586-020-2715-9 Commission for one million euros fund- of illness”. photo by Amparo Garrido photo by T ing to develop its vision and strategic plan. The An essential component of LifeTime is its Life Time Strategic Research Agenda: lifetime- resulting LifeTime Strategic Research Agenda was transdisciplinary scientific and clinical approach. initiative.eu/lifetime-strategic-research- now presented together with a perspective arti- The initiative has brought together scientists, agenda-2/

cle signed by hundreds of experts from all over clinicians and industry experts across many Torres-Padilla, M. E. et al. Thinking ‘ethical’ when Europe. Their vision: a personalized, “cell-based fields – biologists, data scientists, engineers, designing a new biomedical research consortium. interceptive medicine” that enables us to detect mathematicians, and physicists – to enable a EMBO J, DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105725 diseases earlier and treat them more precisely, much-improved understanding of molecular (2020) lite programmes for young researchers can Participants from ministries, funding agen- based on a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms driving disease onset and evolu- make the difference between success and cies, and research institutions discussed areas of processes in the human body. Among the authors tion at cellular resolution. “This level of detail Efailure in a scientific career. But what is common ground for cooperation. This included were many members of the EMBO community. will lead to a cell-based medicine and allow the secret to a successful programme? How can boosting success factors such as the development rain metastases, or secondary brain they be enhanced through international exchange? of multidisciplinary networks, community build- tumours, occur in 10 to 30 percent of And what role can they play in shaping the global ing, mentoring, and training, but also addressing Badults with cancer, and the number research system to better support young scientists? issues that can hold back young scientists, such as of cases is increasing. Yet the hunt for effec- EMBO joined forces with the EU Delegation to high workloads, uncertain career paths, and lack tive drugs has a poor track record, because Japan and the Molecular Biology Society in Japan of financial security. pharmaceutical companies often exclude Mapping the Atlantic Ocean microbiome to organize an expert meeting in Tokyo, Japan on Amongst participants there was a broad senti- patients with brain metastasis from clinical 6 February to reflect on these questions and more. ment of the benefits of more cooperation between trials. The chances to develop new thera- More than 30 experts from the worlds of poli- Europe and Japan, as well as the opportunities for pies are therefore low. “Spread of cancer cy and research in Europe and Japan convened elite programmes to drive positive changes from to the brain remains an unmet medical to discuss issues such as funding, training, and within a complex global research system. need,” concludes EMBO Young Investigator mobility opportunities for young researchers. Manuel Valiente from the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) in Madrid. In a concentrated effort involving 19 n ambitious project to zoom in on the laboratories across Europe, Valiente and hidden universe of microbes in the Atlantic his team generated the first comprehensive AOcean was launched on 1 September. Network for cell biologists database of organotropic cancer cell lines Atlantic Ecosystems Assessment, Forecasting, and metastatic to the brain. The publicly avail- Sustainability (AtlantECO) is an EU-funded initia- MBO Member Vivek Malhotra’s work is able database is open for researchers who tive that brings together 36 organisations from 13 focussed on understanding the mechanism need information about the existing cell countries. Researchers, including EMBO Members Eof cell compartmentation and protein secre- lines. “Our publication is a white paper of Peer Bork (EMBL) and Chris Bowler (CNRS), want tion. He has been studying these processes since how to use the models of brain metasta- to advance understanding of the populations, the late 1980s and is now ICREA professor and ses,” explains Valiente. environments and dynamics of marine microbes chair of cell biology at the Centre for Genomic Currently, 62 different cell lines are in the Atlantic and make predictions about future Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona. Just like his lab, listed in the database, accompanied by marine ecosystem services. many other labs in Catalonia concentrate on cell information such as type of cancer, mouse Ocean microbes such as viruses, bacteria, and tissue biology. Yet they are often located