Our Activities Advanced Courses 2022 Advanced Courses
2022 Advanced Courses
This preliminary list of courses and workshops to be supported by the FEBS Advanced Courses Programme in 2022 comprises several events postponed from 2020 or 2021. New additions from the latest funding calls are gradually being added.
Given the Covid situation, please check website homepages for notices or contact the organizers of the course you are interested in to receive the most current information before registration and making travel arrangements.
FEBS Youth Travel Fund (YTF) grants are available to assist participation of early-career researchers in events in the FEBS Advanced Courses programme; click here for general information and see the individual course websites for more details. For updates on FEBS events and other activities, sign up to the FEBS e-newsletter (via the right margin of our News page).
FEBS ADVANCED LECTURE COURSES
Protein folding, aggregation and compartmentalization
Spetses Island, Greece
May 2–10, 2022
proteinfolding2022.febsevents.org
In this advanced course we have brought together a unique combination of frontiers in science focusing on the the capacity of numerous proteins and peptides to self-assemble into amyloid fibrils. The course includes introductory and state-of-art lectures with special emphasis on amyloid structures, chaperones in amyloid formation, membrane-less organelles, lipids and membranes in amyloid formation, functional amyloids, and pathology of amyloids. In the evening lectures, the different topics will be discussed in an integrative manner. Young researchers will have ample opportunity to meet and to discuss basic and emerging topics with the lecturers as social interactions are an important aspect of the meeting.
Organizers: Bernd Helms, Sheena Radford, Stefan Rüdiger
Deadline for applications: YTFs, February 1, 2022; Other, March 1, 2022
Matrix pathobiology, signaling and molecular targets
Limenas Hersonissou, Crete, Greece
mpst2022.febsevents.org
This course is designed to cover a wide range of topics, from basic and applied science to clinical applications with a strong focus on recent highlights in the fields of biochemistry, matrix biology, epigenetics, pharmacology and medicine. PhD students and postdoctoral scientists, as well as academic and institute research fellows will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work. Plenary lectures, poster sessions, panel discussions and speaker's corners/meet-the-experts sessions will address and encourage the direct contact of young scientists with the invited experts in discussions about science and career paths.
Organizer: Nikos Karamanos
Deadline for applications: YTFs, January 21, 2022; Other, February 4, 2022
Molecular mechanisms of host–pathogen interactions and virulence in human fungal pathogens
​La Colle sur Loup, France
hfp2022.febsevents.org
This course aims to disseminate the current state-of-the-art knowledge of the biochemical, molecular and genetic mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis to junior scientists and to provide them with valuable networking opportunities with world leaders in this exciting area of research. In doing so, the course will contribute to the training of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows involved in the study of fungal pathogens and management of fungal infections. (Photo credit: Sophie Bachellier-Bassi)
Organizers: Guilhem Janbon, Oliver Kurzai, Ana Traven
Deadline for applications: February 1, 2022
Biological surfaces and interfaces: forces at biological interfaces
San Feliu de Guixols, Spain
Website under preparation
In applications that range from precision medicine to biotechnology and bioengineering, the future is behind systems that interface with the biological environment in a tailored manner, engaging well-defined signalling pathways and responses. Achieving this goal entails research into the force-induced dynamics of biological interfaces (membranes, cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions) as well as into bioengineering and biomimetic approaches at interfaces between biological and artificial systems, at the molecular and cellular levels. The objective of this meeting is to bring together experimental and theoretical/simulation researchers from diverse disciplines who are actively working on these topics and to engage young scientists at the doctoral and postdoctoral level, nucleating new ideas and new directions.
(Photo credit: Chris Lorenz)
Organizers: Delphine Gourdon, Chris Lorenz, Kaori Sugihara, Andrea Salis
Deadline for applications: YTFs, February 15, 2022; Other, March 1, 2022
Redox alterations and cellular responses: from signalling to interventions
redoxalterations2022.febsevents.org
This course will focus on examining how changes in redox signalling trigger adaptation and the crucial roles of key adaptive processes in preventing cellular degeneration. Emphasis will be given on the role of redox regulation in biological ageing and redox-related models of disease at the molecular, cellular, and organism levels. Participants will have the opportunity to interact frequently in a relaxed setting with prominent senior scientists in the field, and to present and discuss their results in poster sessions and oral presentations. The course will also provide the participants with transferable skills training sessions and career development tutorials.
