Inspired by Biology
Exploring Nature's Toolbox
16th EMBL PhD Symposium
23rd-25th October 2014
23rd-25th October 2014
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About the Symposium
While scientific research continues to enable innovations in technology, it also raises questions and issues that we do not yet have the tools to address. However, similar challenges have often been faced and overcome in nature.
The 16th EMBL PhD symposium, entitled "Inspired by Biology - Exploring Nature's Toolbox", will delve into the creative and multidisciplinary uses of existing biological mechanisms to solve problems in basic and applied sciences. The conference will cover a range of fields from DNA nanorobots and xenonucleic acids through to tissue engineering and biomaterials.
The EMBL PhD symposium is organized every year by first-year PhD students of all EMBL outstations. Participants from all over the world gather in Heidelberg, Germany, for a three-day event with talks from both top-level scientists and PhD students themselves. Additionally, participants have the opportunity to take part in informal blackboard sessions given by the keynote speakers, offering an exciting means to discuss the topics directly with leading experts.
In a time when the value of basic research is being questioned, the 2014 symposium hopes to demonstrate the diverse ways in which biological knowledge can be applied to solve problems of public, academic and industrial interest.
Speakers
The EMBO Keynote Lecture
Prof. Dr. Jason Chin
MRC-LMB, Cambridge, UK
Jason Chin is a Head of the Centre for Chemical and Synthetic Biology at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB). A pioneer in the field of reprogramming the genetic code in vivo, he studies protein interactions and the role of post-translational modifications by incorporating unnatural amino acids into living systems. He was awarded the European Molecular Biology Organization’s (EMBO) Gold Medal and elected to EMBO membership in 2010.
Programme
Day 1, Thursday, October 23rd
| 08:00-09:00 | Registration |
| 09:00-09:25 | Symposium Opening & Welcome by Helke Hillebrand (Dean of Graduate Studies). Introduction of Day 1 |
| 09:25-10:10 | Keynote Lecture: Aránzazu del Campo Mimicking the dynamic nature of the extracellular matrix |
| 10:10-10:40 | Coffee Break |
| 10:40-11:25 | Keynote Lecture: Martin Fussenegger Prosthetic networks – synthetic biology-inspired treatment strategies for metabolic disorders |
| 11:25-11:45 | Short Talk 1: Arjan van Zeijl Parasponia; the key to solving the nitrogen problem |
| 11:45-12:50 | Poster Session 1 (top of Helix A) |
| 12:50-14:00 | Lunch in the EMBL Canteen |
| 14:00-14:45 | The EMBO Lecture: Jason Chin Reprogramming the genetic code |
| 14:45-15:05 | Short Talk 2: Olivier Box Directed evolution of a dimeric enzyme expressed from a chromosomal gene |
| 15:05-15:30 | Coffee Break |
| 15:30-15:50 | Short Talk 3: Susanne Heider Developing a virus interaction sensor platform |
| 15:50-16:35 | Keynote Lecture: Lesley Chow Exploring and engineering the cell-material interface |
| 16:35-16:55 | Short Talk 4: Ana Silva The duality of the fetal and adult-derived scaffolds as 3D in vitro systems for cardiac cells culture |
| 16:55-17:20 | Coffee Break |
| 17:20-18:10 | Blackboard Sessions |
| 18:10-18:50 | Panel Discussion |
| 19:00 | Dinner in the EMBL Canteen |
| Evening | Social Evening in Downtown Heidelberg (Palmbräugasse) |