in strain and other practical data. “This is not archaea, and microalgae form the base of the ocean different institutes and universities. a finished effort since we want to incorpo- food web, produce around half of the oxygen on Earlier this year, Malhotra initiated a new rate more models in future,” explains the our planet through photosynthesis, sequester huge network that brings together Catalonian research scientist. He and his team expect other amounts of carbon dioxide, and provide ecosystem Atlantic – including open ocean, the seabed, coast- Karsenti at EMBL. Stopovers are planned in towns groups sharing his passion for membranes, for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and the CRG. investigators to contribute to the tool in services that underpin the lives and livelihoods of al regions and even the atmosphere. The team around the Atlantic Basin, with a range of capacity lipids, cell compartmentation, division and What they also have in common is their interdisci- order to create synergies and avoid dupli- people around the world. These floating, drifting, also want to build predictive models incorporat- building, outreach and citizen science initiatives growth. CATCAT – or Cell and Tissue research in plinary approach involving methods in molecular cations. “In times of COVID saving resourc- interacting communities – found everywhere from ing diverse aspects such as ocean circulation and planned. The project includes researchers from Catalonia – comprises 36 laboratories from insti- biology, physics, mathematics and engineering. es is an important thing,” states Valiente. boiling hydrothermal vents to polar ice – collec- upwellings that could enable them to understand fields as diverse as oceanography, molecular biol- tutes including the Institute for Bioengineering CATCAT promotes exchange amongst the member tively form the ocean’s microbiome. Yet despite how microbial communities react to stressors such ogy, genetics, and ecology. It is also hoped that apps.cnio.es/app/BrainMetastasis/CellLines of Catalonia (IBEC), the EMBL site in Barcelona, groups, attracts talented young researchers and composing at least two thirds of the biomass in as microplastics and other pollutants, and climate the project will close gaps in understanding of the the Department of Health and Life Sciences at the shares technologies and resources. cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/ the oceans, researchers know relatively little about change – and inform how to tackle them. north and south Atlantic Ocean. University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), the Molecular them. AtlantECO aims to change that. Collaborators will use purpose-built vessels to www.catcat-celltissuebiology.cat early/2020/09/09/0008 www.atlanteco.eu Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), the One goal is to develop tools that can help sample the ocean at multiple locations and depths, Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), the Institute researchers understand how microbes and ecosys- including the schooner Tara that enabled the tems are connected from pole to pole across the well-known Tara Oceans programme led by Eric

22 EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] ©2020 EMBO ©2020 EMBO EMBOencounters | Winter 2020/2021 | [email protected] 23 EMBO COMMUNITY EMBO COMMUNITY Inauguration of the Danish national cryo-EM facility Free, open, online course in chemical biology launched

n recent years, advances in hardware and Chemical biology sits on the intersect of software have paved the way for the current disciplines spanning chemistry, molecular biol- Igrowth of the application of cryogenic elec- ogy, bioinformatics, physics, and more. It enables tron microscopy (cryo-EM). Denmark was one scientists to zoom in on mechanisms within live of the first countries to recognize and exploit cells, by applying powerful chemical techniques the potential of this technique on a nation- and analyses – often making use of specially al level with first investments in 2011 into a designed synthetic molecules. high-performance cryo-EM for both materials The course includes tailor-made films, writ- research and structural biology, and later also ten materials, and lab videos. It is the result of a with co-support from the Lundbeck Foundation collaboration between experts at the University and the Carlsberg Foundation into further perfor- More recently 1.8 million euros financial of Geneva and the Swiss National Centre of mance enhancement. support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation were Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Recently, the Danish Agency for Research and also granted for the introduction of further infra- Centre of Biology. EMBO Members