EMBO Conference Takes to the Sea Life Sciences in Portugal

Home , Brigitta Stockinger, Edith Heard, Fiona Powrie, Inder Verma, Julian Parkhill, Margaret Buckingham

SUMMER 2013

ISSUE 24 encounters

page 3 page 7 Life sciences in Portugal The limits of privacy

page 8 EMBO Conference takes to the sea

EDITORIAL Maria Leptin, Director of EMBO, INTERVIEW EMBO Associate Member Tom SPOTLIGHT Read about how the EMBO discusses the San Francisco Declaration Cech shares his views on science in Europe and Courses & Workshops Programme funds on Research Assessment and some of the describes some recent productive collisions. meetings for life scientists in Europe. concerns about Journal Impact Factors. PAGE 2 PAGE 5 PAGE 9

www.embo.org COMMENTARY

Inside scientific publishing

panels have to evaluate more than a hundred The San Francisco Declaration on applicants to establish a short list for in-depth assessment, they cannot be expected to form their views by reading the original publications Research Assessment of all of the applicants. I believe that the quality of the journal in More than 7000 scientists and 250 science organizations have by now put which research is published can, in principle, their names to a joint statement called the San Francisco Declaration on be used for assessment because it reflects how the expert community who is most competent Research Assessment (DORA; am.ascb.org/dora). The declaration calls to judge it views the science. There has always on the world’s scientific community to avoid misusing the Journal Impact been a prestige factor associated with the publi- Factor in evaluating research for funding, hiring, promotion, or institutional cation of papers in certain journals even before the impact factor existed. This prestige is in many effectiveness. Here EMBO Director Maria Leptin discusses some of the cases deserved. Publication in the best journals concerns and also provides her personal perspective about the use of matters not because of the association with the Journal Impact Factors and the significance of the recommendations. impact factor, but because of the high standards of the journals, their staff and the value that comes from the peer review process. It is general- n May 16, scientists, editors, publish- The problem does not lie primarily with the ly accepted that a consistent publication record in ers, societies and funders from many impact factor itself. Metrics are not inherently quality journals – however quality may be judged Odisciplines took action. By publicly sign- bad but they become counterproductive when or measured – does reflect excellence in research. ing the San Francisco Declaration on Research used incorrectly. The impact factor was devel- When the impact factor is misused everyone Assessment, they officially declared that the oped to compare journals and to assist librarians suffers: the scientist who has to try to publish Journal Impact Factor is being misused. EMBO in making decisions on subscriptions. There is in high impact journals that may not even exist actively participated in drafting the declara- nothing wrong with this, but it does not make in his or her field, the journal that is prestigious tion and was one of the early signatories on sense to use the impact factor to compare the but has an impact factor that is insufficient to the document. I also supported the DORA posi- quality of research or researchers. If one wanted attract articles from scientists who are increas- tion statement as a scientist. Inappropriate use to rely on metrics at all to judge individual scien- ingly under pressure to collect credit points in the of the impact factor has infiltrated the scientific tists, metrics that assess the performance of indi- form of high impact factors, and the institutions community to become an unwanted and perni- vidual researchers and differentiate between the and university departments which may find it cious mark of quality for science and scientists. It work of researchers in different areas of research difficult to achieve or retain diversity and breadth is pernicious in the sense that the simplistic use would be more appropriate, such as the h-index of scientific scope. We, the scientists, both as of metrics can give a skewed view of a research- or article-level, rather than journal-level, metrics, authors and as evaluators, should stop being er’s achievements. The problem is not restricted including citations; but these too need to be used obsessed with the impact factor, but we should to individuals. Misuse of impact factors can also critically, fairly and have limits. not throw out the baby with the bath water and influence decisions on the fates of university Another problem with using the impact factor assume that the quality of journals is irrelevant. departments and institutes as well as national to compare research is that it is a single metric References decisions on the future of scientific programmes. for the whole range of the life sciences. Important 1. Pulverer B, EMBO J 32, 1651–2 (2013). www.nature.com/ Many scientists are worried about the way in distinctions between research fields have to be emboj/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/emboj2013126a.html which the impact factor is used in the assessment taken into consideration. Scientific communi- 2. Alberts B, Science 340, 787 (2013). of research and this is one of the first occasions ties differ in size and focus. Accordingly, papers www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6134/787.full that there has been a broad call to action. from smaller fields of research are likely to be 3. Misteli T, J Cell Biol 201, 651– 652 (2013). DORA has 18 recommendations that are rele- cited less frequently. As a consequence, a jour- http://jcb.rupress.org/content/201/5/651.full 4. Schekman R, Patterson M, eLife (2013) vant to researchers, funding agencies, institutions, nal that is highly regarded in one community and doi: 10.7554/eLife.00855 publishers and organizations that supply metrics. in which it may be very difficult to publish, may http://elife.elifesciences.org/content/2/e00855 The shared message for all audiences is that have a lower impact factor than a mediocre jour-

journal-based metrics, such as impact factors, nal in another, larger discipline. For 55 should not be used as a surrogate measure of the generalist journals that represent 50 quality of individual research articles, to assess multiple communities, the equa- an individual scientist’s contributions, or in tions become increasingly difficult 45 Distribution of citations hiring, promotion, or funding decisions. Several to solve: they have both to attract 40 per paper in a journal over a two-year period. excellent editorials and commentaries have high citing papers from ‘hot’ areas 35 been published already and I encourage readers but also remain fair and publish 30 Average to consult these articles that focus on different excellent research from low-citing citation aspects of the declaration [1-4]. fields, at the risk of accumulating a 25 rate Average Citations 20 20 citation DORA encourages publishers of scientific ‘long tail’ of low- citing papers that rate Average journals, which include EMBO, to reduce the decrease the impact factor below a 15 15 citation emphasis on the impact factor as a promotional critical threshold (Figure 1). rate 10 10 tool either by ceasing to use it or by providing It would not be sensible to take 5 a balanced presentation of multiple metrics that the extreme position that journals provide a more differentiated view of journal do not matter. Ideally, a scientist 0 1

11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 Rank performance. But we as scientists must also be should be evaluated on the content 101 111 121 131 141 151 161 171 181 191 201 211 221 231 241 251 261 271 281 291 301 311 aware that our own behaviors as authors, refer- of his or her publications, not on Fig. 1 | Papers are ranked by number of citations. The shaded boxes ees and members of evaluation panels and search the names or impact factors of the show the average number of citations for the papers in each box, committees have contributed to the role the journals in which they publish. But which would correspond to the impact factor of the journal if only impact factor plays now. when search committees or grant those papers had been published.

Strong private sector. Life sciences in Portugal: One outstanding feature of the Portuguese scientific infrastructure is the strong presence of progress despite recession privately financed research centres. The latest example, the Champalimaud Research Centre Science in Portugal benefits from generous private donations but needs for the Unknown in Lisbon, has the potential to become a world-class research institute. The to provide long-term stability for individual researchers. The budget has centre was inaugurated in October 2010, and is remained stable, yet has to be distributed to a growing pool of researchers. gradually increasing its capacity to 500 researchers working with 100 physicians who see around n 1998, when Bruno Silva-Santos left his Although Portuguese government has remained 300 patients daily. It focuses on clinical research home country to study for a PhD in the United committed to science, decreasing national reve- into cancer and basic research into neurosciences. IKingdom, he doubted he would ever come nue has also resulted in less spending on science The philanthropist behind the project, wealthy back. Portuguese science was not competitive infrastructure. Portuguese businessman António Champalimaud, internationally and did not hold much promise On the positive side, there is still an active allocated a quarter of his wealth to medical to young aspiring scientists. A few years later scientific community with many foreign research as part of his legacy. things looked entirely different. The Portuguese students, postdoctoral researchers and investi- Another influential private research centre government increased the science budget, new gators. “Researchers in Portugal have enlarged is the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência of the institutes were founded, and new grant schemes their network of collaborations, making it more Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (named after its introduced. In just one decade, spending on international,” Miguel Seabra, President of the Armenian-born founder and philanthropist). In research and development in Portugal more Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the last fifty years, the Institute has paved the than doubled reaching 1.5 percent of the Gross one of the main grant-awarding agencies in way for many Portuguese scientists through its Domestic Product in 2010. The way was open Portugal, says. The number of publications with PhD programmes, fellowships and diverse educa- for the young PhD scientist to come back to his international co-authorship tripled between 2000 tional initiatives. and 2010. And Portugal has more young PhD The weak point of the country’s research infra- holders than the average in the European Union. structure is an immature system that does not EMBO has contributed to the life sciences in secure long-term stability for individual research- Portugal in many ways. Ten Portuguese researchers. Outside academia, Portugal has one of the ers have received EMBO Installation Grants since lowest levels of employment of PhD holders in 2006 – a package of benefits including financial Europe. Also, the intense public sector bureau- support for group leaders who set up a labora- cracy makes it difficult to put flexible funding tory in their home country after working abroad. schemes in place. “Providing solid, sustainable Several EMBO workshops and practical courses careers for the large pool of highly qualified grad- were held in Oeiras and Lisbon in the past two uate and postdoctoral researchers is key in the years, and at least two courses and workshops years to come,” Miguel Seabra says. are planned for Portugal in 2014. “Portugal Bruno Silva-Santos remains optimistic about Bruno continues to be an attractive location for high- science in his home country. Judged by the multi- Silva-Santos quality scientific meetings. Approximately 150 national character of his team, which consists ©IMM Portuguese researchers, several of whom were of 14 young scientists from Sweden, France, home country and set up his first laboratory in supported with EMBO travel grants, participated Germany and other countries, Portugal still the Lisbon-based Instituto de Medicina Molecular in our courses and workshops in recent years,” remains a destination of choice for predoctoral (IMM), one of the country’s top research insti- Anne-Marie Glynn, Head of EMBO Courses & and postdoctoral researchers. tutes that will celebrate its tenth anniversary in Workshops, says. 2013 (see also EMBOencounters issue 21). Silva- Santos applied for several national grants and was successful. An EMBO Installation Grant and Young Investigator Award received in 2007 and The building of the Champalimaud Research Centre was designed by the US architect 2011, respectively, cemented his position as an Charles Correa outstanding group leader in Europe. In addition, in 2010 he received a prestigious Starting Grant from the European Research Council. Silva- Santos is one of 26 Portuguese investigators to have received an ERC grant to date. The situation today has changed. Like many other European countries, Portugal was severely hit by the recession. Although the budget for science has remained stable, the same funds have to be distributed to twice as many researchers. In the boom years between 2005 and 2010, the number of full-time scientists in Portugal more than doubled to reach 46,000 people. “The present funding situation is critical,” the 39-year-old scientist says. “A lot of good people came back to Portugal and established internationally competitive laboratories, but most of their projects – even if rated outstanding by the

