ATG Newsletter Issue 02
October 2015
Welcome to another edition of the ATG Member Newsletter!
2
Decisions
T
ATG Newsletter
Issue 02 September, 2015 Contributors: Helder F. Araujo (Ed.), Maria De Sousa, Filipa Ferreira, Andre Lindo, Eurico Morais de Sá, Pedro Resende, Catarina Seabra, Andre Sousa, Inês Tenente. Cover: Fernando Augusto www.fernandoaugusto.com www.agtnewsletter.up.pt atgsnewsletter@gmail.com ATG - All Time GABBA The Alumni Association of the Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology University of Porto - Portugal www.atg.up.pt
his issue revolves around decisions. Both in our personal and in our professional lives, we need to make decisions on the most varied matters. As much as some decisions are made in an effortless manner, other resolutions are reached only after several restless days and sleepless nights. While many young scientists torment themselves with the fear that they are not making the right decisions, many senior scientists seem to have made all the right choices in their paths. Their careers are successful. Their contributions are well-known and recognized as very significant. And even their personal lives seem untroubled and fine. How have they done it? In this issue, we have a glimpse into how senior scientists, like Maria de Sousa and Antonio Amorim, have reached success. We also look at how younger scientists have set themselves on the right path to success. And keeping up with decisions, we have reached varied decisions concerning our newsletter. We decided to keep some sections of the previous issue and to create three additional sections. The first new section is named De Sousa et al. and is a space to convey opinions in the form of editorials. In her characteristic generosity, Maria de Sousa has accepted to be a consistent contributor to this section. The second section is called City of Knowledge, in which we will share scientific contributions made by ATGs as well as updates on the “citizens”, the ATGs. And the third section is titled Read and Underlined, which brings us excerpts of books ATGs have recently read. In addition, we have good news for those who prefer to read the newsletter online. We are preparing a website to host the newsletter! Finally, the newsletter would not be possible without people who decided to help. Our sincere thanks to all of our contributors! Helder F. Araujo
ATG - GABBA IPATIMUP Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n 4200-465 Porto Portugal geral@atg.up.pt
3
Contents Message from the President of the Executive Board AndrĂŠ Sousa 9 De Sousa et al. Maria de Sousa Antonio Amorim 12 City of Knowledge Part I. Citizens 16 Part II. Knowlegde 22 ATG News 28 GABBA News 30 Read and Highlighted 33
4
It’s all set. You can become a member now! All you need to do is pay the annual dues, fill out the membership form, and email us the payment confirmation along with the membership form. You may please find the form in this newsletter or on the website.
5
Message from the President of the Executive Board Andre Sousa
Dear colleagues, A lot has happened since my last message, and I am glad to announce several exciting news. We finally completed the bureaucratic processes related to tax obligations and Social Security. We are therefore pleased to announce that we are accepting new members. You will find all the information on how to become a member in this issue of the ATG newsletter. Our website is now live at www.atg.up.pt and we have received very positive feedback, especially on the Find GABBAs page. We would be grateful if you could send us an updated profile to include in the world map. We will soon also have a PayPal button to facilitate the payment of dues and potential donations.
“We are (...) pleased to announce that we are accepting new members.”
We have recently met with the program coordinators in Porto and agreed to have an ATG session within the GABBA meeting. Although we are already preparing it, if you have suggestions on topics for discussion, we can try to include them in this meeting or save it for a future meeting. Our annual meeting will be held during the GABBA meeting and a general assembly will occur in early January. Since we expect that a great number of members will be available to meet in December, we included the annual meeting in the by-laws of the association. During this meeting we will discuss what was done and what is planned for the upcoming year. After this discussion, we will provide a letter with suggestions to be voted on during the general assembly.
“We will also have our annual meeting during the GABBA meeting and a general assembly during the first days of January.”
One of the main aims of the ATG is the scientific education of younger generations and the Portuguese society. We are planning two projects that will be thoroughly discussed during the annual meeting. However, if you have suggestions of pertinent projects we should create or be associated with, please share them with us. From this newsletter on, we will have a list of achievements of the ATG community. As you can see, it is a very long list. We should all be proud on the number of new findings and awards received by all of the ATGs. I definitely am!
I hope to see you all at our next meeting. *** 6
December and January are for ATG meetings. In December, we will have our annual meeting, which will be held during the GABBA Meeting. In January, we will hold the annual General Assembly meeting.
7
DE SOUSA ET AL. ON CHOICE
Maria de Sousa
I
hesitated a great deal about responding to this invitation of yours. Most decisions represent choices, which, in turn, are daughters of Father Opportunity and Mother Courage. In the time I had to make science, my opportunities and life decisions were very different from the ones you will be facing. “Most decisions represent choices that in turn are daughters of Father Opportunity and Mother Courage.”
“Many things have changed since I first had to make choices against family, society approval and boyfriends’ understanding”
“An aspect of choice, however, has not changed: the certainty of what one wants to do, in science and/or in life.”
a. In principle, it does not occur to a parent today to try to stop a son or a daughter from choosing something that will take him or her abroad, away from where the parents live. b. In principle, it does not occur to a parent today do worse than stop the children from choosing: make them feel guilty for choosing to leave. c. In principle, it does not occur to a young man today not to consider marrying a working woman or a research woman, and vice versa. It does not occur to a science woman not to consider marrying a soccer player, or a carpenter, or a cook, or a banker (good choice if not caught in scandals…) d. In principle, it does not shock anyone to see a young man today choosing for life a male partner and not prefer the “for better for worse” company of a woman. e. Etc. Thus, many things have changed since I first had to make choices against family, society approval, and boyfriends’ understanding. Perhaps back then choices demanded even more courage than they do today because they had to be made with more vehemence and certitude, if one was going to make them against the grain of family tradition and of accepted culture values. I first left Portugal as a Calouste Gulbenkian Fellow in 1964. An aspect of choice, however, has not changed: the certainty of what one wants to do, in science and/or in life. I wanted above all to do science. I found the possibility of contributing to opening doors to room after room in the palace of knowledge incredibly motivating and exhilarating, as it turned out, above making other choices.
8
“Portugal is changing (...). I hold the conviction that ATGs will contribute to that change.”
The price, or the prize, of choice is always to know that in making one choice you are leaving behind the thing that you chose not to do, forever. I was always able to leave behind what I chose not to do, and that was my luxury. Moreover, choice was never influenced or imposed on me by external factors: availability of jobs, funding or such other external factors that more recent generations are being faced with. Your generation may face the same factors, or maybe not. I say “or not” , because as you change, Portugal is changing insofar as a great change is taking place in the attitude of the country towards science, the creation and the acknowledgment of the importance of a scientific education for the progress of the country itself. I offer no prophecy. Or counsel. I hold the personal conviction that a much better time may lie ahead. Moreover, I hold the conviction that ATGs will contribute to that change. I know, however, that many of the changes will depend on the growth of interest in new scientific fields and on the will of the individual or pairs of individuals, such as you will find, for example, in Biocant, with ATGs creating their own small companies and continuing to do research and development, as it was called last century.