Anne-Claude Gavin, Innovation awarded 4.2 million euros to a propos- structure at EMBION for cryo-electron tomogra- Howard Riezman and Aurélien Roux, NCCR group al for the establishment of the Danish National phy, namely a cryogenic focused ion beam scan- leaders, are amongst those who contributed to Cryo-EM Facilities for Biological Nanomaterials ning electron microscope and a high-pressure Excellence content development. (EMBION) on the Danish research infrastructure freezing device for tissue and cell samples. Targeted at students, scientists, and educators, roadmap. The award allowed the purchase of The Novo Nordisk Foundation is also support- Severo Ochoa Filming of a MOOC module, featuring Marcus Long, Research Associate at the University of Geneva, the Mooc takes around 20 hours to complete, with another high-performance cryo-EM devoted to ing the cryo-EM facilities in Copenhagen led by and head of the project Mooc Chemical Biology creation organisers at the University of Geneva aiming to biological samples. EMBO Member Guillermo Montoya as well as a provide participants with skills to solve multidis- EMBION is a research collaboration led network grant (cryoNET) for the two facilities in ciplinary questions. “We want to help participants by EMBO Member Poul Nissen from Aarhus Aarhus and Copenhagen. The network encom- new course in chemical biology has been Moocs have grown in popularity in recent break down the barriers between disciplines and University, with participation from the University of passes the two cryo-EM facilities in Sweden at launched by the University of Geneva that years, covering a broad range of themes and topics. have confidence in applying knowledge to difficult Copenhagen as a co-host, as well as the University Stockholm University (led by EMBO Member Josep Casanova photo by A is free, online, and open for enrolment. Today, hundreds of universities deliver courses to areas,” said Marcus Long, a research associate at of Southern Denmark, the Statens Serum Institut, Gunnar von Heijne) and Umeå University (led by Developed by a team of more than 20 experts, millions of participants around the world, with a the university. “Good communication, especially and the Technical University of Denmark as part- EMBO Member Bernt-Eric Uhlin), both supported including several EMBO Members, the initiative is huge surge in enrolments reported since the onset between parties of different backgrounds, never ners. Aalborg University also supports EMBION. by the Wallenberg Foundation. the first ‘massiveopen online course’ (Mooc) in of the Covid-19 pandemic. But until now, there comes easily – it's to bridge this challenge that The facilities were inaugurated in October 2020. chemical biology and can be accessed through the was no Mooc available in chemical biology. we created this course,” added Robbie Loewith, embion.au.dk “The goal of EMBION is to provide the cryo-EM Coursera platform. professor of molecular biology. technology to the Danish research community www.coursera.org/learn/chemical-biology in general,” explains Poul Nissen, and adds that small companies and industry also can gain access. Vienna BioCenter PhD Programme Leszek Kaczmarek becomes new EMBC President

cooperation agreement he Centre for Research in Agricultural s of 1 January 2020, Leszek Kaczmarek is Genomics (CRAG, Barcelona, Spain) the new President of the EMBC (European jointly award degrees to successful candidates. Thas been accredited as a “Centre of AMolecular Biology Conference), the fund- Students in the programme undertake research Excellence Severo Ochoa” for the period ing body of EMBO. He takes over from Gerrit van projects supervised by faculty members – which 2020-2023 by the Spanish State Research Meer, whose term as EMBC President has ended. include 16 EMBO Members and 3 EMBO Young Agency. EMBO Member and CRAG vice- Leszek Kaczmarek is a professor at the Nencki Investigators –, participate in a diverse introduc- director Paloma Mas explains that this Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw/ tory course, and benefit from a flexible curricu- award which is named after the Spanish Poland. He studies the molecular and cellular lum that includes interdisciplinary lectures, prac- physician, biochemist and Nobel laureate foundations of the brain-mind connection under esearch institutions based at the Vienna tical courses, and initiatives such as journal clubs, represents both a milestone and a stepping- both physiological and pathological conditions. BioCenter, one of Europe’s leading life retreats, and career development events. stone for this research centre with a strong His lab’s discovery, 30 years ago, that learn- Rscience hubs, have signed a cooperation Research themes at the Vienna BioCenter focus