Organizers: Aphrodite Vasilaki, Niki Chondrogianni
Deadline for applications: March 15,2022
Joint IUBMB/FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on
Molecular targets for anti-aging interventions (MoTAI)
September 26 – October 1, 2022
antiaging2022.febsevents.org
The course will cover a wide range of issues related to aging, age-related disorders and anti-aging interventions. Fundamental biological principles and basic signaling pathways involved in the aging process and age-related diseases, like cholesterol metabolism, cytochrome C pathway, proteolysis, genomic stability, damage and repair will be in the focus of the course. In addition, various anti-aging interventions, starting from the non-pharmacological approaches like dietary restriction and changing of daily habits, to pharmacological therapies, will be covered. The program includes lectures, tutorials and roundtable discussions, as well as poster and oral presentations given by the student participants.
Organizers: Aleksandra Mladenovic, Efstathios Gonos, Silva Katusic Hecimovic
Deadline for applications: April 30, 2022
360° Lysosome; from structure to genomics, from function to disease: update
Kusadasi, Izmir, Turkey
lysosome2022.febsevents.org
The main topics of this course will be lysosome biology and function, new metabolic and signalling insights into the function of lysosomes, and pathophysiological mechanisms of lysosomal dysfunction in living cells. This course will bring together basic scientists studying lysosome function as well as lab researchers and clinicians working in the unique field of molecular and cellular aspects of lysosomal storage diseases.
Organizers: Eser Y. Sozmen, Konrad Sandhoff, Ebru D. Sezer
Deadline for applications: TBC
4th Danube Conference on Epigenetics
October 18–21, 2022
After last year's success of the FEBS Danube Webinar Series, the Danube Conference on Epigenetics will return in 2022 as an in-person event. The conference will bring together scientists to discuss a range of topics in the field of epigenetics: from transcriptional regulation, through chromatin modifications, nuclear architecture, transgenerational inheritance and metabolism to DNA methylation. Lectures by leading experts in the field will be followed by poster sessions in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition, this year's program will again feature a dedicated hands-on session on "How to write better scientific papers", with a specific focus on data visualisation. After the exciting sessions, evenings are shared with new and old friends during social events, ideal for interacting one-on-one with invited speakers. If you wish to immerse yourself in the full spectrum of epigenetics in a friendly atmosphere, then join us in Budapest in October 2022!
FEBS WORKSHOPS
IUBMB Focused Meeting / FEBS Workshop on
Crosstalk between nucleus and mitochondria in human disease
crossmitonus2022.iubmb-febs.org
The workshop will focus on the communication that exists between mitochondria and the cell nucleus, first described as retrograde signaling between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Recently, mitochondrial factors have emerged as response elements to cell nucleus performance. Thus, unraveling the whole connectivity between the biomolecules involved in all this regulatory mitochondria–nucleus crosstalk and its relation to cell fate and physiological state is nowadays a major challenge. Indeed, as a supra-disciplinary field, it demands collaborative efforts involving Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Structural Biology and Cancer Biology, and new approaches in which experimental and computational methods are used.
Organizer: Irene Diaz-Moreno
Deadline for applications: November 20, 2021
Ageing and regeneration 2022
Obergurgl, Austria
ageingandregeneration2022.febsevents.org
Research targeted at defining conditions for healthy ageing is key to developing sustainable future societies. Moreover, regenerative medicine continuously strives to develop treatments and, as a long-term goal, cures for a variety of age-related disorders. The workshop will bring together experts working at the forefront of science in both ageing research and regenerative medicine / stem cell biology. As a unique feature, the participants will benefit from synergy available through the comprehensive inclusion of leading experts working in various domains of life, from plants, nematodes and tunicates to mice and humans, with the ambition to define and explore new integrative concepts and common strategies. The workshop is dedicated to developing the theoretical background for future attempts to provide solutions for the biomedical challenges caused by the ongoing demographic shift.
Organizer: Pidder Jansen-Dürr
Lost in integration – probing biomolecules with electrons, photons, neutrons and magnetic spins
probingbiomolecules2022.febsevents.org
The international course for primarily PhD students (but also postdocs) will include lectures as well as group discussions, journal clubs, panel discussions and posters. With dramatic developments of X-ray and neutron sources, cryo-EM, super resolution microscopy, single-molecule microscopy, NMR, and computation, the possibilities for addressing advanced problems in structural biology and molecular cell biology and physiology are on a fast move. It is increasingly important to integrate many sources of data to achieve proper models of dynamic interactions between biomolecules and how they define cell function. The workshop will address these challenges and also cover the individual methods to stimulate critical discourse and forward-looking visions of integral structural biology.
Organizer: Poul Nissen
4th International Conference on the long and the short of non-coding RNAs
Rhodes, Greece
aegeanconferences.org/src/App/conferences/view/151
Despite impressive progress in the field on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), the mechanisms whereby they regulate mRNA transcription, subcellular localization, turnover, and translation remain incompletely understood – as do their implications for cell biology and pathophysiology. The two-fold goal of this meeting is to review recent advances in ncRNA biology and to discuss the use of therapeutic ncRNAs as tools to correct faulty gene expression in human disease.