evaluation boards – are not financed anymore.” © Champalimaud Foundation

Congratulations EMBO Members to the following EMBO Members elected in 2013

EMBO Members who joined the 52 life scientists elected to EMBO membership ranks of the Royal Society in the Fifty-two outstanding researchers in the life sciences were elected to EMBO membership last May. Forty- UK and the US National Academy three of the researchers reside in Europe and neighboring countries and are accompanied by the election of of Sciences this year: nine Associate Members from Canada, China, India, Japan and the United States. The most recent scientists to join the EMBO membership come from 15 different countries and include 16 female scientists. New Royal Society Fellows and Foreign Members EMBO Members

➔➔ Judith Patricia Armitage Asifa Akhtar Piet Gros Lars Steinmetz DE Max Planck Institute of Immuno- NL Utrecht University DE European Molecular Biology ➔➔ Michael Webster Bevan biology and Epigenetics, Freiburg Ramanujan Hegde Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg ➔➔ William Charles Earnshaw Luis Aragón UK MRC Laboratory of Françoise Stutz ➔➔ Edith Heard UK MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Molecular Biology, Cambridge CH University of Geneva London ➔➔ Paul M. Sharp Anne Houdusse Anu Suomalainen- FR UMR 144, CNRS, Institut Curie, Wartiovaara ➔➔ Brigitta Stockinger Herwig Baier DE Max Planck Institute of Paris FI Biomedicum, University of Helsinki ➔➔ Jean-Paul Vincent Neurobiology, Munich Andrew Jackson Shahragim Tajbakhsh ➔➔ Andrew Wilkie Buzz Baum UK MRC Human Genetics Unit, FR Institut Pasteur, Paris ➔➔ Margaret Buckingham UK MRC Laboratory for Molecular Edinburgh Nicholas Talbot Foreign Member Cell Biology, London Roland Lill UK University of Exeter ➔➔ Randy Schekman Anne Bertolotti DE Institute of Cytobiology, Kostas Tokatlidis University of Marburg Foreign Member UK MRC Laboratory of Molecular UK Institute of Molecular, New Foreign Associates of the Biology, Cambridge Kaspar Locher Cell and Systems Biology, CH Swiss Federal Institute of Glasgow and National Academy of Sciences Michael Boutros Technology (ETH), Zurich GR IMBB-FORTH, Heraklion DE German Cancer Research ➔➔ Kari Alitalo Center (DKFZ) and University Nicholas Luscombe John van der Oost ➔➔ Christopher M. Dobson of Heidelberg UK Cancer Research UK London NL Wageningen University Research Institute and ➔➔ Michel Georges Frank Bradke Wolfgang Zachariae University College London DE Max Planck Institute of ➔➔ Michael S. Neuberger DE German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Paloma Más Biochemistry, Martinsried ➔➔ Robin A. Weiss (DZNE), Bonn ES Centre for Research in AgriculturalGenomics (CRAG), EMBO Associate Members Elena Cattaneo Barcelona Bonnie L. Bassler IT University of Milan Matthias Merkenschlager US Princeton University and Upcoming Christoph Dehio UK MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Howard Hughes Medical Institute deadlines CH Biozentrum, University of Basel London Eugene V. Koonin Luciano Di Croce Daniel Metzger US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Bethesda ES Centre for Genomic Regulation FR Institute of Genetics and Molecular EMBO Courses & Workshops (CRG) and Catalan Institution for and Cellular Biology, Illkirch Jiayang Li 1 August Research and Advanced Studies CN Institute of Genetics and Late abstract submission for Gioacchino Natoli (ICREA), Barcelona Developmental Biology, The EMBO Meeting 2013 IT IEO – European Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Marileen Dogterom Oncology, Milan 8 August 2013 Chinese Academy of NL FOM Institute AMOLF, EMBO Long-Term Fellowships Ketan Patel Agricultural Sciences, Beijing Amsterdam Mid-August UK MRC Laboratory of Satyajit (Jitu) Mayor EMBO Keynote Lectures Gérard Eberl Molecular Biology and IN National Centre for 1 September FR Institut Pasteur, Paris University of Cambridge Biological Sciences, Bangalore ESF | EMBO Symposia Fiona Powrie Anne Eichmann Ruslan M. Medzhitov 1 October UK Nuffield Department of Clinical FR Center for Interdisciplinary US Yale School of Medicine, Deadline for nominations 2014 Medicine, University of Oxford Research in Biology, New Haven and Women in Science Award Collège de France, Paris and Rosario Rizzuto Howard Hughes Medical 15 October 2012 US Yale School of Medicine, IT University of Padova Institute New Haven Iris Salecker Andre Nussenzweig Isabel Fariñas UK MRC National Institute for US Center for Cancer Research, ES University of Valencia Next issue Medical Research (NIMR), London National Cancer Institute, Bethesda EMBOencounters Deborah Fass Peter Scheiffele Yoshinori Ohsumi IL Weizmann Institute of Science, CH Biozentrum, University of Basel JP Frontier Research Center, The next EMBOencounters issue – Rehovot Petra Schwille Tokyo Institute of Technology, Autumn 2013 – will be dispatched Yokohama Eileen Furlong DE Max Planck Institute of in October 2013. DE European Molecular Biology Biochemistry, Martinsried Yigong Shi Please send your suggestions, Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg Peter Šebo CN School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing contributions and news, to Roger Goody CZ Institute of Microbiology of the [email protected] DE Max Planck Institute of Academy of Sciences of the Nahum Sonenberg by 16 September 2013. Molecular Physiology, Dortmund Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague CA McGill University, Montreal

Tom Cech is Director of the University of Colorado BioFrontiers Institute in the United States. In 1989, he and Sidney Altman were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA molecules. Cech was President of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 2000 – 2009. Here he discusses science in Europe and activities closer to home in the United States.