in plant sciences. “It is the second ing produces a robust and transient activation agreement with the University of Vienna and the campus span biochemistry, molecular medicine, time that CRAG obtains this recognition. For of c-fos gene expression led him to his current Medical University of Vienna that enhances the neuroscience, plant biology, bioengineering, and us it is a milestone, that recognizes the work studies of extracellular proteolysis at the synapse hub’s PhD program. Launched in 1993, the Vienna evolutionary biology – amongst many more –, done during the previous 4-year period, in health and disease. Leszek Kaczmarek was BioCenter PhD Program serves students based at providing a stimulating environment for around and also a steppingstone to keep working elected EMBO Member in 2000 and served on the four institutes on the campus – the Gregor Mendel 200 PhD candidates. Around 60 to 70 new students towards the path to consolidate CRAG as a EMBO Council from 2010 to 2015. Institute of Plant Biology, the Institute of Molecular will be recruited each year. “With this programme, top-leading international centre in plant and The EMBC is the international and independ- Biology, the Research Institute of Molecular we want to equip young researchers with the best farm animal biology,” she says. ent funding body that was set up in 1969 to Pathology, and the Max Perutz Labs. Headed by possible resources and training so they can follow The new CRAG-Severo Ochoa project provide stable finances for EMBO to carry out EMBO Member Manuela Baccarini, a professor at their curiosity, immerse themselves in cutting- will focus on attracting talent, from doctor- its activities. Today, EMBC comprises 30 Member the Max Perutz Labs, is one of Europe’s prestig- edge research projects, and develop the skills to al students to group leaders and support States in Europe and beyond. ious training programmes in the life sciences. leap into an independent career,” says Eva Schmid, personnel. Currently, there are various www.embc.embo.org Commencing on 1 October 2020, the Head of the Vienna BioCenter training unit. open positions. programme overhaul unites key aspects of past www.training.vbc.ac.at/phd-program/ www.cragenomica.es programmes, while the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna will now

Awards of Excellence Good Read – Publications from the EMBO community (continued) OH EMBO MEMBERS The Use of Gapmers for In Vivo Cell synchronization enhances Prokaryotic viperins produce The structure of a triple OH Wolf Prize in Agriculture 2020 Canada Gardner 2020 Tang Prize in FWO Excellence Awards EMBO YOUNG INVESTIGATORS Suppression of Hepatic mRNA nuclear transformation diverse antiviral molecules complex of plant photosystem An HPF1/PARP1-based chemical biology Caroline Dean, John Innes International Awards Biopharmaceutical Science Wout Boerjan, VIB-UGent Center Targets and genome editing via Rotem Sorek and colleagues I with ferredoxin and Hermona Soreq and colleagues Cas9 enabling homologous Nature | 16 September 2020 plastocyanin strategy for exploring Centre, UK, has received the EMBO Members Mina J. Bissell, Marc Feldmann, Emeritus for Plant Systems Biology, is the Medal for Life Sciences O Methods Mol Biol. | 1 September 2020 recombination in DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2762-2 Nathan Nelson and colleagues O ADP-ribosylation 2020 Wolf Prize in Agriculture Rolf Kemler, Roel Nusse, and Professor at the University of laureate of the Dr. De Leeuw- P Yanlan Mao, University College DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0771-8_13 Nature Plants | 5 October 2020 O Chlamydomonas reinhardtii - O for her ground-breaking work EMBO Associate Members Elaine Oxford, and Charles Dinarello, Damry-Bourlart Excellence Cells of the adult human heart O Score: 10 Peptides London, is the winner of the 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00779-9 Next Level: Antibodies on flowering time control and Fuchs and Masatoshi Takeichi University of Colorado, US, have Award 2020 in Applied Sciences. Targeting TRIM37-driven Robeto Bassi and colleagues Sarah A. Teichmann and P Medal for Life Sciences from the O ACS Synthetic Biology | 11 September 2020 A - D O r epigenetic basis of vernaliza- are the winners of the 2020 been awarded the 2020 Tang Prize According to the jury, Boerjan’s centrosome dysfunction in colleagues Determination of isoform- P Royal Microscopical Society. The DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00390 Synthendo