“(...) Innovation is something that never really attracted me. I have always been attracted to creativity (...)”
Now, innovation has invaded the land like a sea in keeping with climate change. But innovation is something that never really attracted me. I have always been attracted to creativity, the capacity of changing by fracturing the established. Changing by defying the establishment. Changing by contributing to the opening of new science fields as two ATGs are doing with the recognition of the influence of nutrients in lymphocyte immunity, reflected in the publication of two reviews by Cristina Ferreira and Henrique Veiga Fernandes (both from the 1996 class) in Nature papers with Marc Veldhoen1,2, with the appropriate tools and questions that could be answered by the competent use of those tools. The luxury of choice in my case had also much to do with the fact that I did not build a family and was therefore free to go wherever I chose regardless of concern for position or salary. I accepted Prof Nuno Grande and Corino de Andrade’s challenge to go to Porto, not because Porto is in Portugal, but because exploring visits to the city and to Health Centers in the North had convinced me that there were families with the disease of iron overload (hereditary hemochromatosis, HH) that I wanted to study. In New York, I kept a connection with the other model of human iron overload, transfusional iron overload of thalassemia. I did not change countries for more money or position. I changed because I felt I had access to the clinical model I wanted to study. Furthermore, I would not be alone in Porto. There was a good Hematology service in Santo Antonio Hospital, directed by Benvindo Justica and a great Pathology center across the city with Daniel Serrao and Sobrinho Simoes. 9
I started working in Porto in 1985. Our work showing anomalies in the numbers of CD8 populations in hereditary hemochromatosis 3, along with the discovery of spontaneous iron overload in beta 2 microglobulin -/mice lacking CD8 cells 4,5, preceded and encouraged those who made the identification of the HH gene as an MHC class I gene 6 in 1996. Counsel from me To individual ATGs (Men and Women) Seeking counsel for this note to you, I have gone back not only to the XX century (see below) , but to the XIV century! In a Letter sent to Fra Luigi Marsili written in 1373, Petrarch says: “Here I am already holding you equal to great men, soon it will be to the greatest.”
“Therefore, I no longer just hope for you; I hope and rejoice at the same time. For joy is the word used for the present good; hope is for the future. Here I am already holding you equal to great men, soon it will be to the greatest. Just go, hasten on the journey you have undertaken, rouse yourself. Add to your intellect a double spur, of honor on the one hand, of shame on the other. You have started in the morning, do not slacken at noon. Lazy travelers, when they look up at the sun in the middle of the sky, reckoning that there is a lot of daylight left, are wont to seek the shade and give themselves over to sleep or rest; at length they awaken late and realize that night is falling and that they have been tricked. I certainly do not fear this from you. This is not what the warmth of your spirit assures me, not what your brow, your eyes, your words declare; but the fact remains that such an error has detained and turned away many about to come to the top, when, relying on the authority of some madman or other, they imagine for themselves with vain conviction some age or other that stands still. It never stands still at any point, but is always moving and sliding and running and rushing and as Cicero says, flying.”7 To a GABBA city that will outlive us all:
“(...) cities of knowledge and wisdom, cities where fame or impact factors may not come to dominate, but where what you have discovered and published, or put in a simpler newsletter in written words, will one day be found (...)”
“Innumerable [other cities] are now aging, and they too are about to meet their end quickly but unnoticed by us, inasmuch as the lifetime of cities is longer than that of men, and thus, before some city ages, many thousand men will have aged. Nor men alone will have perished, but their fame as well, as the years and centuries silently slip by.”8 But note cities of knowledge and wisdom, cities where fame or impact factors may not come to dominate, but where what you have discovered and published, or put in a simpler newsletter in written words, will one day be found and (who knows?) translated as Petrarch’ letters were hundreds of years later in the dominant language of the time. No prophecy will tell which language will be the dominant one 600 years from now… 10
Counsel from others
“Most able scientists I know have something for which ‘exploratory impulsion’ is not too grand a description (...)”
You all may have seen in the recent Nature of July 25th 2015 (vol 523, pg 381) an editorial on Timeless Advice, which is precisely on the topic of this Newsletter and I strongly advise you to read. It makes reference to a book by Peter Medawar, published 36 years ago on Advice to a Young Scientist 9. Timeless Advice takes you to another article in the same vol.523, on Career Advancement with headings like Make a Mark, Stress Control and Self Confidence (pp. 491-493). It is all worth reading. My favorite quote is from Medawar’s book. It best reflects my own personal position at the start of my scientific life: “Most able scientists I know have something for which ‘exploratory impulsion’ is not too grand a description … A strong sense of unease and dissatisfaction always goes with lack of comprehension.” As a human being, part of that same exploratory impulsion in life took me to the blessing of the company of great friends, the revelation of great young scientists like you among my students and the sorrow of seeing so many children lost to death, wars, famine and incomprehensible abandon. Maria de Sousa New York, 28th July 2015
References 1.Veldhoen M and Ferreira C 2015 Influence of nutrient-derived metabolites on lymphocyte immunity. Nature Medicine, 2015; 21: 709-718 2.Veldhoen, M. & Veiga-Fernandes, H. Feeding immunity: skepticism, delicacies and delights. Nat. Immunol., 2015 16, 215–219 3.Reimão R1, Porto G, de Sousa M. Stability of CD4/CD8 ratios in man: new correlation between CD4/CD8 profiles and iron overload in idiopathic haemochromatosis patients. C R Acad Sci III. 1991;313:481-7. 4.De Sousa M, Reimão R, Lacerda R, Hugo P, Kaufmann SH, Porto G. Iron overload in beta 2-microglobulin-deficient mice. Immunol Lett. 1994 ;39:105-11. 5.Santos M1, Schilham MW, Rademakers LH, Marx JJ, de Sousa M, Clevers H. Defective iron homeostasis in beta 2-microglobulin knockout mice recapitulates hereditary hemochromatosis in man. J Exp Med. 1996;184:1975-85. 6.Feder JN, Gnirke A, Thomas W, Tsuchihashi Z, Ruddy DA, Basava A, et al. A novel MHC class I-like gene is mutated in patients with hereditary haemochromatosis. Nat Genet 1996;13:399-408 7.Petrarch F 1373 Letters of Old Age Letter . Sen. XV, 6, Johns Hopkins University Press 8.Petrarch F 1373 Letters of Old Age Letter . Sen. XII, 1, Johns Hopkins University Press 9.Medawar, PB Advice to a Young Scientist. Harper and Row, 1979
11
(in)Decisions in life and science
Antonio Amorim
I
was told this issue’s theme would be “Decisions in life and science” and I was asked to write something around it in a somewhat autobiographical tone. Tough decision – I mean, to accept the invitation - since I doubt much more than I decide, even after all these years. Anyway, here it goes.