You became an EMBO Associate Member in What strategy are you adopting 1992. What does an Associate Member do? at the University of Colorado Our role is to provide advice on the activi- BioFrontiers Institute? ties of the organization, encourage cooperation, Our approach in Boulder is to and promote the value of the life sciences across hire faculty who are already trained borders. Because EMBO Associate Members in two fields, for example computer reside outside of Europe, our interactions with science and biology, or physics and European scientists encounter some barriers biology; they become the nodes in of distance, culture and language; but these a collaborative network. Next, we barriers are now much lower with electronic train students in the same interdisci- communication. plinary way. Finally, we have strong interactions with industry – biotech What have been your most recent contacts and pharma – at multiple levels, with science in Europe? including exposing our students to ©Genn of Colorado Asakawa, University I like to visit in person as much as I can. In speakers who can explain what it’s Tom Cech May I gave talks about RNA chemistry and biol- like to work in industry. ogy at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague, the Central European Recent years have seen considerable focus on I very much enjoyed my time in the Washington, Institute of Technology in Brno, and the RNA and funding of transdisciplinary research. Do D.C. area, working with a great staff at HHMI Meeting in Pozna, Poland. I also recently gave you see any big successes from this approach and organizing scientific programs nationally and a keynote lecture on “The Future of RiboScience” to the life sciences? internationally. But I missed teaching and the at the annual RNA Society Meeting in Davos, There have been two huge successes. Bridging daily interactions with my research group, so I’m Switzerland. The main focus was about the computer science with biology has allowed scien- equally excited to be back “in the trenches.” importance of interdisciplinary approaches in tists to do experiments genome-wide or even RNA research and in training students. proteome-wide instead of looking at one gene What is the current focus of research in your Productive collisions are important. I recently or RNA or protein at a time. It’s also enabled lab? had a visit from Doug Hanahan, Head of the Swiss metagenomics and new revelations about the About half the group works on telomerase, Institute for Experimental Cancer Research at the microbiome. Bridging physics with biology has looking in detail at how telomerase operates at EPFL in Lausanne. Doug reminded me of how been equally transformative for biologic imag- the molecular level and the impact of the enzyme the Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics embeds ing, for example super-resolution microscopy and on cancer. The other half works on proteins bioinformaticians in multiple labs throughout single-molecule biochemistry. that bind long non-coding RNAs and regulate Switzerland. Similar things are happening here transcription. at BioFrontiers and around the United States, but Your Institute is now two years old. What are they are not as organized as at the SIB. It’s so the challenges you are facing? How “European” is your lab? powerful when computational scientists under- There are no barriers to research collaborations In addition to international graduate students stand the biology rather than just the coding. between, say, an engineer and a biologist, but as and postdoctoral researchers, we have two under- Also, my BioFrontiers colleague Amy Palmer, soon as you try to do something programmatic graduate exchange students from Regensburg who is a chemist and biologist, is on sabbati- you find that the disciplines are quite entrenched. University in Germany working on telomerase cal with EMBO Member Pascale Cossart at the For example, American universities are all organ- and long non-coding RNA research. We also Institut Pasteur in Paris. They are examining ized around departments – Department of Physics, have a visiting scholar from the Central European how the Listeria pathogen establishes infection Department of Chemistry, Department of Biology, Institute of Technology in Brno, Czech Republic, by manipulating host-cell biology. Department of Bioengineering – and they have who arrived only recently and already has some their own rules and their own culture that inhibit interesting results after his first month in the lab. EMBO will celebrate its 50-year anniversary trans-departmental programs. So we’re negotiat- Non-scientists are often surprised by the inter- in 2014. If there were one thing that could be ing with the individual departments all the time. national nature of our science, but of course it’s done to improve the life sciences in Europe I’m interested in knowing whether European quite common and incredibly healthy. what would be your recommendation? universities have solved this problem. I think it is important to provide more opportunities for younger scientists to be independent For 10 years you were President of the group leaders. Obviously this works well at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute? What has For more information on the BioFrontiers European Molecular Biology Laboratory, but the it been like personally to make the transition Institute visit biofrontiers.colorado.edu or opportunities throughout Europe are more mixed. back to almost full-time research? follow the institute on Twitter @biofrontiers.

Françoise Robert B. Barré-Sinoussi Laughlin © Steger Volker

Nobel Prize Winners are used to solving tricky questions. The task that 56 of them were confronted with at the 2012 Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany, was also not trivial. Each laureate was asked to draw an ad-hoc sketch of their scientific discovery by using only wax crayons.

nce completed, a portrait was taken of the The ad-hoc artists had very little time to polish The Laureates photographed for the project Laureate holding his or her drawing. The their pictures or protect their reputations. “No come from all three disciplines of physics, chem- Olarge-scale photographs are now part of a aides or colleagues were on hand to help, no istry, and medicine or physiology. The majority travelling exhibition that was first shown in the slides, no PowerPoint,” wrote project participant of them have been awarded their prizes in recent Nobel Museum in Stockholm in June 2012 and and EMBO Member Tim Hunt in the foreword of decades, although some Nobelists from the 1960s will finish in Singapore next year with four stops the exhibition book. and 1970s are also featured. At the exhibition, en route. Several EMBO Members contributed to the the photo portraits and a selection of the original The idea came from the science photographer show. Elizabeth Blackburn’s vision of how chro- drawings are complemented by interviews, video Volker Steger. He invited selected Nobelists to his mosomes are protected by telomeres and telom- footage, and digital presentations related to the studio without warning them about the purpose erase is colorful, expressive and detailed. It even scientists and their discoveries. of the visit. Each session began with Steger laying displays sound effects and emotions. Tim Hunt Traffic lights, footballs, and a frying pan. Some a blank sheet of paper and a box of crayons in came up with a simple yet precise sketch of the of the analogies are rather exotic, others obvious. front of each Nobelists asking them to illustrate cell cycle, for which he shared the Nobel Prize Yet all participants in the project seem to have their great finding. “All of the Laureates I have in 2001. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi who shared the one thing in common: enthusiasm for science. photographed were very surprised by my unusu- 2008 Nobel Prize for the discovery of HIV, drew al request, because I had not told them about it a colourful AIDS virus. And the Israeli chemist beforehand. The idea was to capture something Aaron Ciechanover is pictured while pouring The catalogue of the exhibition is available at: spontaneous. The sketches actually proved to himself a glass of water to illustrate the ever- http://issuu.com/lnlm/docs/ be as multifaceted as the Laureates who created changing nature of the cyclical process of protein sketches_of_science_artbook?e=6675873/2636375 them.” Volker Steger explains. degradation.

Bartha Knoppers is a professor of law from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and an internationally recognized expert on the ethical aspects of genetics and biotechnology. She is one of the speakers at the upcoming Science & Society Conference on Public and Private Health: Genomics, Medicine and Society which will be held in Heidelberg from 7–8 November and her talk will focus on Large data collections: protecting research participants while allowing useful research. In an interview with EMBOencounters, she talks about the privacy of health information in the digital age.

In which research areas are large genomic Large research projects using databases particularly helpful? whole-genome sequencing Rare diseases are one example. The rare (WGS) are happening at the diseases community is very active when it same time as the emergence comes to sharing data, pictures and samples. In of the electronic medical their view, data sharing should not be unduly record. Should the patient hampered with legislation and overly stringent be concerned about genetic ethics committees. If only 300 people around the privacy? world have a certain disease, it becomes impera- The medical record and tive for them to be able to share data and samples. research record have rarely been connected to date. But with ©McGill University With sequencing becoming increasingly WGS, the barriers between the popular and its costs falling are people more two domains are beginning to converge. Again, health research and the development of eventual concerned about the risks of sharing data? the driving force is technology. By using whole- therapies. While genetic data is sensitive information, I genome sequencing to find out more about a am very much in the school of thought that we specific disease you also get information on What topics and lectures at the upcoming should get used to the idea of sharing under so-called incidental findings that may be clini- conferences are you particularly looking proper governance as a starting point, albeit with cally important but may also be in your medical forward to? privacy protections where desired. Today, the record. I am looking forward to hearing more about reverse is true. Your privacy comes first and then The recommendations on the return of inci- the international aspects. Science is becoming you have to struggle around it. I think the privacy dental findings to patients by the American increasingly collaborative, so what does this aspect is exaggerated. The more we learn about College of Medical Genetics have caused a lot of mean for the country-by-country approaches to the role of genetics the more we understand that controversy recently. They require that all labo- privacy? This topic seems to be stirring up a lot this is just a factor among other factors such ratories conducting DNA sequencing to identify of public interest nowadays – in many different as the environment and lifestyle that influence disease-associated genes also test for mutations ways. health and disease. in 57 genes. Laboratories have to return the 57 results as a condition of the test – whether the What are the most important privacy issues patient likes it or not. This proposal has caused in the digital age in your opinion? an absolute uproar as many think that it is taking One of the driving forces in the privacy debate away the patient’s right not to know as well as is “big data”. It makes it possible for commercial the clinical judgment of the physician who would Public and entities or indeed anyone, through various sourc- typically receive such results and put them in the es of totally unconnected data, to come up with medical record. Private a composite picture of an individual who was presumed to be unidentifiable. There are definite What is your opinion on the proposed Health privacy issues here. European directive on privacy? The other phenomenon is that of individu- The proposed regulation in Europe says that Genomics, Medicine and Society als who voluntarily make their DNA and other you need a “specific, explicit and informed November 2013 health information available online. They are consent” for every use of data and samples. Yet, 7–8 EMBL ATC, Heidelberg, Germany not concerned that others can see their genome in certain types of scientific research obtaining or who their ancestors or their family members such consent is not feasible. As a result, many are. There is an emerging culture of saying ‘I do European researchers fear that this regulation not want to be private and have different walls could hinder or prevent medical discoveries in imposed on me.’ This reflects a change in privacy future. The rare diseases community is very upset events.embo.org /science-society-conference attitudes that is promoted and sustained by social about this proposed amendment. They want their media. samples and data to be used to the maximum for

biochemical era, and up to the present day of autophagy research. Beth Levine from the University of Texas in Dallas, United States, talked about how a receptor tyrosine kinase, commonly mutated in human cancer, directly regulates the core autophagy machinery, which may contribute to tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapy. Felix Randow from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge focused on the role of autophagy in host-pathogen interactions. Although cells deploy autophagy as a protection to infection, cytosol-dwelling bacteria have learned to avoid elimination via this mechanism. Certain viruses even misappropriate autophagy for their own means to ensure efficient propagation. Ivan Dikic from Goethe University of Medicine in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Frankfurt Institute for Molecular Life Sciences presented The famous 2-km-long and 100-meter-wide Troll Fjord was one results of a phage display screen for modulators of the highlights on the boat trip from Bergen to Tromso. of autophagy, which identified novel inhibitors as