Nature | 24 September 2020 S GAME PTM E tion – the process by which plants Canada Gairdner International in Biopharmaceutical Science. research is seminal in advanc- award recognises Mao’s contribu- 17q23-amplified breast cancer specific RNA structure with R DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2797-4 TM delay flowering until they have Awards. The prizes are given They were announced as joint ing the progress towards the Ross Chapman and colleagues Bioinspired Suprahelical nanopore long reads N tion to the understanding of how O Nature | 9 September 2020 NH experienced a period of prolonged annually by the Gairdner winners along with Tadamitsu use of plant biomass instead of Frameworks as Scaffolds for Yue Wan and colleagues - + cells and tissues are shaped and A Division of Labor between OH HPF1 N PHOSPHO DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2690-1 2 cold. The Wolf Prize is awarded Foundation for outstanding Kishimoto "for the development fossil resources, paving the way organised during the develop- Artificial Photosynthesis YAP and TAZ in Non-Small Cell Nature Biotechnology |26 October 2020 PARP1 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0712-z OH N annually to prominent scientists discoveries or contributions of cytokine-targeting biological for a sustainable bio-economy. Ehud Gazit and colleagues N mental process. According to the Lung Cancer and artists for their unique to medical science. Until now, therapies for treatment of inflam- The prizes are awarded by the jury, her innovative approaches ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces | 14 Moshe Oren and colleagues September 2020 Ivan Matic and colleagues contribution to humanity. 387 awards have been given to matory diseases". According to Research Foundation Flanders combine elegant microscopy Cancer Research | October 2020 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c13295 Cell | 12 November 2020 laureates from over 35 countries the jury, their research not only (FWO) every five years and are with probing of the biophysical DOI: 0.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-0125 2020 RNA Society Lifetime DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.055 and of those awardees, 92 have advanced the understanding of worth 100,000 euros. environment. Achievement Award gone on to receive Nobel Prizes. cytokines but also revolutionized Matthias Hentze, European Each winner receives a grant of the way inflammatory diseases are 2020 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Randall Jeffrey Platt was select- Molecular Biology Laboratory 100,000 Canadian dollars. treated. The three scientists share Sciences ed as one of the "35 Innovators Under 35" for 2020 by MIT (EMBL), is recognized by the a prize of 1.3 million US dollars Anthony Hyman, Max Planck THE RNA Society for his longstand- 2020 Brain Prize as well as a research grant of Institute of Molecular Cell Technology Review. The selection EMBO ing contributions in the fields of Adrian Bird, University of 330,000 US dollars. Biology and Genetics, Dresden, includes the most promising EMBO JOURNAL Molecular Medicine RNA biology and gene regulation. Edinburgh, UK, receives the 2020 received the 2020 Wiley Prize in young innovators around the According to the jury, discoveries Brain Prize from the Lundbeck Swiss Science Prize Marcel Biomedical Sciences for revealing world whose accomplishments by his team have contributed Foundation, Denmark’s largest Benoist a new principle for subcellular are poised to have a dramatic SARS-CoV-2 infection may Countering the Covid-19 Proteomic analysis identifies SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in meat not only to the fundamental private funder of neuroscience Ruedi Aebersold, ETH Zurich and compartmentalization based on impact on the world. The list is cause neurodegeneration infodemic new targets for treating processing plant suggests understanding of gene control at research. Bird receives this award the University of Zurich, receives formation of phase-separated split into five categories: inven- the level of RNA, but have also for his outstanding contribution the Swiss Science Prize Marcel biomolecular condensates, a tors, entrepreneurs, visionaries, The potential for SARS-CoV-2 The challenges posed for both the advanced breast cancers aerosol transmission in humanitarians, and pioneers. provided critical insights in the to research on Rett Syndrome, a Benoist, one of the highest Swiss process implicated in both physi- infection to cause subsequent scientific community and wider Proteomics research by Israeli confined workspace areas of developmental biology, rare neurological disorder that honours for scientists. Aebersold ological and pathological events. Corrigendum neurodegenerative effects in some society by the “infodemic” of fake brain function, cancer develop- primarily affects girls during their was honoured for the part he has He shares the award with Clifford scientists has illuminated An outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 ment and other diseases. In addi- early childhood. He shares the played in founding and advancing Brangwynne and Michael Rosen. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or people has been demonstrated in news and misinformation in the therapeutic targets for reducing virus at a German meat processing Medicine (to Peter Ratcliffe) is tion to his scientific contributions, prize with Huda Zughbi from the field of proteomics, a branch The award of 50,000 US dollars recent research on human brain wake of the COVID-19 pandemic relapse rates among women with plant during May and June 2020 awarded by the Nobel Assembly Matthias Hentze has been recog- the Texas Children’s Hospital in of biology that is considered the will be presented to the winners in organoids derived from pluripotent are discussed in two articles, by advanced stage breast cancer at the Karolinska Institutet, not has been confirmed to have nized for his leadership, training Houston, US. Both prize winners foundation of personalised medi- 2021 during a ceremony held at stem cells. This could provide a Robert Grimes and Emilia Niemiec. and mentoring of hundreds of are awarded 10 million Danish cine. The prize is worth 250,000 The Rockefeller University in New the Royal Swedish Academy of that cannot be treated directly originated from a single worker on scientific basis for clinical reports young scientists within his lab, at krones – approximately one Swiss francs. York City. Sciences as stated in the last The two papers at first sight by hormone therapy, surgery or the meat processing production issue of EMBOencounters. We of neurological symptoms in people EMBL, and throughout Europe. million euros. appear to diverge over how best to radiotherapy. Such patients often line by a study published in EMBO apologise for the mistake. who had earlier tested positive for tackle the problem, with Grimes undergo neoadjuvant treatment, Molecular Medicine. This article SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting indicating a role for stronger that is chemotherapy administered highlights the importance of that damage could be caused to regulation of social media. Niemiec before surgery to shrink the tumour maintaining high quality air flow elements of the central nervous on the other hand warns that and is often used to assess how to restrict transmission of the virus, system (CNS). supposedly independent regulation successfully malignant disease given the study’s conclusion that Good Read – Publications from the EMBO community The research by a predominantly brings obvious and real risks of in the breast and related axillary in such confined spaces where German team across several political, commercial, religious lymph nodes will be eradicated. The unfiltered air is recirculated at Specific Residues in a The microbiota programs Runx3 prevents spontaneous Single-cell analysis of clonal Spectrum of genes for university hospitals showed or other biases dictating or even extent of neoadjuvant treatment low rates of external air exchange, PurineTransporter Are Critical DNA methylation to control colitis by directing the maintenance of transcriptional inherited hearing loss in the response can indicate the level of for Dimerization, ER Exit, and intestinal homeostasis and differentiation of anti- and epigenetic states in cancer Israeli Jewish population, that the virus can enter cerebral censoring dissemination of transmission can occur over Function inflammation inflammatory mononuclear cells including the novel human organoids, which are tiny information and knowledge. resistance to cytotoxic drugs and distances of at least eight metres. George Diallinas and colleagues Yehudit Bergman, Eran Elinav phagocytes Amos Tanay and colleagues deafness gene ATOH1 laboratory-developed 3D structures subsequent survival rates. Genetics | 1 December 2019 and colleagues Yoram Groner and colleagues Nature Genetics | 29 June 2020 Karen B. Avraham and However, the papers agree that in The authors reached this DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0645-y around 2 mm diameter that DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302566 Nature Microbiology | 3 February 2020 PloS One | 26 May 2020 colleagues the long term a sustainable remedy Geiger and colleagues compared conclusion through a multifactorial DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0659-3 DOI: 0.1371/journal.pone.0233044 Clinical Genetics | 20 July 2020 replicate key aspects of the human Global shape of Toll activation mRNA structural dynamics can come from society itself. Grimes protein expression patterns between investigation that took into account DOI: 10.1111/cge.13817 brain. The work went on to show is determined