“For the autobiographical account, I assure you that my desire, by the end of high school, was to become an architect.”
For the autobiographical account, I assure you that my desire, by the end of high school, was to become an architect. Soon I realized it would be an almost impossible mission: at that time, at least in my country, very different from what it is now - so different that the knowledge of the world was carefully controlled, it would be impossible to become an architect. In fact, in those days, to be an architect was a hereditary trait and my father (I can only speak about my father’s job because at that time women were enjoying, not only in Portugal, a situation that currently we associate with orthodox Islamic regimes) wasn’t an architect. I can’t even recall any family member who was an architect. So, it would be a bad decision and I considered admissible alternatives. My next inclination was toward Mathematics; however, even a superficial look at the related literature convinced me that it would be a hard endeavor – too much good work already published and a lot of eccentric, seemingly super clever, guys working in the field (a bit the same that was happening with Physics or Chemistry). History, which would be a tolerable choice, was out of question: by then, but still today, it was too much unscientific and the academia involved utterly unbearable.
“I diffusely realized that Biology was just a fit. Judging from the literature it would be piece of cake – even to me - to work out something new in that area.”
And then I diffusely realized that Biology was just a fit. Judging from the literature it would be piece of cake – even to me - to work out something new in that area. As we know now, at least in that I was right. The bad thing was that the University course was intolerably dull and I nearly dropped it. I manage to finish it, though, with a fuzzy inclination for a fusion between genetics, evolution, and systematics, and I did it the very year a revolution occurred and the war in the colonies ended. Thus, instead of escaping the country, I embarked during a few years in the thrilling experience of rebuilding a society. By 1978 I was already frustrated enough and I couldn’t find any decent lab for my PhD in Europe and I two years after I ended up (out of despair) in the last place on Earth I would ever think of - Tubingen, then in the Federal Republic of Germany (still two Berlins, two countries). Why that? 12
“In the meantime, besides teaching duties, I was involved into the development of genetic services (forensics and diagnostics).”
Besides a small grant, the lab was a fit for my ambitions related to population genetics and offered me at least a flavor of mathematics (Theoretical Medicine was called the area). It proved to be a good decision since that in 1983, a reluctant biologist1 was finally entitled to begin an independent research on population genetics and evolution. In the meantime, besides teaching duties, I was involved in the development of genetic services (forensics and diagnostics). I considered it as an inevitable compromise that I needed to accept in order to get some funding for my research (there was no FCT and we were not part of what is today the European Union!). To my surprise, I found out that those activities were able to reveal very interesting scientific problems, and thus a good number of my publications are devoted to these applications and their mathematical foundations. Furthermore, the responsibility derived from the fact that my area of expertise had a direct effect on people’s lives acutely sharpened my already existent need for precision and defined a theoretical and conceptual framework for research. And this was especially true in the case of Forensics. I am particularly happy to have participated in and contributed to the buildup of modern forensic genetics.
“Somebody said that the scientific life is a sort of allowed (and paid) state of childhood; in my words, it is a permanent, systematic and organized curiosity.”
For those who are not familiar with it, forensic genetics is no more that the application of population genetics to investigate judicial cases. The framework of any forensic procedure is very simple: there is an undisputed observation (somebody is dead, a child is born, etc.) but there are different opinions on the causation of it (who killed, who is the father, etc.); the genetic expertise helps make a decision. Discounting the colorful details of the forensic situation, we recognize that it is the very same situation we do (or should) have generally in science: the technically sound results of an experiment or observation can be interpreted under alternative hypotheses, one of them being classically the ‘null’ hypothesis. The quantitative evaluation of the evidence is thus a general feature of both pure and applied science, but in forensics the stringency of the technical, statistical and theoretical is particularly demanding. Moreover, not only the expertise in forensic genetics recruits the validated state of the art of wide range of disciplines, from molecular biology to evolutionary theory, but it also has been the trigger for the new developments. So all in all I blurred the distinction between pure and applied biology… Enough now of introspect: too many (no)decisions! What about science and life in general? Somebody said that the scientific life is a sort of allowed (and paid) state of childhood; in my words, it is a permanent, systematic and organized curiosity. Unfortunately, as any in human activity and institution, sometimes what is a means to reach something turns into an end in itself. 13
“I do stress that real science comprehends as much creation as destruction and thus a good dose of ignorance is essential for a groundbreaking decision.”
For too many professional scientists their work is (seen as) adding word to the big dictionary of science, and to contribute to this task an exhaustive knowledge of the already known words is mandatory. Sydney Brenner extolled the opposite view: “I strongly believe that the only way to encourage innovation is to give it to the young. The young have a great advantage in that they are ignorant. I think ignorance in science is very important. If you’re like me and you know too much you can’t try new things. I always work in fields of which I’m totally ignorant.” 2 I am not yet old enough to be so critical, but I do stress that real science comprehends as much creation as destruction and thus a good dose of ignorance is essential for a groundbreaking decision3. ***
References 1.Rehmeyer J (2010) Darwin, the Reluctant Mathematician. In Pitici M (ed.) The Best Writing on Mathematics 2010. Princeton University Press, New Jersey pp 377-379 2. Nobel Laureate Sydney Brenner, speaking to blogger Elizabeth Dzeng about the drawbacks of the modern academic and publishing systems (February 24) http://www.the-scientist.com/’articles.view/articleNo/39476/title/Speaking-of-Science/ The Scientist, April 2004 3. Gunawardena J (2014) Models in biology: ‘accurate descriptions of our pathetic thinking’. BMC Biol.12:29
14
ATG: a City of Knowledge. “Because I was able to connect with other people who had shared my experience and gotten through it,(...) I’ve learned how to feel comfortable in the uncertainty.” Manuel Contreras, “Why I’m at the White House today”, July 23, 2015 Maria de Sousa forwarded Manuel Contreras’ full message to us along with a note in which she first referred to ATG as a city of knowledge. We picked the cue and here we have a portrait of our city of knowledge. Please meet a few of its citizens and some of its knowlegde published in 2015.
15
City Of Knowledge Part I. Citizens Filipa Ferreira Susana Frazão Pinheiro GABBA 2nd edition, class 1997 Director, Healthcare Management Programme at UCL, London & Founder of Healthcare start-up
“A year into my research in Oxford, I had realized that I needed to understand the impact of the HIV epidemic where it was taking most of its toll – Africa.”
“Deciding whether or not to do a postdoc was something I devoted quite some time to.”