© Han-Ming Shen well as sensors of autophagy. “All our speakers are leaders in the field of EMBO conference takes to the sea autophagy. They gave great talks and shared a lot of unpublished data,” concluded Anne Simonsen. “Also, the ship was a great venue. As there was no Almost 180 participants embarked on MS Trollfjord last May to learn the WiFi in the cabins, people would mostly stay in latest on molecular mechanisms of autophagy. The focus was on the the common areas and socialize.” regulation of autophagosome biogenesis and the role of selective types of autophagy in health and disease.

he organisers of the EMBO conference four-day sea trip was packed with lectures, pres- Autophagy: Molecular mechanism, physi- entations and discussions while the cruiser float- Tology and pathology that took place in ed along the beautiful Norwegian fjords and trav- Norway in early May, selected a rather unusual elled up to the Arctic Circle. venue for participants.The meeting took place The focus of the conference was the molecular on a cruise ship. Around 180 scientists attended mechanisms underlying the regulation, execution the event organized by Anne Simonsen from the and the role of selective types of autophagy in University of Oslo and EMBO Member Sharon health and disease. Tooze from Cancer Research UK. The confer- Per O. Seglen from the Institute for Cancer ence brought together experts from different Research in Oslo started the meeting with what disciplines and provided ample opportunity for he called an “autophagobiography.” He presented

discussions and interdisciplinary exchange. a comprehensive history of the field starting from ©Han-Ming Shen MS Trollfjord left Bergen on the 5 May and its early days when morphological observations The conference cruiser MS Trollfjord is equipped stopped at 22 ports en route to Tromsø. The were the main mode of examination, through the with an auditorium for 200 guests

EMBO Young Investigators meet in Heidelberg

More than fifty group leaders Institute of Molecular Pathology, Austria), and discuss the Young Investigator Programme and gathered in Heidelberg for the transcriptome analysis in single cells (Rickard define the feedback that would be shared with annual EMBO Young Investigator Sandberg, Karolinska Institute, Sweden). Fyodor the representatives of their local governments. Kondrashov from El Centro de Regulación “This meeting was full of high-calibre science get-together in early May. Each Genómica (CRG, Spain) invited his fellow Young with a great variety of topics. It encouraged me to scientist gave a short talk about Investigators to join him in teaching science to think outside my comfort zone and I have started his or her latest research findings highly talented high school students in his home- a collaboration with Petr Svoboda,” concluded town of Pushchino near Moscow. Bruno Reversade from A*Star. Reversade is at the three-day event. The scientific talks were interspersed with the first member of the programme who is not feedback sessions on the activities of the located in Europe but from Singapore, an EMBO opics included recreating the autocata- programme, a discussion of the publication poli- co-operation partner country. The meeting was lytic reactions that resemble the steps cies of EMBO and a presentation about the EMBL followed by the sectoral meeting on evolutionary Tof glycolysis found in the early world core facilities. biology. ocean (Markus Ralser, University of Cambridge, At the meeting, EMBO Installation Grantees United Kingdom), the exploration of the magne- met the chair of the Installation Grant board, To watch video interviews from the meeting visit tosome in pigeons (David Keays, Research Claudio Sunkel from the University of Porto, to http://tinyurl.com/ptr8t82

Spotlight on EMBO Courses & Workshops Funding life science meetings in Europe

The EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme has been an integral part of European life sciences for almost half a century. Together with the Fellowships Programme, it was one of the inaugural activities pioneered by the first EMBO director Raymond Appleyard in 1965. Today, with more than 80 events attended by 9,000 participants every year, EMBO offers the largest life science event-funding programme in Europe.

he core part of the programme is the funding of conference series, workshops, Tsymposia, lecture and practical courses, most of which are held in the 27 EMBC member states in Europe and Israel. Some of the meetings have a long-standing tradition: The conference series on “The molecular and developmental biology of Drosophila” has been supported by EMBO for over thirty years and remains an attrac- ©2013 EMBL PhotoLab | H. Neves tive forum for scientists involved in Drosophila The EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme team (from left to right): research. While the conference series focus on Aditya Kusuma Jati, Bronagh Carey, Sharon Witzke and Anne-Marie Glynn. exploring key aspects of life sciences, the practical courses are designed for scientists to learn new methods and emerging techniques. The “The EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme is renowned for funding workshops provide researchers from different first-rate meetings and providing scientists at all career stages with fields with an opportunity to discuss common themes. “Our programme is renowned for fund- networking and training opportunities.” ing first-rate meetings and providing scientists at all career stages with networking and training opportunities,” says programme manager Anne- a website, an event poster and assistance with orientation of the historically rooted programme, Marie Glynn. the registration system. Bronagh Carey and which in the meantime also hosts the EMBO Anne-Marie works with three staff who Aditya Kusuma Jati are responsible for the online Global Activities, the EMBO | EMBL Symposia, administer all the applications and assist organ- services. Both design more than eighty websites EMBO Laboratory Management Courses and izers and participants. Team member Sharon and posters per year. Aditya also lends his other projects. Witzke explains the selection process: “Event social media expertise to the meeting hosts. His Over the last three years, the organization has organizers apply through our application system, colleague Bronagh appreciates the creative side significantly extended its spectrum of operation, we then send them to the committee for evalua- of drafting meeting posters. “It is rewarding to also geographically. Recent agreements with the tion.” The committee, which consists of eleven see our posters on other institutes’ pin-boards,” governments of South Africa and Singapore, and EMBO Members, meets twice a year to make the she says. Bronagh, who is the latest addition with the National Science Council of Taiwan stim- final selection. 50 percent of submitted applica- to the team, had administered the predoctoral ulate international exchange and foster collaborations receive EMBO support. Important selection programme at the University College Dublin tive projects. Taking care of a meeting located in criteria are – next to high scientific quality – a before joining EMBO. “What struck me the most Cape Town or Singapore is not a rarity any more. varied list of speakers that includes younger as when I first came here was the multinational Yet asked about the most exotic setting of an well as established scientists, gender balance and character of the organization,” she says. EMBO-supported scientific event the team unani- the international character of the proposed event. In fact, the team is the most cosmopolitan mously mentions the conference series held on a Yet financial support is just one part of the at EMBO, with four people representing three boat cruising along the Norwegian coast (see also package. Successful applicants are also offered continents. It matches the increasingly global article on page 8).