by wntD Distinct structural modulation Building an international shape Argonaute-target contends that the only lasting tissue samples obtained from timing of infection events, spatial of photosystem I and lipid consortium for tracking interactions Association of COVID-19 that this could induce pathological enhancer properties vaccine against pernicious fictions tumours before and after treatment, relationship between workers, Ben-Zion Shilo and colleagues environment stabilizes its coronavirus health status Marvin E. Tanenbaum and inflammation with activation effects similar to early stages as well with normal tissue nearby. PNAS | 21 January 2020 tetrameric assembly Eran Segal and colleagues colleagues of the C5a–C5aR1 axis lies in developing stronger critical- climate and ventilation conditions, of diseases of the CNS such as This identified many proteins with DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918268117 Alexey Amunts and colleagues Nature Medicine | 2 June 2020 Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | Eric Vivier and colleagues thinking skills. Niemiec concurs sharing of housing and transport, Nature Plants | 9 March 2020 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-0929-x 13 July 2020 Nature | 29 July 2020 Alzheimer’s. potential roles in mediating drug and full-length SARS-CoV-2 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0461-1 that prudence or wisdom using the DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-0610-x DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2600-6 resistance. A promising candidate Molecular basis of β-arrestin These initial insights will be Internet, including critical appraisal genotypes. They demonstrated A unified nomenclature for coupling to formoterol-bound Dynamic changes in glioma Sumoylation on its 25th followed by further experiments of information, should be inculcated revealed through additional in vivo that a single employee transmitted vertebrate olfactory receptors β1-adrenoceptor macrophage populations after anniversary: mechanisms, functional analysis was PYCR1, a the virus to more than 60% of Arun K. Shukla, Christopher G. radiotherapy reveal CSF-1R pathology, and emerging combining mature brain organoids in people as early as possible. Doron Lancet and colleagues mitochondrial metabolic protein, co-workers within that eight-metre BMC Evolutionary Biology | 15 April 2020 Tate and colleagues inhibition as a strategy to concepts with other techniques including Health disinformation & social media here identified as a candidate cancer range. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01607-6 Nature | 17 June 2020 overcome resistance Umut Sahin and colleagues animal investigation in vivo to David Robert Grimes DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2419-1 Johanna A. Joyce and colleagues regulator irrespective of the cancer The FEBS Journal | 3 August 2020 unravel more critical details of Read the paper: https://www.embopress. Pyruvate kinase variant of Science Translational Medicine | 15 July 2020 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15319 Additional studies are required org/doi/10.15252/embr.202051819 subtype. fission yeast tunes carbon DNA surface exploration and DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaw7843 neuropathology associated with to confirm the most important operator bypassing during Towards a cancer mission metabolism, cell regulation, SARS-CoV-2. This could help COVID-19 and misinformation The results open a therapeutic target search 3D genome organization in Horizon Europe: workplace parameters that could Structural Basis of Teneurin- growth and stress resistance develop therapies to combat such Is censorship of social media a remedy to Jürg Bähler and colleagues Sebastian Deindl, Johan Elf and contributes to genome recommendations path for potential combination be altered to lower infection risk, Latrophilin Interaction pathologies at early stages while the spread of medical misinformation? in Repulsive Guidance of Molecular Systems Biology | 22 April 2020 colleagues instability at fragile sites Anton Berns, Julio E. Celis, of chemotherapy with PYCR1 but optimization of airflow and Nature | 24 June 2020 Batsheva Kerem and colleagues Emilia Niemiec Migrating Neurons DOI: 10.15252/msb.20199270 Alberto Bardelli, René Bernards, they are still reversible. inhibitors to treat some solid DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2413-7 Nature Communications | 17 July 2020 Read the paper: https://www.embopress. ventilation conditions are clearly Carlos Caldas, Caroline Dive, cancers in the breast and even other Translocation of nutrient DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17448-2 Douglas Hanahan, Klas Kärre SARS-CoV-2 targets