EMBO | EMBL Symposia

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 7 - 10 June 2013 Cardiac Biology - From Development to Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine is a prime example of the interdisciplinary trend in contemporary biomedical research, incorporating developmental and stem cell biology, biomaterials and tissue engineering, gene and cell therapeutic approaches. The science underpinning recent advances in tissue repair has already provided significant clinical outcomes in many organ systems, yet the challenges facing regeneration of the cardiovascular system are particularly complex. The mature mammalian heart is particularly refractory to recovery after insult, mysteriously losing the robust cardiac regenerative capacity of the embryo, which is retained by other species into adulthood. This conference will cover recent discoveries in cardiac developmental biology, compare cardiac systems across the evolutionary spectrum, and explore the fundamental barriers to cardiac self-renewal in the clinical context. International specialists will share their latest work in this challenging field, focusing on the interface of basic and translational research.

Coming Next

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 3 - 6 October 2013 Seeing is Believing – Imaging the Processes of Life

The processes of life are naturally dynamic in space and time from the molecular to the organismal level. The rapid development of imaging methods across this full scale of biological organisation has revolutionised our ability to directly visualise the inner workings of proteins, protein complexes, organelles, cells, tissues, organs and whole organisms. With this symposium we aim to bring together the leading developers of imaging methods with cutting edge applications that illustrate how imaging can answer biological questions. We will place emphasis on methods that are able to capture the dynamics of life and aim to span the whole range from molecular resolution to imaging of whole organisms

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 9 - 12 October 2013 The Non-Coding Genome

In the 50 years since RNA was identified as a central component in the flow of genetic information, it has become increasingly clear that RNA is more than a mere messenger and performs many diverse and interesting functions. RNAs are known to play central roles across numerous biological processes required for cell viability and function. Moreover, prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes are pervasively transcribed to generated many additional RNAs with unknown functions, raising the question: What else does RNA do? This symposium will explore the diverse, dynamic and multifaceted roles of RNA across a spectrum of cellular processes. Topics will include recent discoveries in the fields of prokaryotic and eukaryotic long and short non-coding RNAs. Collectively aiming to further understand the non-coding RNA transcriptional and regulatory landscape.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 14 - 16 October 2013 New Approaches and Concepts in Microbiology

This symposium will cover a broad range of topics in prokaryotic biology -antibiotic resistance, transcriptional and genetic networks, bacterial communities, regulation, signaling, cell biology, pathogenesis-, with an emphasis on novel approaches that drive each field or have the potential to revolutionize future research in microbiology. This meeting aims to bridge the gap between traditional microbiology and systems approaches-novel technologies, by exposing microbiologists to new ways of addressing their hypotheses, and allowing systems or technology experts to get a feeling of the burning questions in the field and/or find collaborators for follow-up work or for applying their technology.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 18 - 21 May 2014 Molecular machines: lessons from integrating structure, biophysics and chemistry

The conference program is designed for biochemists and molecular biologists, who are interested in molecular machines. It should provide an overview of how structural biology, and more generally biophysical techniques can be applied to different biological problems. The techniques covered by the program include classical high resolution structural biology techniques, such as electron microscopy, crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as fluorescence, mass spectrometry, small angle scattering and chemical biology.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 17 - 20 November 2014 Frontiers in Metabolism: From Molecular Physiology to Systems Medicine

The purpose of this symposium is to offer an integrated view of metabolism and highlight the emerging concept that metabolism exerts an important homeostatic role on multiple pathways involved in human disease, including tumor cell growth, inflammation, neuronal functions and epigenetic reprogramming.

Past events

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 1 - 4 May 2013 New Model Systems for Linking Evolution and Ecology

A major obstacle in linking evolution and ecology has been that for many of the preferred models for genetic and genomic research, ecological information has been lacking. Conversely, the preferred models for evolutionary ecology have generally not been amenable to genetic experiments and have had poorly developed genomic resources. This meeting will present the latest advances with satellite systems, that is, species that are closely related to conventional genetic model organisms, and with entirely new models for evolutionary and ecological genetics and genomics. Special emphasis will be placed on the interaction between organisms as a basis for understanding ecological adaptation. If you want to bring a new species into the genomic era, this meeting is for you.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 13 - 16 October 2012 Germline - Immortality through Totipotency

Most organisms have a defined lifespan, however life of a species continues and evolves via germline from generation to generation. Recent studies show that tissue stem cells share molecular and developmental signatures with the germline and that even fully differentiated, postmitotic cells can be reprogrammed to regain totipotency. This symposium will go beyond a description of the phenomena involving stem cell behaviour, programming and reprogramming. It will bring together researchers from different disciplines, who will address fundamental questions of totipotency as they relate to evolution, development and tissue specialisation.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 7 - 10 October 2012 The Complex Life of mRNA