Organizer: Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko
Deadline for applications: Early registration, February 15, 2022
Nucleotide excision repair and crosslink repair – molecules to mankind
Smolenice, Slovak Republic
nerandcrosslinkrepair2022.febsevents.org
Disruption of nucleotide excision repair (NER) and crosslink repair is associated with devastating heritable human conditions including cancer, bone marrow failure, neurodegeneration and premature aging. Moreover, DNA repair enzymes can counteract the efficiency of many important antitumor drugs during cancer treatment, and the enzymes constitute compelling, but underexplored, targets for drug design. The workshop will address the state-of-the-art scientific progress in the field, moving from molecular science to human biology to explore the basis of disease syndromes associated with defects in NER and crosslink repair as well as investigating strategies to inhibit DNA repair enzymes. It will provide an unparalleled forum for young scientists to meet and engage with experts driving the field.
Organizers: Peter McHugh, Miroslav Chovanec, Caroline Kisker, Bennett Van Houten
Deadline for applications: YTFs, April 4, 2022; Other, May 20, 2022
Proteolysis: at the interface between health and disease
Bled, Slovenia
This workshop aims to address current issues, progress and expansion in the field of proteases, protein inhibitors and their mechanisms of control under physiological and pathological conditions. Several sections will be devoted to proteases, protease inhibitors, regulation and proteolytic control with emphasis on their role in diseases, as well as on novel therapeutic approaches, and in vivo imaging and diagnostic strategies which tackle protease activities. There will also be time devoted to tutoring and mentoring activities, which are crucial for knowledge exchange among senior scientists and early-career researchers (for example open discussion about scientific integrity, career development and a workshop on efficient visual communication).
Organizer: Boris Turk; [email protected]
FEBS PRACTICAL COURSES
Macromolecule MD simulations for interdisciplinary beginners
Nove Hrady, Czech Republic
September 5–11, 2022
macromoleculemdsimulations2022.febsevents.org
In this practical course, young researchers will learn aspects of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of biomolecules and their interactions with ligand. Participants will prepare protein structure files and make force-field parameters of ligands, dock ligands to proteins, simulate the resulting complex and analyze the results. Also they will learn the basics of coarse-grained simulations. Social evenings will provide ample opportunities for participants to discuss and exchange information with lecturers informally.
Organizers: Babak Minofar, David van der Spoel, Victor Guallar, Sarah Harris
Deadline for applications: July 1, 2022
Microspectroscopy: functional imaging of biological systems
Wageningen, Netherlands
microspectroscopy2022.febsevents.org
This practical course highlights different microscopic and spectroscopic methodologies to study biomolecular processes in living cells such as: (multiphoton) confocal microscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), super-resolution microscopy, total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF), fluorescence correlation microscopy (FCS), and single-molecule detected fluorescence.
Organizer: Jan Willem Borst
Deadline for applications: June 1, 2022
FEBS PRACTICAL AND LECTURE COURSES
Exploring the human proteome with antibodies, transcriptomics and mass spectrometry
humanproteome2022.febsevents.org
This course is designed to train graduate students, post-docs, and young independent investigators in state-of-the-art analysis of the human proteins using antibodies, transcriptomics and mass spectrometry. The course will teach various techniques and this will be complemented with a daily workshop in which the participants will annotate a large number of genes/proteins with the aim to go through all experimental evidence of the respective protein and to evaluate the quality of the underlying data to score the evidence for protein profiles and functionality. Social evenings and joined meals provide ample opportunities for informal exchange with lecturers.
Organizers: Cecilia Lindskog, Kalle von Feilitzen, Mathias Uhlen
Biomolecules in action III
biomolaction2022.febsevents.org
The objective of the 3rd edition of this advanced course is to introduce bioscience researchers to contemporary bioanalytical techniques and methods and combinations thereof for analyses and characterization, with a strong focus on preparation and scoring of samples for synchrotron and FEL radiation-based structure analysis. A a well-characterized sample of the biomolecule of interest is the key to obtain high-quality and trustworthy data with whichever bioanalytical technique applied. A multidisciplinary blend of lectures and practical exercises will allow the participants to interact closely with expert tutors to maximize training outcome.
Organizers: Jeroen Mesters, Christian Betzel
JOINT FEBS/EMBO LECTURE COURSES
Ion channels and transporters: from molecule to man
meetings.embo.org/event/20-ion-channels
This course is designed to provide an overview of the latest aspects of ion channel and transporter research. Topics covered will include structural, functional and computational aspects, as well as more general themes, such as publishing and the role of women in science. Additionally, the course will feature didactic tutorials and some hands-on exercises. There will be ample opportunities for discussion and ad hoc interactions between students and lecturers. Lastly, the small town of Erice provides a relaxed and beautiful setting for the course.