What was the topic of your PhD thesis and how do you think that defined your next steps? My PhD thesis was in HIV Immunology, more specifically on ‘Cellular immune responses in HIV-infection’. The topic was as defining, as the process of writing itself. A year into my research in Oxford, I had realized that I needed to understand the impact of the HIV epidemic where it was taking most of its toll – Africa. Hence, in 2000 I visited The Gambia to carry out further research, and had the extraordinary opportunity to travel with field workers on their visits to patients across rural areas. This was a defining moment, one that would dictate many of the next steps during and post doctoral studies. When deciding whether or not to do a postdoc, what were the things you considered? Deciding whether or not to do a postdoc was something I devoted quite some time to. After my PhD I was certain I wanted to understand how my research could be taken further, and how it could impact human lives. I was fortunate to have been invited to integrate a team conducting a Phase I clinical trial for a candidate HIV vaccine in 2003. This was the perfect combination of applying research findings and understanding the more managerial perspective around health delivery, and in this particular case, vaccine development with the aim of getting it into the market. I joined as postdoc Fellow and Analytical Project Manager. 16
“The decision to leave bench work was a hard one, as I had dedicated several years to the perusal of scientific answers to the HIV epidemic.”
“GABBA was an absolutely crucial step in my career. I will always remember the supportive words from Professors and colleagues (who have become friends), and Prof. Maria de Sousa in particular.”
Additionally, a two-year postdoc would consolidate my research career, and provide me with an opportunity to further explore whether I would want to pursue bench work further, or rather work on this field from another perspective. How did you decide that you were shifting from the bench to a different path in academia? How did you prepare and how hard was this transition? During our Phase-I clinical trial for an HIV vaccine I often thought about my research and field work in HIV in West Africa. I kept wondering whether, in case of a successful vaccine trial, the means did exist to ensure it would reach all those in need. My travels had taken me into different rural and urban settings throughout the years. I was struck by the challenges encountered by the health field workers to outreach patients. Yet, businesses seemed to reach the most remote areas. I become increasingly interested in understanding how research can be translated into field applications, and reach its ultimate target – the patients. In order to do this, I sought it important to comprehend how business did so. The Skoll Center for Social Entrepreneurship at the Oxford SAID Business School was awarding scholarships for those that, like myself, wanted to understand how business thinking and tools could be used for social (and environmental) impact. To best prepare me for this transition, I applied to the MBA with a Skoll scholarship, and completed it in 2006. The decision to leave bench work was a hard one, as I had dedicated several years to the perusal of scientific answers to the HIV epidemic. Yet, the transition was not complicated, as I had giving it enough consideration to be fairly certain (or as certain as one can be) that this was the path I wanted to pursue. I have also come to learn that very few career choices in life are irreversible. In what way did the GABBA PhD affect your career? GABBA was an absolutely crucial step in my career. I will always remember the supportive words from Professors and colleagues (who have become friends), and Prof. Maria de Sousa in particular. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that GABBA has provided in pursuing a field of study I am passionate for, with some of the most outstanding researchers and thinkers.
17
Gonçalo Rebelo de Andrade GABBA 6th edition, Class of 2002 General Manager at Hovione, Lisbon
The topic of [my PhD] thesis did not play a key role in the next steps but rather the problem solving, the thought process and the whole environment.
Deciding to do a post-doc or not has to fit into the 5-10 year plan you have thought about.
“(...) alternative careers outside of academia (...) were all very appealing to me, and much more than the academia life.”
What was the topic of your PhD thesis and how do you think that defined your next steps? During my PhD I studied the link between mRNA localization and asymmetrical cell division and cell fate. The topic of the thesis did not play a key role in the next steps but rather the problem solving, the thought process and the whole environment. It was clear to me from the beginning I did not wish to remain in academia. When deciding whether or not to do a postdoc, what were the things you considered? One thing we sometimes neglect is the future planning. We become too involved and passionate about our research that may lose sight of the big picture. Deciding to do a post-doc or not has to fit into the 5-10 year plan you have thought about. Asking questions such as “Do I want to be a PI at a university in 10 years?”, “In which country do I want to work in 10-years?” and “What topic should I focus on?” may be good starting points, but the answers should make sense and fit with the economic profile and prospects of the country you are selecting. If you are looking for a Post-Doc in the industry, I would suggest looking at a number of initiatives that enable just that – Marie Curie Initial Training Networks, Marie Curie Industry Academia Partnerships, DAAD Roche program and others. Why did you decide to step out of Academia and move to the Industry? Before my PhD I had worked in the dairy food industry and I wanted to go back as I like to be closer to the end-user and the market. During my PhD time in Germany, I was exposed to a number of alternative careers outside of academia – editor, scientific writing, patent attorney, researcher at a start-up or large Pharmaceutical company, product manager of a technical equipment - and those were all very appealing to me, and much more than the academia life. 18
“My advice is: identify early where you want to be in, reflect on your shortcomings and fill those gaps ahead of time, to facilitate that transition.”
How did you prepare to make this transition? Was the lack of professional experience an obstacle to move to the Industry? Transitions are not prepared overnight and like any other activity, require planning. My advice is: identify early where you want to be in, reflect on your shortcomings and fill those gaps ahead of time, to facilitate that transition. The reason I chose Germany to do my PhD was proximity to the Industry and the fact that, after English, German is the most spoken language in Europe and in the right markets for the Life Sciences Industry. Lack of professional experience is indeed a concern and a potential obstacle but those can be addressed with trainee roles or even more junior roles after your undergraduate studies. Starting a PhD immediately after your undergraduate studies may be too early to have this thought process mapped out but it does not mean it is impossible, just more careful planning – e.g. topic of the research.
“The GABBA PhD program, (...) was an excellent stepping-stone for an international career in life sciences.”
In what way did the GABBA PhD program affect your career? The GABBA PhD program, with its competitive access and the fully funded, no strings attached grant system, was an excellent stepping-stone for an international career in life sciences. It is a golden opportunity for broadening the scope of your scientific background and the breadth of your scientific network. To be a part of such a well reputed program, not only does it open a lot of doors but also, with such a long track record and vast Alumni network, allows easy access to experts in certain scientific disciplines you would have trouble reaching out to.
19
Pedro Alves GABBA 2nd edition, class 1997 Senior Manager Head of Human Clinical Immunology, Belgium
“At the end of the thesis I had the clear perception that I needed to know more, in particular everything related to cancer patients immune response monitoring and clinical development.”
“Scientific excellence drove always my choice, rather than geographic location, peer-review publication number/potential.”