Practical Courses Workshops Conferences (continued) ESF | EMBO Symposia Structure, dynamics and function of Green viruses, from gene to Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins: B cells: From bedside to bench and biomacromolecules by solution NMR landscape From structure to function back again CH-Basel, 20 –27 July 2013 FR-Hyères-les-Palmiers, 7–11 IT-Riva del Garda, 1–5 October 2013 PL-Pułtusk, 2–7 September September 2013 Two-photon imaging of brain circuit Nuclear structure and dynamics Integrated insect immunology: function Drosophila cell division cycle FR-L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, From basic biology to environmental CH-Zurich, 1 –7 September 2013 UK-Totnes (Exeter), 12–16 September 2–6 October 2013 applications 2013 PL-Pułtusk, 23–28 September Image processing for cryo-electron The DNA damage response in cell microscopy AAA+ proteins: From mechanisms and physiology and disease UK-London, 3 –13 September 2013 disease to targets GR-Cape Sounio, 7–11 October 2013 ESF | EMBO SYMPOSIA DE-Neuss, 15–19 September 2013 Imaging of neural development in Comparative genomics of eukaryotic Organizers Apply now zebrafish Molecular mechanisms of muscle microorganisms: Complexity patterns DE-Karlsruhe, 8 –15 September 2013 growth and wasting in health and in eukaryotic genomes for 2015 funding disease ES-Sant Feliu de Guixols, DEADLINE 1 October 2013 Current methods in cell biology CH-Ascona, 15–20 September 2013 19–24 October 2013 DE-Heidelberg, 26 September– 4 October 2013 RNA 3’ ends: Mechanism and Visualizing biological data biological function in eukaryotic (VIZBI 2014) EMBO | FEBS Computational biology: genomes DE-Heidelberg, 4–7 March 2014 Lecture Courses From genomes to cells and systems UK-Oxford, 25–29 September 2013 TR-Nevşehir, 29 September–4 October Molecular biology of muscle Host – microbe interactions 2013 Mitochondria, apoptosis and cancer development and regeneration GR-Spetses, 30 August–7 September 2013 (MAC 2013) IT-Acaya-Lecce, 14–18 May 2014 Modern biophysical methods for SE-Stockholm, 10–12 October 2013 Protein interactions, assemblies and protein–ligand interactions Lymphocyte signalling human disease FI-Oulu, 21 –25 October 2013 Semaphorin function and mechanism IT-Bertinoro, 17–21 May 2014 GR-Spetses, 16–26 September of action Analysis of high-throughput FR-Cernay-la-Ville, 29–31 October Cellular signalling and cancer therapy sequencing data 2013 HR-Cavtat, 23–27 May 2014 EMBO | EMBL Symposia UK-Hinxton, 21 –26 October 2013 Microtubules: Cell–cell fusion Seeing is believing: Bioinformatics and statistics for Structure, regulation and functions IL-Kibbutz Ein Gedi, 3–7 November Imaging the processes of life large-scale data DE-Heidelberg, 28–31 May 2014 2013 DE-Heidelberg, 3–6 October CN-Shenzhen, 17 –23 November 2013 Enzyme mechanisms by biological Complex systems in immunology The non-coding genome Metabolomics bioinformatics for life systems SG-Singapore, 2–4 December 2013 DE-Heidelberg, 9–12 October scientists UK-Manchester, 1–4 June 2014 UK-Cambridge, 10 –14 March 2014 Protein and lipid function in secretion New approaches and concepts in Gene transcription in yeast: From and endocytosis microbiology Computational molecular evolution regulatory networks to mechanisms AT-Goldegg am See, 14–19 January DE-Heidelberg, 14–16 October GR-Heraklion, 5 –14 May 2014 2014 ES-Sant Feliu de Guixols, 14–19 June 2014 Tumour microenvironment and Bioinformatics and genomes analyses Signalling to and from signalling GR-Athens, 5 –17 May 2014 The molecular and developmental endomembranes DE-Heidelberg, 7–10 May 2014 biology of Drosophila 3D developmental imaging DE-Allensbach-Hegne, 15–19 March GR-Kolymbari, 22–28 June 2014 Molecular machines: PT-Oeiras, 4 –12 July 2014 2014 Lessons from integrating structure, Microbiology after the genomics Mechanisms of neuronal remodelling biophysics and chemistry Ubiquitin and related modifiers revolution (Genomes 2014) IL-Ein Bokek, 22–26 March 2014 DE-Heidelberg, 18–21 May 2014 IT-Alghero, 6 –13 September 2014 FR-Paris, 24–27 June 2014 Stalked Alphaproteobacteria and Epithelial biology Chemical biology relatives: From genes to structure DE-Heidelberg, 27–30 August 2014 COURSES | WORKSHOPS | DE-Ebsdorfergrund, 30 March–3 April DE-Heidelberg, 20–23 August 2014 The complex life of mRNA SYMPOSIA 2014 The molecular and cellular basis of DE-Heidelberg, 5–8 October 2014 Organizers Apply now Histone variants regeneration and tissue repair FR-Illkirch, 2–4 June 2014 ES-Sant Feliu de Guixols, Frontiers in metabolism: for 2014 funding 6–10 September 2014 From molecular physiology to Intercellular communication in plant systems medicine DEADLINE 1 August 2013 Centrosomes and spindle pole bodies development and disease DE-Heidelberg, 17–20 November 2014 FR-Bischoffsheim, 24–29 August 2014 PT-Lisbon, 30 September–3 October 2014 For further information, please visit Experimental approaches to EMBO Global Activities EMBO Courses & Workshops Conferences evolution and ecology using yeast Lecture Courses www.embo.org/funding-awards/ DE-Heidelberg, 12–15 October 2014 courses-workshops Helicases and nucleic acid Structural and biophysical methods translocases: Ubiquitin & ubiquitin-like proteins: for biological macromolecules in Structure, mechanism, function At the crossroads from chromatin to solution For an up-to-date list of UK-Cambridge, 4–8 August 2013 protein BR-São Paulo, 19–26 January 2014 AR-Buenos Aires, 19–24 October 2014 EMBO events please go to Nuclear receptors: Linking molecules, Biology of bacterial non-coding RNAs genomes & physiology AR-Bernal, 24 February–1 March 2014 events.embo.org IT-Sorrento, 6–10 September 2013 Other EMBO events Biochemistry and molecular biology Protein synthesis and translational bench to bedside approaches control Lab Management Courses BR-Cuiabá /Poconé, DE-Heidelberg, 8–12 September 2013 DE-Leimen, Various dates 27 October–7 November 2014 Aquatic microbial ecology (SAME13) The EMBO Meeting 2013 IT-Stresa, 8–13 September 2013 NL-Amsterdam, 21–24 September Meiosis KEYNOTE lectures EMBO Members Meeting DE-Radebeul, 14–19 September 2013 EMBO funds keynote lectures given by DE-Heidelberg, 23–25 October EMBO Members at major interna- Membrane dynamics in endocytosis: 14th EMBO | EMBL tional scientific meetings in 2014 and Systems dynamics in the endocytic Science and Society Conference 2015 pathway Public and private health: CH-Villars-sur-Ollon, Genomics, medicine and society 29 September–4 October 2013 DEADLINES DE-Heidelberg, 7–8 November 1 September 2013 Continued in next column… 1 December 2013

THE EMBO EMBO JOURNAL Molecular Medicine

Research article Article article Research article

Hereditary neurodegen- New citation indicators Corruption influences Sequencing tracks animal- eration linked to ADP-ribose needed to measure research migration of skilled workers to-human transmission of modification performance bacterial pathogens Countries that have higher levels of Attaching chains of the small How do you compare the impact of corruption struggle to attract and Researchers have used whole molecule ADP-ribose to proteins is a researcher in chemistry or physics retain skilled workers. Qualified genome sequencing to reveal if important for a cell’s survival and with a molecular biologist who may workers are in demand in many drug-resistant bacteria are transmit- the repair of DNA damage, making be working on similar projects? countries around the world. They ted from animals to humans in two this process a promising target for Two experts support the use of are internationally mobile and disease outbreaks that occurred on the development of new cancer citation indicators that are based on have the flexibility to take on new different farms in Denmark. The drugs. Researchers have identified percentiles, a statistical parameter challenges. However, if the exodus results confirm animal-to-human a much sought after enzyme that that allows for comparisons with a of skilled workers exceeds the transmission of methicillin-resistant removes ADP-ribose modifications carefully defined group of refer- immigration rate of highly qualified Staphylococcus6 Mexico aureusKorea (MRSA),India a Italy France Germany US Canada from proteins by studying a genetic ence data, to solve the challenge. individuals it may have a negative disease-causing5 bacterium that mutation that causes neurodegen- Journal impact factors and h-index impact on the economic perfor- carries the recently described mecC 4 CORRUPTION INDEX erative disease in humans. The alone do not make the grade. mance of a country. gene. The mecC gene is responsible researchers’ findings suggest that VOURITIS for3 resistance to the penicillin-like 1990 VOURITISM VOURITISM not only addition but also removal VOURITISM antibiotic2 methicillin. of ADP-ribose from proteins is 1 essential for normal cell function. ICRG Corruption Index, 0 VOURITISM CORRUPT VOURITISM CORRUPTIO VOURITISM CORRUPTIO VOURITISM CORRUPTIO Mexico Korea India Italy France Germany US Canada

VOURITISM CORRUPTIO 3.0

2.5

VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEP 2.0

1.5 HIGH-SKILLED NET MIGRATION FLOW VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM

VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA 1.0 “We used whole genome sequenc- 0.5

ingper inhabitant to see if we could determine

EMBO Young Investigator Ivan “A positive ‘balance of brains’ is if0.0 the two disease outbreaks were VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA

Ahel, a group leader at the Paterson a crucial factor for the success High-skilled net migration caused by the same bacterium FA VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA Institute for Cancer Research at the of anyVOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA country,” remarked Mara and–0.5 to investigate if the pathogens FA FA FA University of Manchester, has been Pasquamaria Squicciarini, from were–1.0 transmitted from animal to studying the underlying molecular the LICOS Centre for Institutions humans or the other way around,” VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA OTISM OTISM OTISM

processes, including an enzyme and Economic PerformanceNEPOTISM at the Mark Holmes, from the University P P P ISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA FA RUPTION NEPOTISM FA VOURITISM CORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA ORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA ORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA ORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA that shortens such chains piece “We argue that new citation impact UniversityORRUPTION NEPOTISM FA of Leuven and one of of Cambridge remarked. “At first by piece. “Our approach has been indicators are needed and that the authors of the paper. “Our glance, it seems reasonable to to combine clinical, biochemical these indicators should allow the study confirms that the level of expect the same pathogen to be the and structural studies to see if we comparison of the observed impact corruption in different countries source of the two outbreaks at the could pin point this enzyme activ- for a given publication set with a directly impacts the availability of two geographically close locations. ity in humans,” Ahel commented. reference set of similar publica- skilled workers and is an impor- By looking at the single differ- The researchers note that further tions,” Lutz Bornmann, a sociolo- tant decision factor for emigration ences in nucleotides or SNPs in the work is needed to investigate the gist of science at the Division for and immigration by highly skilled DNA sequences of each isolate, it exact cellular processes where the Science and Innovation Studies at professionals.” became obvious that two different enzyme exerts its functions, and to the Max Planck Society in Munich, “Investment in education in corrupt strains of bacteria were responsible understand why mutation of the Germany, remarked. “This is a countries benefits other countries if for the two disease outbreaks. In gene for this enzyme causes neuro- better way to make meaningful people emigrate to more attractive one case, the results also clearly degenerative disease. assessments of scientific work.” He employment markets,” commented showed that the most likely direc- Deficiency of terminal ADP-ribose protein added: “Indicators must also take Andrea Ariu from the Catholic tion of transmission was from glycohydrolase TARG1/C6orf130 in neuro- into account that the distribution University of Louvain la Neuve. animal to human.” degenerative disease of citations across papers is often “Government policy must focus not Reza Sharifi, Rosa Morra, C. Denise Whole genome sequencing identifies Appel, Michael Tallis, Barry Chioza, skewed. The use of percentiles only on building an educated work- zoonotic transmission of MRSA isolates Gytis Jankevicius, Michael A. Simpson, described in our paper provides a force but also on fighting corrup- with the novel mecA homologue mecC Ewan M. Harrison, Gavin K. Paterson, Ivan Matic, Ege Ozkan, Barbara Golia, solution.” tion to create a fair labour market Matthew J. Schellenberg, Ria Weston, Matthew T.G. Holden, Jesper Larsen, Jason G. Williams, Marianna N. Rossi, How good is research really? for all concerned.” Marc Stegger, Anders Rhod Larsen, Hamid Galehdari, Juno Krahn, Alexander Measuring the citation impact of publica- Andreas Petersen, Robert L. Skov, Judit The balance of brains: Corruption and Marta Christensen, Anne Bak Zeuthen, Wan, Richard C. Trembath, Andrew H. tions with percentiles increases correct migration Crosby, Dragana Ahel, Ron Hay, Andreas assessments and fair comparisons Ole Heltberg, Simon R. Harris, Ruth N. Andrea Ariu, Mara Pasquamaria Zadoks, Julian Parkhill, Sharon J. Peacock, G. Ladurner, Gyula Timinszky, R. Scott Lutz Bornmann, Werner Marx Squicciarini Williams, Ivan Ahel Mark A. Holmes EMBO reports EMBO reports The EMBO Journal EMBO Molecular Medicine Read the paper: Read the paper: doi: 10.1038/embor.2013.9 Read the paper: Read the paper: doi: 10.1038/embor.2013.59 doi: 10.1002/emmm.201202413 doi: 10.1038/emboj.2013.51

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies has received a $42 million gift to establish the Helmsley Center for Genomic Medicine (HCGM). The new centre will focus on understanding how genetic factors contribute to

he $42 million gift, from the Leona M. and the molecular and genetic mechanisms that go will allow scientists to manipulate genes to make Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, is the awry in chronic disease. stem cells useful for studying disease and regen- Tlargest one-time gift in the history of the EMBO Associate Members Inder Verma, Fred erative medicine. The centre will also investigate Institute and will be used to support research Gage and Ronald Evans will have roles in the how disease alters the epigenome. In time this to find new therapies for chronic diseases like centre which will be home to scientists who approach may explain why patients with similar cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. are leaders in a range of biomedical research genetic profiles respond differently to treatment. “This remarkable gift reflects the strong partner- fields, for example stem cell biology, endocri- ship between Salk and the Helmsley Charitable nology, cancer biology, metabolism, neurobiol- More information on The Salk Institute for Trust and their commitment that the Institute ogy, developmental biology, inflammation, and Biological Studies is available at www.salk.edu stay at the forefront of biomedical research,” said gene therapy. They will combine their efforts to William R. Brody, Salk president. understand how cellular pathways contribute to The Helmsley Center for Genomic Medicine chronic diseases. (HCGM) will allow Salk researchers to use Researchers will also explore how genomic genomic data and new technologies to decipher networks control stem cell development. This

of principles for researchers engaged in projects talk took place in one of the sessions at the meet- 3rd World that work across borders. ing that looked at the relationships between The conference also addressed general issues journals and institutions. In particular, it was Conference in research integrity including trust, misconduct, discussed under what circumstances it is appro- the use of codes and standards, and ways to use priate for journals to resolve issues before publi- emerging technologies. Many of these issues are cation and at what stage journals should defer to on Research of great interest to the EMBO community and institutional investigations. EMBO was well represented at the meeting. Other talks focused on the use of audits to Integrity Michele Garfinkel, Manager of the EMBO oversee research laboratories and experimental Science Policy Programme, and Bernd Pulverer, data, how to ensure the independent replication About 350 international participants, Head of Scientific Publications at EMBO, reflected of results, and ways to detect plagiarism. on the growing involvement of EMBO in discus- EMBO is developing new policies aimed at including speakers from EMBO, sions about responsible conduct of research in encouraging grantees to follow basic principles gathered in Montreal on 5 – 8 May to their invited talks. Garfinkel described EMBO’s set out, for example, by the Singapore Statement discuss the state of research practice approach to research integrity as an organiza- on Research Integrity. The Singapore Statement tion with diverse characteristics: a publicly on Research Integrity originated from the 2nd and to propose and share solutions funded intergovernmental organization with an World Congress on Research Integrity meeting. to promote research integrity. elected membership that functions as a funder EMBO has also been involved in the development and a publisher, and which also carries out its of an on-line course on research integrity that s research collaborations become more own policy research. Ensuring transparency and will be made available soon to EMBO’s commu- international, it will be crucial for scien- equal opportunities as well as avoiding conflicts nities. EMBO Members, Young Investigators, and Atists to know the full scope of rules and of interest in the selection processes for awarding Fellows will be sent more details shortly. guidance that they may be subject to, both in their funding have always been key elements of the home countries and the countries of collabora- organization. tors. Furthermore, different scientific disciplines Bernd Pulverer talked about solutions adopted have different ways to implement rules and guid- by the EMBO journals to prevent and detect prob- ance. Participants at the 3rd World Conference lems in submitted papers, which can range from on Research Integrity discussed the implications mistakes to research misconduct. He discussed Link to the Singapore Statement: of these tensions, and particularly how to think the transparent review process of EMBO, which www.singaporestatement.org/statement.html about getting to common rules for countries with includes policies aimed at assuring fair peer Link to draft Montreal Statement: vastly different scientific cultures, a problem not review as well as policies to publish source data, http://wcri2013.org/Montreal_Statement_e.shtml only in Europe but worldwide. One outcome of the original data that underlie published graphs Link to EMBO transparent review process: the meeting will be the Montreal Statement, a list or figures in scientific papers. Pulverer’s second www.nature.com/emboj/about/process.html

The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine was founded in 2007 to advance molecular medicine in Northern Europe. The partnership, which was first started by an agreement between the University of Oslo, Umeå University, University of Helsinki and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, has now been renewed for a further 10 years and recently welcomed its latest partner, the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE) at Aarhus University.