Day 2, Friday, October 24th
| 09:00-09:10 | Introduction of Day 2 |
| 09:10-09:55 | Keynote Lecture: Germán Rivas Caballero The initial events of bacterial division: a biochemical view |
| 09:55-10:15 | Short Talk 5: Antoine Decrulle Control of the asymmetric segregation of proteins in E. coli thanks to self-assembling peptides |
| 10:15-10:40 | Coffee Break |
| 10:40-11:25 | Keynote Lecture: Claire Ainsworth Communicating science to non-specialists |
| 11:25-11:45 | Short Talk 6: Zhee Sheen Wong Oxidative stress correlates with Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection in natural Wolbachia-Drosophila associations |
| 11:45-12:30 | Poster Session 2 (top of Helix A) |
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch in the EMBL Canteen |
| 13:30-14:30 | Workshops |
| 14:30-15:15 | Keynote Lecture: Kristala Prather Microbial synthesis of glucaric acid: a case study for the design, assembly and improvement of a biosynthetic pathway for value-added products |
| 15:15-15:35 | Short Talk 7: Lara Bereza-Malcolm Development of microbial biosensors for the detection of heavy metals |
| 15:35-16:00 | Coffee Break |
| 16:00-16:45 | Schering Session: Mark Bedau Creating minimal chemical life in the laboratory: scientific challenges, engineering solutions, and social consequences |
| 16:45-17:05 | Short Talk 8: Giovanni Ganendra Formate oxidation-driven calcium carbonate precipitation by Methylocystis parvus OBBP for a concomitant building material surface protection and atmospheric methane removal |
| 17:05-17:30 | Coffee Break |
| 17:30-18:20 | Blackboard Sessions |
| 18:20-19:00 | Panel Discussion |
| 19:00 | Dinner in the EMBL Canteen |
Day 3, Saturday, October 25th
| 10:00-10:10 | Introduction of Day 3 |
| 10:10- 10:55 | Keynote Lecture: Ido Bachelet Animal and mechanical mimicry in DNA origami robots |
| 10:55-11:15 | Short Talk 9: Rufika Shari Abidin Insert design and high-throughput screening to improve recovery of virus-like particle subunits for cytotoxic T cell epitope-based influenza vaccines |
| 11:15-11:40 | Coffee Break |
| 11:40-12:25 | Keynote Lecture: Martin Jinek RNA-guided DNA cleavage: mechanistic insights and genome engineering applications |
| 12:25-12:45 | Short Talk 10: Patricia Renck Nunes Highly efficient establishment of conditional knockout cell lines by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome engineering |
| 12:45-14:00 | Lunch in the EMBL Canteen |
| 14:00-14:45 | Keynote Lecture: Roman Jerala Modular design of new protein folds |
| 14:45-15:05 | Short Talk 11: Julia Wessel Directed evolution in droplets: towards the acellular birth of a beta-lactamase |
| 15:05-15:30 | Coffee Break |
| 15:30-16:15 | Schering Session: Jane Calvert Biology in society: interdisciplinary, ownership and aesthetics |
| 16:15-16:35 | Short Talk 12: Nilisha Fernando The therapeutic potential of the complement inhibitor VCP in a model of retinal degeneration |
| 16:35-17:00 | Coffee Break |
| 17:00-17:50 | Blackboard Sessions |
| 17:50-18:30 | Panel Discussion |
| 18:30-19:00 | Concluding Remarks |
| 19:00 | Dinner in the EMBL Canteen |
| Evening | Symposium Party |
Travel and Accommodation
How to get to Heidelberg
Heidelberg is easily reached by train, car or plane from any country in the world. The EMBL campus is located in Heidelberg's neighbourhood area of Boxberg which is approximately 10 minutes by car from Heidelberg's city centre.