What was the topic of your PhD thesis and how do you think that defined your next steps? My thesis was developed in two locations - Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA. The topic was the identification of CD8 T cell epitopes for immune targeting of cancer. It employed techniques of reverse immunology, in vitro experiments and in vivo mouse tumor models and human in vitro peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) experimental designs to screen candidates and validate defined T cell epitopes. The thesis paved the way towards the next steps of by career development: getting me close to the clinical validation of these T cell epitopes and related tumor antigens where anti-tumor active vaccination is based upon. When you finished your PhD, did you already know you wanted to go work in the Industry? Not at that moment. At the end of the thesis I had the clear perception that I needed to know more, in particular everything related to cancer patients immune response monitoring and clinical development. After finishing my thesis I headed to a number of post-doc trainings prior to consider pharmaceutical industry in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Assessing to industry allowed me to move to the next level... clinical hypothesis validation: from phase I to phase III. And when deciding whether or not to do a postdoc, what were the things you considered? As stated before, I wanted to know more about cancer vaccines and cancer immunobiology. The thesis was a good introduction. During my thesis I have identified a number of laboratories where this knowledge could be gathered. Scientific excellence drove always my choice, rather than geo20
“A typical day is the one ruled by a number of meetings where a multidisciplinary team gather to discuss clinical project plans, solving issues and risks associated to the activities.”
“GABBA was the beginning of a career that strongly depends of your effort and resilience.”
graphic location, peer-review publication number/potential. Thus, my selection was based on scientific relevance, knowledge growth/experience and environment gathering in the subject. I headed at that time to Switzerland (Lausanne) and then to Belgium (Brussels), where I worked with leading immunologists in the cancer vaccination field. How is ‘a day’ in your current position? I joined GSK Vaccines in 2009. I’m currently senior manager. I have been leading immuno-monitoring teams in Cancer Immunotherapeutics R&D, focused on cancer patients enrolled in phase I and phase II studies of the GSK Vaccines development pipeline in cancer. A typical day is the one ruled by a number of meetings where a multidisciplinary team gather to discuss clinical project plans, solving issues and risks associated to the activities. On top of this, I provide on the fly support to the teams I lead and that perform clinical immunological monitoring and we manage external partners aimed to extend our monitoring capabilities and translational research or collaborating with academic groups to foster scientific knowledge or clinical development. Days are quite busy and never routine with a good dose of stress and accomplishment. In what way did the GABBA PhD affect your career? The GABBA PhD program was fundamental. It was a biomedical science eye opener and seed me scientific mindset, boosted my curiosity. It was through GABBA that was made aware of cancer immunotherapy and its potential applications... It provided me the opportunity to embrace and strive in a project that was inspiring, challenging and meaningful considering unmet medical need... GABBA was the beginning of a career that strongly depends of your effort and resilience. ***
21
City Of Knowledge Part II. Knowledge
Summary of the knowledge published in articles indexed to PubMed in 2015
1. Barisic, M. et al. (2015). Microtubule detyrosination guides chromosomes during mitosis. Science 348, 799–803. 2. Rosa, A., et al. (2015). Ect2/Pbl acts via Rho and polarity proteins to direct the assembly of an isotropic actomyosin cortex upon mitotic entry. Dev. Cell 32, 604–616. 3. Carvalho, C.A et al. (2015). Aurora A triggers Lgl cortical release during symmetric division to control planar spindle orientation. Curr. Biol. 25, 53–60. 4. Xavier de Carvalho, A et al., (2015). Reed-Sternberg cells form by abscission failure in the presence of functional Aurora B kinase. PLoS One 10, e0124629. 5. Maia, A.R. et al. (2015a). Inhibition of the spindle assembly checkpoint kinase TTK enhances the efficacy of docetaxel in a triple-negative breast cancer model. Ann. Oncol. 6. De Albuquerque, B.F.M. et al. (2015). Maternal piRNAs Are Essential for Germline Development following De Novo Establishment of Endo-siRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev. Cell 34, 448–456. 7. Tavares, L., Pereira, E., Correia, A., Santos, M.A., Amaral, N., Martins, T., Relvas, J.B., and Pereira, P.S. (2015). Drosophila PS2 and PS3 integrins play distinct roles in retinal photoreceptors-glia interactions. Glia 63, 1155–1165. 8. Guimarães-Camboa N., Stowe J., Aneas I., Sakabe N., et al. (2015). HIF1 alpha Represses Cell Stress Pathways to Allow Proliferation of Hypoxic Fetal Cardiomyocytes. Dev Cell. 33(5):507-21
Catarina Seabra & Ines Tenente Cell and Developmental Biology
I
n the field of cell division, Silva e Sousa, R. (GABBA 16th) significantly contributed to the discovery that chromosome alignment at the cell equator is controlled by specific post-translational modifications of selected microtubules1. Rosa, A., et al. (GABBA 12th) demonstrated the importance of repolarization and remodeling of the actomyosin cortex upon entry in mitosis for correct chromosome segregation2. Carvalho, C.A. (GABBA 17th) along with Morais-de-Sa, E. (GABBA 8th) described a mechanism that directly links cell cycle with the reorganization of cell polarity complexes in order to achieve precise control of spindle orientation in drosophila follicular cell epithelia3. In the interface with oncology, Xavier de Carvalho, A. et al. (GABBA 3rd) clarified the origin of classic Hodgkin lymphoma-associated large, multinucleated Reed-Sternberg cells by Aurora A-dependent abscission failure4. Maia, A.R. et al. (GABBA 10th) proposed the inhibition of the spindle assembly checkpoint kinase as a novel therapeutic target for neo-adjuvant therapy in highly aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer 5. In the field of developmental biology, de Albuquerque, B.F.M., et al. (GABBA 13th) described an important mechanism whereby maternal contribution of piRNAs is critical for de novo endo-siRNA establishment in C. elegans germline development6. Tavares, L. et al (GABBA 9th) presented evidence that transmembrane adhesion molecules of the integrin family play diverse and specific functions in the development of retinal glia in drosophila 7. Guimarães-Camboa, N. et al. (GABBA 10th) found that during a well-defined time window in embryonic development, the transcription factor HIF1alpha accumulates in the nuclei of myocytes located in non-perfused segments of the myocardial wall and allows for proliferation in limiting oxygen conditions 8. 22
Genetics and Molecular Biology In the field of genetics and molecular biology, Lima, A. C. (GABBA 15th) and Seabra, C.M. (GABBA 16th) significantly contributed to the discovery of genetic variants associated with male infertility 1,2. 1.Lima, A.C., et al. (2015). Rare double sex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1 regulatory variants in severe spermatogenic failure. Andrology 3, 825–833. 2.Seabra, C.M., et al. (2015). The mutational spectrum of WT1 in male infertility. J. Urol. 193, 1709–1715. 3. Coelho, M.B., et al. (2015). Nuclear matrix protein Matrin3 regulates alternative splicing and forms overlapping regulatory networks with PTB. EMBO J. 34, 653–668. 4. Bandarra, D., et al. (2015). HIF-1alpha restricts NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression to control innate immunity signals. Dis. Model. Mech. 8, 169–181. 5. Moniz, S., et al. (2015). Cezanne regulates E2F1-dependent HIF2alpha expression. J. Cell Sci. 128, 3082–3093. 6. Karam, et al. (2015). The unfolded protein response is shaped by the NMD pathway. EMBO Rep. 16, 599–609.