Left to right at the launch ceremony of DANDRITE in Aarhus, 5 March, 2013: Poul Nissen DANDRITE Thomas Wilhelmsson Rector | University of Helsinki Lena Gustafsson Vice-chancellor | Umeå University Iain Mattaj Director General, EMBL Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen Rector | Aarhus University Ole Petter Ottersen Rector | University of Oslo Olli Kallioniemi FIMM Bernt Eric Uhlin MIMS Kjetil Taskén NCMM Communikation, Aarhus University ©Lars Kruse, AU

he Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular many contributions of EMBL and this support group leaders are integrated into pre-existing Medicine comprises around 350 scientists, have helped to give the network the momentum departments and infrastructures, provided with Tincluding 40 junior and senior group lead- needed to promote molecular medicine research resources to establish their own laboratories, and ers. Some of the goals of the partnership are to and to support young, talented scientists at the have direct access to mentors for guidance and address the latest challenges in biomedicine, to early stages of their careers.” advice. They are supported for up to a maximum help clinical researchers and industry to estab- Like all collaborations, meetings and network- of nine years to encourage mobility within the lish new collaborations, and improve access to ing are essential for the success of the partner- wider scientific community. The renewal and scientific infrastructure, services and training ship. Joint conferences have already taken place expansion of the partnership will create new opportunities. in Umeå, Helsinki, and Oslo. The interactions of opportunities to promote and strengthen molecu- “We have been working closely with our students and group leaders and participation in lar medicine throughout the Nordic region. colleagues in the Nordic region, including courses and workshops given by research schools Kjetil Taskén in Norway, and EMBO Members are also helping to initiate research collaborations. Olli Kallioniemi and Poul Nissen in Finland A conference held at the Centre for Genomic and Denmark, respectively,” Professor Bernt Regulation, CRG, in Barcelona last fall helped the Eric Uhlin, EMBO member and director of the Nordic partners reach out to other EMBL partners. Swedish node of the partnership, said. “Our Several young scientists have already started efforts have helped to secure funding from local research groups after joint international recruit- and national research councils, private founda- ment efforts that involved the four institutes and tions and the universities that we belong to. The centres of the partnership (see box). The new

The Centre for Molecular The Laboratory for Molecular Institute for Molecular The Danish Research Institute Medicine Norway (NCMM) Infection Medicine Sweden Medicine Finland (FIMM) of Translational Neuroscience (MIMS) (DANDRITE) Translation of basic medical research Solutions for human health through into clinical practice Microbiology and infection biology, the application of personalized medi- Advanced brain imaging, structural high-throughput screening facilities cine, state-of the-art technologies and and functional studies of membrane www.ncmm.uio.no for chemical biology approaches biobanks proteins, computer-assisted drug discovery www.mims.umu.se www.fimm.fi www.dandrite.au.dk

©2013 EMBO EMBOencounters | Summer 2013 | [email protected] 13 AWARDS – A GOOD READ – APPOINTMENTS Events Awards of excellence embo members & Fellows EMBO Members The outstation of the European EMBO Fellow Iñaki Ruiz- EMBO Member Angela Nieto Else Kröner Fresenius Award Award for Leadership in Clinical Molecular Biology Laboratory Trillo co-organizes the ICREA is one of the organizers of the The Yale professor for Microbiology. This award (EMBL) in Hamburg orga- Conference on the Evolution VI International Epithelial- is given in honour of Alice C. nizes the 11th International of Multicellularity held Mesenchymal Transition Immunobiology and HHMI Investigator Ruslan Medzhitov Evans, the first woman elected Conference on Biological in Barcelona, Spain from Meeting to be held at Hotel as president of the American Synchrotron Radiation from 30 September to 1 October. The Meliá, Alicante, Spain on 13 – 16 has received the 4 million euros Else Kröner Fresenius Award Society of Microbiology in 1928. It 8 – 11 September. The conference talks will be organized around November. Applications are open recognizes contributions towards aims to bring together scientists six mini-symposia encompassing for the Betty Hay Award for a from German Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka in early the advancement of women in involved in the methodical devel- the major topics and approaches young female group leader, travel microbiology. EMD Millipore, the opments on synchrotron and laser related to the evolution of fellowships and poster prizes. June. Starting with this year’s award, the Else Kröner-Fresenius- sponsor of the award, is the life sources with a broad community multicellularity. For additional More at: www.emtmeeting.org science division of the German of biologists with an ambition to information visit Foundation announces to launch a four-yearly medical research pharmaceutical company Merck make the best use of the most www.multicellularity2013.com KGaA. advanced infrastructures in struc- prize series. tural biology. To register, please go The Brain Prize 2013 Academy of Athens to www.bsr2013.org Gero Miesenböck from the George Kollias has been elected University of Oxford, UK, is member of the Academy of Athens co-recipient of The Brain Prize in recognition of his outstanding 2013. The one million euro research on disease pathways A good read – Publications from the EMBO Community Brain Prize is awarded by the in animal models of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, embo members, Young Investigators & Fellows Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Foundation in including pioneering studies that A ternary AppA–PpsR–DNA Synergy between XMAP215 Absolute quantification of tran- Copenhagen in recognition of provided the rationale for the complex mediates light regula- and EB1 increases microtubule scription factors during cellular highly influential and original development of anti-TNF thera- tion of photosynthesis-related growth rates to physiological differentiation using multi- work on brain research. pies for rheumatoid arthritis. gene expression levels plexed targeted proteomics Genetics Society Medal Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine Andreas Winkler Per O. Widlund (EMBO Fellow), Paola A Gilardoni Robin Allshire of the University The 2013 Louis-Jeantet Prize (EMBO Fellow) et al. Anthony A. Hyman (EMBO (EMBO Fellow) et al. of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, for Medicine is awarded to the Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Member), Jonathon Howard Nature Methods | 14 April 2013 was awarded the 2013 Genetics 2 June 2013 | doi:10.1038/nsmb.2597 doi:10.1038/nmeth.2441 geneticist, Michael Stratton, (EMBO Member) et al. Society Medal for his outstand- director of the Wellcome Trust Nature Cell Biology | 12 May 2013 ing research contributions to the doi:10.1038/ncb2744 Assembly, analysis and architec- Sanger Institute in Cambridge., Dual mode operation of fields of epigenetics and chromo- ture of atypical ubiquitin chains and jointly to Peter Hegemann, neuronal networks involved in some biology. He was presented David Komander Humboldt University Berlin, and left-right alternation Structure of a ubiquitin-loaded with the medal by Enrico Coen, (EMBO Young Investigator) et al. Georg Nagel from the University Julien Bouvier (EMBO Fellow) et al. HECT ligase reveals the molecu- President of the Genetics Society, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology of Würzburg. Stratton receives Nature lar basis for catalytic priming at the British Yeast Group Meeting 7 April 2013 | doi:10.1038/nsmb.2547 this award worth 700,000 Swiss doi: 10.1038/nature12286 Simona Polo (EMBO Fellow) et al. in Nottingham in March 2013. Francs for his work aimed at Nature Structural & Molecular Biology The exoribonuclease Dis3L2 understanding the genetic causes The rise and fall of the 5 May 2013 defines a novel eukaryotic RNA Royal Society of Edinburgh of human cancer. Phytophthora infestans lineage doi:10.1038/nsmb.2566 degradation pathway Andrew Millar from the that triggered the Irish potato Cecilia Arraiano Award for Outstanding University of Edinburgh, United Structures of the human famine (EMBO Member) et al. Achievement in Chemistry in Kingdom, has been elected Fellow and Drosophila 80S ribosome Detlef Weigel The EMBO Journal | 15 March 2013 Cancer Research of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Daniel N. Wilson doi:10.1038/emboj.2013.63 This year, 47 United Kingdom (EMBO Member) et al. The American Association for (EMBO Young Investigator), and International Fellows have eLife | 28 May 2013 Cancer Research (AACR) selected doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00731 Roland Beckmann PRC1 coordinates timing of joined the Society also known as Alexander Levitzki, profes- (EMBO Member) et al. sexual differentiation of female Scotland’s National Academy. primordial germ cells sor emeritus at the Hebrew Pharmacological brake-release Nature | 1 May 2013 University of Jerusalem, Israel, doi:10.1038/nature12104 Antoine H.F.M. Peters of mrna translation enhances as the winner of its 2013 Award (EMBO Young Investigator) et al. cognitive memory for Outstanding Achievement in EMBO Young Investigators Structural basis for substrate Nature | 13 March 2013 Peter Walter (EMBO Member), Chemistry in Cancer Research. transport in the GLUT-homology doi:10.1038/nature11918 Eppendorf Young European Nahum Sonenberg He was recognized for his work family of monosaccharide Investigators Award (EMBO Member) et al. Multistep protein unfolding in the development of protein transporters eLife | 28 May 2013 during nanopore translocation tyrosine kinase inhibitors as effec- Ben Lehner of the Centre for doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00498 Christian Löw (EMBO Fellow) et al. Genomic Regulation, Spain, has David Rodriguez-Larrea tive agents against cancer and a Nature Structural & Molecular Biology been selected as the 2013 winner (EMBO Fellow) et al. range of other diseases. The AACR Beta1- and alphav-class 28 April 2013 established this award in 2007 of the Eppendorf Award for Young doi:10.1038/nsmb.2569 Nature Nanotechnology | 10 March 2013 European Investigators. Ben integrins cooperate to regu- doi: 10.1038/NNANO.2013.22 to recognize the importance of late myosin II during rigid- chemistry in cancer research. Lehner receives the 15,000 Euros ity sensing of bronectin-based Extensive transcriptional Optical control of metabotropic research prize for his discover- microenvironments heterogeneity revealed by glutamate receptors American Society of ies about how mutations in isoform profiling Microbiology Award the genome result in variable Herbert B. Schiller (EMBO Fellow), Harald Janovjak phenotypes. Matthias Mann (EMBO Member), Vicent Pelechano (EMBO Fellow), (EMBO Fellow) et al. Joan Steitz from Yale University, Reinhard Fässler (EMBO Member) Lars Steinmetz (EMBO Member) Nature Neuroscience | 3 March 2013 United States, has won the 2013 et al. et al. doi: 10.1038/nn.3346 EMD Millipore Alice C. Evans Nature | 24 April 2013 Nature Cell Biology | 26 May 2013 doi:10.1038/nature12121 doi:10.1038/ncb2747 Appointments HDAC-mediated suppres- Systematic identification of embo members conserved bacterial c-di-AMP sion of histone turnover receptor proteins promotes epigenetic stability of The Trustees of the Nobel Sir David Lane joined the Sanford-Burnham Medical heterochromatin Foundation elected Carl-Henrik Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Institute in Florida, Rebecca M. Corrigan Ozan Aygün (EMBO Fellow) et al. Heldin of Uppsala University, Research, United States, as its United States, announced the (EMBO Fellow) et al. Sweden, as a new member of Scientific Director. In this role, he recruitment of László Nagy to Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Proceedings of the National Academy of 21 April 2013 the Nobel Foundation’s Board will lead the institute’s global serve as professor and programme Sciences (PNAS) | 13 May 2013 doi:10.1038/nsmb.2565 of Directors. Heldin is also Vice cancer research effort, foster- director in its Diabetes and doi:10.1073/pnas.1300595110 President of the European ing collaboration, coordinating Obesity Research Center. He Research Council (ERC). research activities and represent- will join the institute in October Mechanism-based corrector The structure of the KtrAB ing its international network of to lead a new cross-platform combination restores DF508- potassium transporter leading scientists. Prior to joining research programme. CFTR folding and function João H. Morais Cabral the Ludwig institute, Professor (EMBO Installation Grantee) et al. Guido Veit (EMBO Fellow) et al. Lane had been Chief Scientist of Nature | 17 April 2013 Nature Chemical Biology | 12 May 2013 Singapore’s Agency for Science, doi:10.1038/nature12055 doi:10.1038/nchembio.1253 Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Research opportunities Thijn Brummelkamp wins the 2013 The recently expanded Pasteur Institute of Rome (see also EMBOencounters issue 21) has announced EMBO Gold Medal a call for applicants for a new position as research group leader. Information about the position offered in the new laboratory can be found at The 2013 EMBO Gold Medal was awarded to Thijn Brummelkamp from www.istitutopasteur.it/en/?p=1143 the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. The award acknowledges The Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia, headed by EMBO Member his outstanding work to accelerate the genetic analysis of human disease. Frank Gannon, is offering several exciting research opportunities for independent researchers. Full details can be found at As a predoctoral student, Brummelkamp devel- www.qimr.edu.au/page/careers/exciting_opportunities oped a method that has become standard in many laboratories worldwide: an inexpensive way to permanently inactivate large numbers The EMBO Journal of genes by the use of RNA interference. This breakthrough involved the development of a new Poster Prize winner short hairpin RNA vector system (pSUPER) that Congratulations to the following directs the synthesis of small interfering RNAs in mammalian cells. The method allows research- winner: ers to collect detailed information on the function Emilie Montembault and roles of the many human genes involved in Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie diseases like cancer. Some of his current research © fotografie: MartinHogeboom.nl Pessac, France projects look at how viruses and bacteria make Brummelkamp, 37, is one of the youngest scien- Cell elongation, an adaptive response to clear long their way into mammalian cells. tists to receive the EMBO Gold Medal. chromatid arms from the cleavage plane Further information is available at http://research.nki.nl/brummelkamplab/Welcome.html Presented at French Society of Cell Biology 3rd Cell Cycle and Cancer Meeting Montpellier, France | 2 – 5 April 2013 Biology and a matter of wonder A new look for the First published in 2011, A Matter of wonder: What biology reveals about us, EMBO website our world and our dreams is now available for the first time in French. The Large image gallery, refined book, written by EMBO Member Gottfried Schatz, takes a look at where structure and improved navigation we come from and some of the lessons that biology can tell us about life. Gottfried Schatz is a biochemist who has devoted how science works and what it reveals about the EMBO has recently launched a new website much of his research life to the study of mito- world. A matter of wonder: What biology reveals to enhance the experience of different target chondria. Schatz and colleagues were the first to about us is a collection of essays that look at audiences and make information easier to claim that mitochondria in yeast contain a type of some of the important findings of the life sciences find. More space has been made available for double-stranded DNA molecule that differs from and explains them in a wider context. Schatz is a illustrations, images and descriptive headlines. the DNA found in chromosomes. This early work firm believer in the value of chemistry as a way The new design allows readers to quickly marked the discovery of mitochondrial DNA. to understand biology. He describes the impact of access detailed information on programme Schatz is also the author of several books chemistry in a series of essays that explain how highlights, upcoming deadlines and the latest that provide insight for the general reader into universal questions can be addressed by discov- news from the EMBO community. It also eries that arise from the boundaries of scientific emphasizes multimedia elements including disciplines. video interviews with scientists and audio The book draws on philosophy, cultural files such as PodCasts. The online presence of history and art to formulate Schatz’s reflec- EMBOencounters has also been improved. tions on the mystery of life. Where do we come The changes have been introduced after exten- from? Is our destiny determined by the genes sive discussions with scientists and other users. we inherit? Do we all see the same blue colour Feedback and comments on the new website when we look at the sky? The result is a collec- (www.embo.org) can be sent to tion of eloquently and poetically written essays [email protected] dealing with major issues in the natural sciences.