Organizers: Stephan Pless, Alessio Accardi, Paolo Tammaro
Deadline for applications: March 1, 2022
Molecular mechanisms of interorgan crosstalk in health and disease
meetings.embo.org/event/21-molecular-mechanisms
This course will bring together leaders in the fields of interorgan crosstalk with early-stage researchers, i.e. PhD students and postdocs. Our Summer School will cover interorgan crosstalk between the nervous system, immune system, kidney, lung, heart, gut, liver, fat, bone, blood and bone marrow. We will also consider effects of the microbiome, metabolome and host pathogen interactions. Our conference represents a unique opportunity for investigators to participate in cross-disciplinary, multi-organ discussions in order to gain new insights into their research, and fosters ample opportunity for interactions between speakers and participants. The Summer School features lectures, small-group discussions and poster sessions, as well as small-group tutorials at the beautiful Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses; in addition, there are very popular dinners in small groups with course faculty in the town of Spetses.
Organizers: Andreas Herrlich, Eirini Kefalogianni, Stefan Rose-John
Deadline for applications: March 26, 2022
Lipids, proteins and their interactions in organelle biology
https://spetses2022.sites.uu.nl/
Biological membranes are complex structures that vary considerably in composition depending on their functions and location in the cell. A full understanding of the structural and compositional complexity of membranes, their biogenesis and their function requires multidisciplinary approaches, and thus co-operative research efforts from biochemists, biophysicists, structural biologists, geneticists and molecular and cell biologists. This course will bring together a unique set of top scientists covering this broad field in membrane and organelle biology. In addition to scholarly scientific lectures, the program also contains, as an essential element, various mentoring sessions on work–life balance, career planning, and responsible conduct of science. Moreover, the program will allow for up to 25 young scientist participants to give short oral presentations of their work. Most importantly, a small and friendly atmosphere is built to enable extensive discussions and networking opportunities between the trainees and the lecturers.
Organizers: Eefjan Breukink, Maya Schuldiner, Ulrich Hartl
Deadline for applications: April 1, 2022
Molecular mechanisms in signal transduction and cancer
meetings.embo.org/event/21-signal-transduction
We are living in an extremely interesting period in cancer research, with knowledge gained in the last decades now entering the clinic. Most of the successes come from our understanding of basic processes that govern cancer initiation and progression, including signal transduction. Consequently, we see that especially inhibitors to signalling molecules, in particular kinases, are entering the clinic very rapidly. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms by which signals are received by cells, transduced towards the proper targets and integrated into a biological response are amongst the most-studied areas in modern biology. In this Spetses course we are bringing together a number of true experts in the field from basic and translational oncology. The course will cover signalling by various pathways (PI3K, WNT, RAS/RAF) but also DNA damage and protein degradation signalling, the consequences of pathway deregulation for cellular processes like metabolism and damage repair, and the application or translation of this knowledge into the clinic.
Organizer: Boudewijn Burgering. Co-organizer: René Medema
Venice Summer School 2022: The character concept in metabolic, physiological, and developmental evolution
meetings.embo.org/event/21-evolution-venice
This course brings together experimental and computational biologists with philosophers to discuss how biological characters can be defined, identified, and characterized in contemporary biology. What do we mean by "character" when our study object is a metabolic, physiological, or developmental process, instead of the more traditional morphological trait? Which conceptual frameworks might help us understand them and their evolution? In this course we tackle such questions using a transdisciplinary approach.
Organizer: Johannes Jäger; [email protected]
The new microbiology
31 August – 8 September 2022
This joint FEBS/EMBO lecture course with support of FEMS will cover the new facets of microbiology, focusing on microbial assemblies/microbiotas and their importance in ecology, human health and disease, on microbial RNAs at the heart of many adaptation mechanisms, and on phages and mechanisms of bacterial defence against phages. Lectures, selected talks, posters and informal discussions will provide plenty of time for young and experienced scientists to interact and learn from each other on the idyllic Spetses Island in Greece. (Photo credit: Francesco Righetti, Hannes Eichner and Edmund Loh)
Organizers: Pascale Cossart, Roberto Kolter, Bruno Lemaitre, Nassos Typas; [email protected]
The FEBS Congress
Youth Travel Fund
Past Advanced Courses
Fellowships & FEBS Excellence Award
PhD–Postdoc Career Development Meetings
The FEBS Network
Worldwide Lectures
50 Years of FEBS