Before the genetic information stored in the DNA can be used to direct cell growth and metabolism it has to be transferred into RNA. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are key components in the transmission of genetic information in all life forms - from viruses to complex mammalian organisms. Exciting recent findings have revealed a remarkable degree of complexity in the lives of mRNAs and the field is rapidly developing. This symposium will bring leaders in the mRNA field together with post-docs and students, with the aim of disseminating and discussing the most recent results.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 19 - 22 September 2012 Quality Control – From Molecules to Organelles

Cells constantly suffer damage and make errors. All cells from bacteria to human have developed powerful quality control systems. These detect and minimise the damage that would ensue if mistakes and abnormal molecules went unchecked and uncorrected. This symposium addresses the molecular mechanisms of these systems, generating a unique forum of interdisciplinary discussion on quality control mechanisms of the genome (DNA), the transcriptome (RNA) and the proteome, and thus bringing together experts from traditionally separated fields.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 13 - 16 September 2012 Diabetes and Obesity

Over recent decades, the incidence of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes has risen to epidemic proportions. Projections into the future suggest increasingly unmet patient needs and an unsustainable challenge for health care systems. Simultaneously, the drug discovery process is facing its own challenges. The number of pharmaceutical companies who are able to conduct expensive late stage clinical trials is declining. Funding for academic laboratories and biotechnology operations is limited. Novel strategies and new insights are needed to treat these diseases. This symposium aims to bring together established experts, physician scientists and basic researchers to discuss the multi-layered and complex processes leading up to novel therapeutic strategies for diabetes, obesity and related health issues, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 19 - 22 May 2012 New Perspectives on Immunity to Infection

Despite decades of study, the mechanisms determining host vulnerability versus resistance to pathogens remain poorly defined. This has impeded the rational design of vaccines and other forms of immunologic intervention. This symposium will discuss new developments and approaches for overcoming critical gaps in our understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and immunity to infection.

EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany, 13 - 16 October 2011 Structure and Dynamics of Protein Networks

The general aim of this symposium is to explore the possible synergisms and cross-talk between the large-scale and classical approaches to biological networks. It aims to bring together leading scientists from the “OMICS” field with leading structural and cell biologists to discuss scientific issues arising at the interface of these complementary fields. Possible avenues to populate current networks with dynamics and mechanistic insights that will ensure high levels of biological understanding and contribute to deciphering fundamental principles will be reviewed and investigated.

EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany, 17 - 19 September 2011 Cancer Genomics

This symposium will provide an opportunity to learn about the rapidly progressing area of cancer genomics. It will incorporate presentations representing many of the major international cancer genome sequencing projects, as well as covering the areas of cancer epigenomics, mouse cancer models and the developments in both computational and bioinformatics fields that are required to manage, interpret and present these substantial datasets.

EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany, 17 - 20 March 2011 Seeing is Believing – Imaging the Processes of Life

The processes of life are naturally dynamic in space and time from the molecular to the organismal level. The rapid development of imaging methods across this full scale of biological organisation has revolutionised our ability to directly visualise the inner workings of proteins, protein complexes, organelles, cells, tissues, organs and whole organisms and ecosystems. With this symposium we aim to bring together the leading developers of imaging methods with cutting edge applications that illustrate how imaging can answer biological questions.

EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany, 13 - 16 October 2010 The Non-Coding Genome

This symposium will provide an interdisciplinary discussion of the roles of non-coding RNAs with the aim of enhancing our understanding of gene regulation and function. Topics will include recent discoveries in the fields of prokaryotic and eukaryotic long and short non-coding RNAs. The functional roles of non-coding RNAs in a wide variety of cell processes will be discussed.

EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany, 5 - 8 September 2010 Structure and Function of Neural Circuits

Understanding the complexity and functional composition of cellular and synaptic networks in the nervous system is a major challenge in neurobiology. The goal of this Symposium is to highlight recent work on the anatomical and functional analysis of behaviourally-relevant neural circuits in genetically tractable model systems, and to promote the exchange of ideas and methods in this exciting field of research.

EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany, 20 - 23 June 2010 Human Variation: Cause and Consequence

The goal of this Symposium is to explore human genetic and phenotypic variability in the light of recent developments in genomics, genetics and molecular medicine. The topics covered will include the mechanisms of mutation, normal sequence variation from the DNA to the chromosomal level, functional polymorphism and disease genetics.