Coelho, M.B. (GABBA 9th) identifies the role of Matrin3 in regulating alternative splicing which can help clarify the molecular pathology of ALS and other diseases caused by mutations of Matrin33. Bandarra, D. (GABBA 14th) focused on HIF-1alpha and described how it restricts gene expression pathways that control innate immunity and how itself can be repressed by Cezanne 4,5. Karam, R. (GABBA 8th) shed light on unfolded protein response regulation and demonstrated the ability of regulating normal mRNAs through nonsense-mediated RNA decay 6. In the world of bioinformatics and systems biology, Francescatto, M. (GABBA 12th) contributed to a method for differential expression analysis of clustered count data, named DGE7. Beltrão, P. (GABBA 6th) demonstrated that the degree of conservation of kinase-protein interactions is found to be predictive of functionally relevant regulatory interactions in Xenopus laevis 8. Goulart, L.F. (GABBA 10th) described the important role of miRNAs in the polygenic architecture of complex human disorders and traits and why they should be used to improve gene discovery 9.
7. Vavoulis, D. V, et al. (2015). DGEclust: differential expression analysis of clustered count data. Genome Biol. 16, 39. 8. Johnson, J.R., et al.(2015). Prediction of Functionally Important Phospho-Regulatory Events in Xenopus laevis Oocytes. PLoS Comput. Biol. 11, e1004362. 9. Goulart, L.F., et al. (2015). MicroRNAs enrichment in GWAS of complex human phenotypes. BMC Genomics 16, 304.
23
Biology of Disease In the vast field of biology of disease, contributions in Diabetes pathophysiology were made by Pinho, A. V. (GABBA 9th) et al., who has provided new mechanistic insights showing that beta-cell function in Sirt1-deficient pancreas is affected due to altered glucose sensing and deregulation of the Unfolded Protein Response pathway and uncovered a context in which impaired beta-cell function is not accompanied by increased glycemia1. In addition, Patarrão, R.S. (GABBA 5th)et al. has shown that acute glucagon induces postprandial peripheral insulin resistance and suggested that the glucagon-cAMP-GSH axis is a potential therapeutic target to address insulin resistance2. Raposo, R.A. (GABBA 9th) et al. has described Psoriasis as an inflammatory disease with cutaneous but not systemic immune activation against viral pathogens3.
1.Pinho, A. V, et al. (2015). Pancreas-Specific Sirt1-Deficiency in Mice Compromises Beta-Cell Function without Development of Hyperglycemia. PLoS One 10, e0128012. 2.Patarrao, R.S., et al. (2015). Acute glucagon induces postprandial peripheral insulin resistance. PLoS One 10, e0127221 3. Raposo, R.A., et al. (2015). Antiviral gene expression in psoriasis. J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol. 4. Silva-Santos, S., et al. (2015). Ube3a reinstatement identifies distinct developmental windows in a murine Angelman syndrome model. J. Clin. Invest. 125, 2069–2076.
Silva-Santos, S. (GABBA13th) et al. gave insight towards a possible Angelman Syndrome treatment by demonstrating that Ube3a reinstatement early in development may be necessary to prevent or rescue most AS-associated phenotypes4.
Neurosciences In the field of neurosciences, the contributions of Trigo, D. (GABBA 12th) on the physiology of nerve fibres showed evidence of a return pathway of sodium ions into endoneural space following their entrance in the axon during impulse conduction5. In addition, Teixeira, C.M. (GABBA 7th) et al. demonstrated a link between emotional and cognitive behavior in adults with monoamine-sensitive developmental periods which may improve prevention and treatment approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders6.
5. Trigo, D. et al.(2015). Axonal morphological changes following impulse activity in mouse peripheral nerve in vivo: the return pathway for sodium ions. J. Physiol. 593, 987–1002. 6. Suri, D. et al. (2015). Monoamine-sensitive developmental periods impacting adult emotional and cognitive behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 40, 88–112.
24
1.Barreira da Silva, et al. (2015). Dipeptidylpeptidase 4 inhibition enhances lymphocyte trafficking, improving both naturally occurring tumor immunity and immunotherapy. Nat. Immunol. 16, 850–858. 2.Saleiro, D., et al. (2015). Central role of ULK1 in type I interferon signaling. Cell Rep. 11, 605–617. 3. Nogueira, C. V., et al. (2015). Protective immunity against Chlamydia trachomatis can engage both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and bridge the respiratory and genital mucosae. J. Immunol. 194, 2319–2329. 4. Arezes, J., et al. (2015). Hepcidin-induced hypoferremia is a critical host defense mechanism against the siderophilic bacterium Vibrio vulnificus. Cell Host Microbe 17, 47–57.5. 5. Santos, J.C., et al. (2015). The COPII complex and lysosomal VAMP7 determine intracellular Salmonella localization and growth. Cell. Microbiol. 6. Vale, P.F., et al., (2015). Sex-specific behavioural symptoms of viral gut infection and Wolbachia in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Insect Physiol. 82, 28–32. 7. Vale, P.F., et al., (2015). Costs of CRISPR-Cas-mediated resistance in Streptococcus thermophilus. Proc. Biol. Sci. 282. 8. Maia, T.M., et al., (2015). Evolution of Mating Systems in Basidiomycetes and the Genetic Architecture Underlying Mating-Type Determination in the Yeast Leucosporidium scottii. Genetics 201, 75–89. 9. Silva, R.M., et al., (2015). Three minimal sequences found in Ebola virus genomes and absent from human DNA. Bioinformatics 31, 2421–2425. 10. Marques, S.R., et al., (2015). An essential role of the basal body protein SAS-6 in Plasmodium male gamete development and malaria transmission. Cell. Microbiol. 17, 191–206.
Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology In the field of immunology, Barreira da Silva, R. (GABBA 10th) et al. made a significant contribution by demonstrating in vivo evidence for control of lymphocyte trafficking via CXCL10 cleavage which support the use of DPP4 inhibitors for stabilizing biologically active forms of chemokines as a strategy to enhance tumor immunotherapy1. Saleiro, D. (GABBA 12th) et al. showed evidence for the role of ULK1 as a key mediator of type I interferon receptor-generated signals that control gene transcription and induction of antineoplastic responses2. Nogueira, C. V. (GABBA 7th) provided insight for the development of vaccines against mucosal pathogens by demonstrating that the cross-mucosa protective immunity against genital C. trachomatis infection following intranasal immunization is not dependent on Ab response but is mediated by not only CD4+ T cells but also by CD8+ T cells 3. Arezes, J. (GABBA 15th) et al. demonstrated that the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin is essential for the survival of the host after infection with Vibrio vulnificus4. Santos, J.C. (GABBA 13th) et al. showed that the dynamic communication between the SCV and distinct host organelles affects both intracellular Salmonella localization and growth at successive steps of host cell invasion5. Vale, P.F. (GABBA 8th) et al. described the costs of the CRISPR-Cas system in Streptococcus thermophilus and its implication in the evolution of CRISPR-Cas-mediated immunity; and demonstrated sex-specific behavioral symptoms of viral gut infection and Wolbachia in Drosophila melanogaster 6,7. Maia, T.M. (GABBA 10th) et al. discovered that sexual reproduction in yeast Leucosporidium scottii is governed by two physically unlinked gene clusters: a multiallelic homeodomain locus and a pheromone/receptor locus, reinforcing tetrapolarity as the ancestral state of all basidiomycetes8. Silva, R.M. (GABBA 3rd) et al. contributed to the discovery of three short DNA sequences found in Ebola virus genomes and are absent from human DNA which can be used for quick and precise action against the infectious agent9. Marques, S.R. (GABBA 7th) et al. uncovered an essential role of the basal body protein SAS-6 in Plasmodium male gamete development and malaria transmission10.