Editorial Au-delà des genes: Ce que la biologie révèle sur nous, notre monde et nos rêves is available in French from Managing Editor Barry Whyte Presses polytechniques et universitaires romande Editor Yvonne Kaul (EPFL Press).

Print layout Uta Mackensen Further information is available at Web version Aditya Kusuma Jati www.ppur.org/produit/604/9782880749859/ E-newsletter Sandra Krahl, Katja Linssen Au-dela 20des 20genes

Things to do in Amsterdam

The Dutch capital has a lot to offer visitors. We asked a few members of the local scientific community for their recommendations to help participants of The EMBO Meeting. © Eis Edwin van

Jacqueline Jacobs, EMBO Young Investigator and group leader at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), recommends exploring the city by bike and boat. “Amsterdam is a very compact city and the best way to get around all the sights is to join one of the guided bike tours organised, for example, by yellowbike.nl (www.yellowbike.nl). Alternatively, catch one of the canal boats to experience some of the many canals and take in some of the sights from the water.” © Pegenaute Pedro

If you like history and art, be sure not to miss the recently renovated museums: Stedelijk (www.stedelijk.nl/en), van Gogh Museum (www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/ © Iwan Baan index.jsp) and the Rijksmuseum (www.rijksmuseum.nl/en), are EMBO Member and conference co-chair Titia Sixma’s tips. The Rijksmuseum in particular has received rave Amsterdam is shopping reviews for its new exhibition layout. Part of the new concept is to place furniture and heaven. Francesca Mattirolli, The EMBO Meeting silver alongside paintings from the same era to tell the history of Dutch art from the PhD student at the NKI, 21 –24 September 2013 Middle Ages to the 21st century. recommends ‘De 9 Straatjes’ Opening lecture (the 9 streets) (www.iamster- Kai Simons dam.com/en-GB/experience/ Keynote lecture about-amsterdam/areas/ Hans Clevers featured-areas/9-streets), an area in the Joordan district 20 concurrent sessions covering the named after the nine side latest research in the life sciences streets connecting the main Online registration closes: canals. “The area houses lots 4 SEPTEMBER of little independent shops and galleries and plenty of places to have a drink or bite to eat in a relaxed atmos- Once you have worked up an appetite phere.” The streets are also cycling around the city, Jacqueline recom- part of the Amsterdam Canal mends ordering an Indonesian rijsttafel at District, which celebrates its Kantjil & de Tijger (kantjil.nl/en), situated 400th anniversary this year in the heart of the city on Spuistraat. It is a and was added to the UNESCO very popular restaurant and advance book- World Heritage list in 2010. ings are recommended. © Amsterdam Marketing