Reaching us by train, plane, car
During the Symposium
We will provide buses for the Symposium participants on each day of the Symposium. Location of the stops are shown on this map
Thursday, October 23rd
From Heidelberg to EMBL
| Neckarmünzplatz | Bismarckplatz | Crowne Plaza | ISG Hotel | EMBL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07:30 | 07:50 | 08:00 | ||
| 07:50 | 08:06 | |||
| 08:10 | 08:26 | |||
| 08:30 | 08:46 | |||
| 23:00 | 23:10 | 23:25 | ||
| 00:38 | 01:04 |
From EMBL to Heidelberg
| EMBL | ISG Hotel | Crowne Plaza | Bismarckplatz | Neckarmünzplatz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:41 | 18:58 | |||
| 19:11 | 19:28 | |||
| 20:00 | 20:10* | 20:50 | ||
| 20:30 | 20:45 | 20:55 | ||
| 20:47 | 21:04 |
*10 minute stop at Hotel ISG
Friday, October 24th
From Heidelberg to EMBL
| Bismarckplatz | Crowne Plaza | ISG Hotel | EMBL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:50 | 08:06 | ||
| 08:10 | 08:26 | ||
| 08:00 | 08:20 | 08:30 | |
| 08:30 | 08:46 |
From EMBL to Heidelberg
| EMBL | ISG Hotel | Crowne Plaza | Bismarckplatz |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:41 | 18:58 | ||
| 19:11 | 19:28 | ||
| 20:00 | 20:10 | 20:30 | |
| 20:30 | 20:40 | 21:00 | |
| 20:47 | 21:04 |
Saturday, October 25th
From Heidelberg to EMBL
| Crowne Plaza | ISG Hotel | EMBL |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 09:20 | 09:30 |
From EMBL to Heidelberg
| EMBL | ISG Hotel | Crowne Plaza |
|---|---|---|
| 20:30 | 20:40 | 21:00 |
| 23:30 | 23:40 | 24:00 |
| 02:00 | 02:10 | 02:30 |
Travel Documents and Visas
Prior to travelling to Germany, some applicants from certain countries may have to acquire special travel documents, such as a visa. Applicants are strongly encouraged to check with the local German Authorities (Embassies or Consulates) about the need of special travelling documents. Since the process may be time consuming, applicants are advised to make such arrangements as soon as possible. Failure to obtain a visa after the deadline for participation in the conference will not result in a refund. Applicants are responsible for providing the right documentation needed for their entry into Germany. However, upon request, the Organizing Committee can issue a formal letter of acceptance to the symposium for the purposes of obtaining a visa. Please be aware that no visa letters will be issued before payment of the registration fee. The organizing committee can not be held responsible in the case of a refusal by German authorities to enter German territory.
Accommodation
The registration fees do not include accommodation and it has to be personally arranged. However, if you are happy to share a double room with a fellow participant, rooms have been pre-booked at the EMBL/ISG hotel near EMBL. If you would like a room there, please contact the hotel and refer to the PhD Symposium when booking.
Please note that a shuttle bus will run between EMBL, the ISG Hotel and downtown Heidelberg (Bismarckplatz) during the conference.
Registration
Registration is closed.
Abstract submission
Please note:
- The 2,000-character limit refers to manually typed text (including spaces).
- Please enter your co-authors correctly via the system by clicking the "add co-author" link. DO NOT copy-paste them into the body of the abstract text, as they will not be indexed in the abstract book.
- Copy-paste text may include hidden formatting that exceeds the character limit. We recommend either:
- saving as 'text only' in your editor or e-mail programme, OR
- copy-pasting it into Notepad and then onto the website.
- Some web browsers do not accept abstracts close to the 2,000-character count.
- If you have special symbols in your text, please ensure you are using Unicode characters, otherwise these will not be recognised.
For more details about abstract submission, oral presentations and poster sessions please refer to the FAQ page.
Travel Grants
All participants are eligible to apply for a travel grant. Further information will be provided in the confirmation email after registering.
EMBL Australia participants please apply for travel grants through EMBL Australia.
Visas
Registrants who require a Visa to enter Germany should complete registration, including payment of the registration fee. No Visa will be provided before payment has been processed. Once this is completed, contact us for an invitation letter. Also please take into account that a Visa letter might require some time until issued. For more information, please check FAQs and Accommodation & Travel.
Sponsors
Also kindly supported by EMBL CPP's founder partners
Also kindly supported by EMBL CPP's corporate partners
Also kindly supported by EMBL CPP's associate partners
Sponsorship Information
Our 16th EMBL PhD symposium will provide an invaluable networking environment for your company to enhance the profile amongst the molecular biosciences research community, especially towards the young generation. The symposium will offer prime opportunities for your company to promote your new products, latest technology, and services. If you are interested in sponsoring our symposium and would like to receive further information, please download our sponsorship brochure, or direct your enquires to us.Contact
Do you have any questions? You might be able to find your answer in our FAQs. Or just contact us:
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