25
1. Pigeault, R., et al., (2015). Transgenerational effect of infection in Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes. Biol. Lett. 11.
Vezilier, J. (GABBA 10th) et al. studied the transgenerational effect of infection in Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes and showed that having an infected mother entails considerable fecundity costs for the offspring1.
2. Nazareth, T., et al., (2015). Impact of a dengue outbreak experience in the preventive perceptions of the community from a temperate region: Madeira Island, portugal. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 9, e0003395.
Nazareth, T. (GABBA 13th) et al. showed that a dengue outbreak experience led to the appearance of new myths within the population and suggested that monitoring public perceptions is crucial to make preventing dengue campaigns updated and worthy2.
3. Melo, S.A., et al. (2015). Glypican-1 identifies cancer exosomes and detects early pancreatic cancer. Nature 523, 177–182. 4. Sarmento, L.M., et al. (2015). CHK1 overexpression in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is essential for proliferation and survival by preventing excessive replication stress. Oncogene 34, 2978–2990. 5. Becker, A.P., et al. (2015b). KIAA1549: BRAF Gene Fusion and FGFR1 Hotspot Mutations Are Prognostic Factors in Pilocytic Astrocytomas. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 74, 743–754. 7. Costa, A.M., et al. (2015). Silencing of the tumor suppressor gene WNK2 is associated with upregulation of MMP2 and JNK in gliomas. Oncotarget 6, 1422–1434. 8. Martinho, O., et al. (2015). AXL as a modulator of sunitinib response in glioblastoma cell lines. Exp. Cell Res. 332, 1–10. 9. Campanella, N.C., et al. (2015a). Absence of Microsatellite Instability In Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Pathobiology 82, 36–42 10. Costa, A.M., et al. (2015). Silencing of the tumor suppressor gene WNK2 is associated with upregulation of MMP2 and JNK in gliomas. Oncotarget 6, 1422–1434. 11. Martinho, O., et al. (2015). AXL as a modulator of sunitinib response in glioblastoma cell lines. Exp. Cell Res. 332, 1–10. 12. Pinto, F., et al. (2015). The embryonic Brachyury transcription factor is a novel biomarker of GIST aggressiveness and poor survival. Gastric Cancer. Gastric Cancer. 1-9
Oncobiology In the field of cancer biology, Melo, S.A. (GABBA 9th) et al. showed that pancreatic cancer cells release exosomes that contain the protein glypican-1 (GPC1). This study raises the possibility that a non-invasive, early diagnostic method could be developed for this aggressive cancer by detecting GPC1-positive exosomes from the blood stream3. Also, an important mechanism underlying T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell survival and proliferation was described by Barata, J.T. (GABBA 1st), involving the CHK1 protein4. Reis, R.M. (GABBA 1st) et al. contributed to a better understanding of soft tissue sarcomas and brain tumors. In Pilocytic Astrocytomas, while the expression of the known tumor suppressor MTAP was shown not to stratify patient response but rather indicating a subset of MTAP-negative patients for specific chemotherapy, A BRAF gene fusion together with FGFR1 Hotspot mutations were shown to be prognostic factors of these tumors. Furthermore, Reis, R.M. propose a mechanism for highly agressive high and low grade gliomas through the inactivation of the tumor suppressor WNK2 and induction of JNK and the metalloproteinase MMP2. Reis, R.M. also showed that the drug sunitinib, which is currently in clinical trials for glioblastoma, inhibits the kinase AXL and that combining sunitinib with AKT pathway inhibitors could overcome sunitinib resistance. Lastly, contributions in the sarcoma field by Reis, R.M. showed that in contrast with colorectal cancer, microsatellite instability is not common in soft tissue sarcomas and that embryonic Brachyury transcription factor is a novel biomarker of GIST, a sarcoma of the digestive tract, and is related to aggressiveness and poor survival.
26
Have you visited the ATG’s website? www.atg.up.pt
27
ATG News Pedro Resende & Eurico Morais de Sá
I
n our previous and first newsletter, we congratulated Ana Car valho, Pedro Beltrão and Nuno Alves for being awarded with ERC starting grants, but we are also delighted with the success of other ATG! ERC: European Research Council. For ERC grant opportunities, visit: http://erc.europa.eu/funding-andgrants
Henrique Veiga-Fernandes (interviewed in our first newsletter) and João Taborda Barata both from GABBA’s first edition and both working at IMM (Instituto de Medicina Molecular) were awarded with ERC consolidation Grants. This means that this year GABBA alumni attracted more than 7 millions Euros from ERC European funds to Portuguese institutions: something to be proud of! Henrique Veiga-Fernandes’ Laboratory is dedicated to explore novel communication pathways that determine immune cell fate and disease progression, focusing on haemotopoiesis and innate lymphoid cell development and function. João Taborda Barata research has been focused on hematological malignancies, aiming to understand the relative importance of microenvironment signals and cell autonomous defects for tumor development, metastasis and treatment response. Other member of GABBA’s first edition, Fatima Macedo, group leader at IBMC (Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto) was also awarded with an international award. Fatima’s winning project was granted 140 thousand dollars, by Genzyme, a Sanofi company, USA, to understand the consequences behind the accumulation of glucosylceramide in the immune system of patients with Gaucher disease, particularly in lipid specific T cells and B cells. Another GABBA on the spotlight this year was Sonia Melo, awarded with a Medalha Loreal for her work on the role of exosomes in tumor progression, which have highlighted their potential as a non-invasive approach to detect and monitor cancer.
28
As promised in our previous newsletter, here is the interview with Pedro Beltrão, who has recently been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. What was the impact of this ERC grant in your laboratory? The 1.5 million Euros (minus overheads) for 5 years are obviously a great boost to any lab budget. For me in particular it will mean that we can start to do some experimental genetics work that is highly complementary to the ongoing computational projects. This is work that would be hard to fund via most funding schemes that tend to more risk averse. It is also not just the money itself but the recognition that comes with being successful in a highly competitive application process.