neurons of 3D human org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.202051420 indicated. Rüdiger Klein, Elena Seiradake Interrogation of the transporters to cell membrane and colleagues brain organoids areas of the body where this protein and colleagues Comparing the utility of in SARS-CoV-2 outbreak investigation in a via Golgi bypass in Aspergillus Microenvironmental Molecular Oncology| 4 August 2020 Anand Ramani et al. Cell | 23 January 2020 vivo transposon mutagenesis is upregulated. nidulans Landscape in Brain Tumors DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12763 Read the paper: www.embopress.org/doi/ German meat processing plant DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.12.014 George Diallinas and colleagues Reveals Disease-Specific approaches in yeast species to full/10.15252/embj.2020106230 Proteomic patterns associated with Thomas Günther et al. EMBO Reports | 26 May 2020 Alterations of Immune Cells infer gene essentiality response to breast cancer neoadjuvant Read the paper: www.embopress.org/doi/ DOI: 10.15252/embr.201949929 Johanna A. Joyce and colleagues Judith Berman and colleagues treatment full/10.15252/emmm.202013296 Cell | 25 June 2020 Current Genetics | 17 July 2020 Anjana Shenoy et al. DOI: 10.1007/s00294-020-01096-6 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.05.007 Read the paper: www.embopress.org/doi/ full/10.15252/msb.20209443

Practical Courses Workshops NL-Leiden | 6–9 June 2021 | S. de Pater Symposia Plant genome stability and change DE-Heidelberg | 11–15 January 2021 | IN-Bangalore | 1–4 March 2021 | R. 2021 Virtual | 2–3 March 2021 | A. E. Furlong Padinjat Diz-Muñoz, Z. Gitai, K.C. Huang, E. Drosophila genetics and genomics Inositol lipids: Signaling platforms for GR-Kyllini | 6–10 June 2021 | S. Paluch organizing cellular architecture and Taraviras Life at the periphery: Mechanobiology UK-Bristol | 17–22 January 2021 | P. physiology Neural stem cells: From basic of the cell surface Verkade understanding to translational Correlative light electron microscopy FR-Les Houches | 14–19 March 2021 | applications Virtual | 9–12 March 2021 | A. Aguilera, P.H. Puech P. Beli, K. Cimprich, G. Stoecklin FR-Lyon | 22–26 February 2021 | R. ImmunoBiophysics: From DE-Dresden | 7–11 June 2021 | S. Grill Friend or foe: Transcription and RNA Salek fundamental physics to Physics of living systems: From meet DNA replication and repair Metabolomics bioinformatics in understanding immune response molecules to tissues human health Virtual | 17–19 March 2021 | J. Crocker, ES-Barcelona | 15–17 March 2021 | C. NO-Bergen | 9–12 June 2021 | T. S. De Renzis, D. Iber, D. Tang, V. Trivedi IT-Procida | 19–26 March 2021 | V. Muñoz-Pinedo Arnesen Synthetic morphogenesis: From gene Colonna Cancer immunometabolism Protein termini: From mechanisms to circuits to tissue architecture Population genomics: Background, biological impact tools, and programming ES-Sant Feliu de Guixols | 24–27 March DE-Heidelberg | 5–8 May 2021 | 2021 | P. Verstreken DE-Heidelberg | 13–16 June 2021 | J. D. Arendt, C. Baker, M.A. Tosches, G. DE-Heidelberg | 12–19 April 2021 | J.E. Autophagy in brain health and Crocker Wagner González-Pastor disease Predicting evolution The identity and evolution of cell Microbial metagenomics: A 360º types approach ES-Barcelona | 7–11 April 2021 | C. ES-Barcelona | 14–16 June 2021 | M. Becker Graupera DE-Heidelberg| 7–9 June 2021 | E. FR-Grenoble | 3–7 May 2021 | F. Gabel The molecular and cellular basis of Vascular malformations: From Abouheif, A. Aulehla, A. Meyer, S. Sultan Small angle neutron and x-ray regeneration and tissue repair fundamental biology to therapeutic Plasticity across scales: From scattering from biomacromolecules opportunities molecules to phenotypes in solution CL-Santa Cruz | 11–15 April 2021 | C. Leterrier IL-Rehovot | 20–22 June 2021 | M. DE-Heidelberg | 6–9 July 2021 | P. DE-Heidelberg | 4–7 May 2021 | B. Emerging concepts of the neuronal Fainzilber Cossart, K.C. Huang, M. Laub, N. 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Pauline Marchetti Malaria molecular epidemiology, Reguera Ravichandran population genetics, and evolution: Web Design High throughput protein production Phagocytosis of dying cells: Molecules, Principles to practices and crystallization mechanisms, and therapeutic Igor Jukic implications EMBO | FEBS LECTURE COURSES Data provision UK-London | 11–24 July 2021 | C. GR-Heraklion | 28–31 May 2021 | G.A. Joy Akinyi Kiecker GR-Spetses | 20–28 May 2021 | S. Garinis Developmental neurobiology: From Rose-John Contact stem cells to circuits Developmental circuits in aging Molecular mechanisms of interorgan [email protected] CH-Ascona | 30 May–3 June 2021 | N. crosstalk in health and disease Mercader © 2020 Cardiomyocyte biology