“I would be happy to work in Portugal if the conditions were right.”
“The ERC grants (both starting and advanced) awarded to many former GABBA students that are now group leaders in Portugal are just a small example of the great return on investment that the GABBA program is”.
Is coming back to Portugal in your plans? After spending 5 years in California during my postdoc, the UK already feels very close to Portugal. I would be happy to work in Portugal if the conditions were right. I received some form of financial support from the Portuguese government from school all the way through university, PhD and first year of postdoc. Although it sounds cheesy I do feel like I should give something back at some point. I have recently accepted an unpaid affiliation with the University of Aveiro where I hope to be able to make some contributions through joint projects and collaborations. At the EMBL-EBI we have a fixed term of a maximum of 9 years so I know I will move. Maybe it will be Portugal, maybe it will be some other great adventure somewhere else. What was the role of GABBA in your development as a scientist and in your current line of research? The first year courses were great and very useful. I am one of those people that enjoys being bombarded with full days of talks so this was the ideal learning scenario for me. I can’t really say that it influenced very directly my PhD area but it certainly gave a very robust background knowledge across a wide range of topics. More importantly, GABBA gave me the freedom to go do my PhD anywhere I could. I am sure many of us have tried to explain this to other people we meet around the world and get the same surprised looks. A fully funded PhD anywhere in the world with no return clause or strings attached. It is hard to believe and I am sure sometimes it is hard to justify. The ERC grants (both starting and advanced) awarded to many former GABBA students that are now group leaders in Portugal are just a small example of the great return on investment that the GABBA program is. ***
29
GABBA News Science, Society and Utopia – challenging talks to turn scientific utopias into foreseeable realities Ana Margarido, Fabio Ferreira & Pedro Guiomar
O
n the 24th July 2015 researchers, students and other enthusiasts gathered at the Main Auditorium of the ICBAS/FFUP complex for the GABBA Annual Symposium. This year’s meeting aimed at promoting discussions about scientific discoveries that may contribute to turn utopias into foreseeable realities. In an informal setting, ideas and new perspectives were shared and the audience was able to learn about recent scientific achievements, innovations and breakthroughs with potential to change society as we know it.
Morning speakers were Zita Martins, Victor de Lorenzo, and Perpétua Pinto-do-Ó.
During the course of the day, six renowned scientists presented their work focused on diverse areas of knowledge. The morning sessions began with Zita Martins, a well-known astrobiologist at the Imperial College of London (UK), who provided an outstanding introduction on astronomy and novel analytical techniques to probe the presence of amino acids and bio-signatures (hence, the possibility of life) in extra-terrestrial objects, such as meteors, teaching many about this exciting and not well-known field. After the morning coffee, Víctor de Lorenzo, expert in environmental microbiology from the National Center for Biotechnology (Spain), gave some good and bad news: microbes are everywhere and play a major part in our everyday lives; without them we would not be able to survive. He also showed some applications of synthetic biology in microorganisms, such as engineering of intricate traits like membrane adhesion proteins. Afterwards, Perpétua Pinto-do-Ó, a renowned researcher in stem cell biology working at INEB-i3S, provided moments for learning and reflecting, punctuated by glimpses of the past, prompting us to think about what scientists in all areas should look up to and what to avoid. 30
The first speaker of the afternoon sessions needs little introduction: Miguel Nicolelis, a pioneer in brain-machine interface from the Duke University (USA). He presented not only the work behind the “Walk Again” project which gained visibility by enabling a tetraplegic to do the kick off of the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil, but also other impressive pieces of research. Afterwards, we heard from Mary Herbert, a pioneer in reproductive biology from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research (UK), who was involved in the recent scientific and social breakthrough that lead to what the media describe as “children of three parents”. The work allowed the successful transference of oocyte mitochondria, leading to the avoidance of some mitochondrial diseases. Besides this, other topics such as in vitro fertilization and social, ethical and policy issues were very properly approached. The closing speaker, João Pedro de Magalhães, leader of the Integrative Genomics of Ageing at the University of Liverpool (UK), caught everyone’s attention with a fascinating talk about genes regulating ageing and the millenary human quest for immortality. Pointing to the countless age-related ailments that affect every person, de Magalhães presented interesting stories from centenaries and data collected from models organisms and naturally long-lived species.
Afternoon Speakers included Miguel Nicolelis, Mary Herbert, and Joao Pedro Magalhaes.
All those challenging new ideas led the participants to the end of this utopian journey with a debate. Chaired by Fátima Vieira, from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto, the lively and exceptionally well-coordinated debate provided a unique opportunity to get to know the speakers, namely regarding their aspirations and considerations on life as scientists, the role of society in the discussion of discoveries and progress, and the importance of utopian thinking, curiosity and open-mindedness in science. The audience also shared their utopian wishes, concerns and their views on the future of scientific research and how it may and should impact society. During the symposium the participants wrote down utopian scenarios for the future and posed questions about it, to which the speakers presented a comment or answer at the end of the debate. After months of careful planning, the organizing committee finds few words to thank everyone that was involved, from the sponsors to the participants for their interest in attending the symposium. It was rewarding to see the room filled up, and watch the sharing of ideas and the participation of the audience not only during the debate but throughout the sessions. With the completion of this task, the students of the 18th edition of the GABBA program depart to unknown paths not without wishing that Utopias continue to drive Science and Society. *** 31
The ATG Newsletter’s website is coming up! www.atgnewsletter.up.pt
32
Read ANd Highlighted Synaptic self: how our brains become who we are Bruno Fontinha
M
“ y notion of personality is pretty simple: it’s that your ‘self,’ the essence of who you are, reflects patterns of interconnectivity between neurons in your brain. Connections between neurons, known as synapses, are the main channels of information flow and storage in the brain. Most of what the brain does is accomplished by synaptic transmission between neurons, and by calling upon the information encoded by past transmission across synapses.” LeDoux, Joseph E. (2002), Synaptic self: how our brains become who we are, New York: Penguin Group
“Here, world-renowned brain expert Joseph LeDoux tells a groundbreaking and profound story: how the brain, and particularly its synapses, creates and maintains personality. Rather than taking sides in the age-old nature versus nurture debate, LeDoux illustrates how both contribute to synaptic connectivity and personality, broadening our understanding of who we are and what it mean to be human.”
“The study of learning and memory processes in the brain has advanced rapidly in the last few decades. […] Learning, and its synaptic result, memory, play major roles in gluing a coherent personality together as one goes through life. Without learning and memory processes, personality would be merely an empty, impoverished expression of our genetic constitution. Learning allow us to transcend our genes, or, as the novelist Salman Rushdie said, ‘Life teaches us who we are.’ Our genes may bias the way we act, but the systems responsible for much of what we do and how we do it are shaped by learning. […] The brain, in other words, learns and stores many things in networks that function outside conscious awareness. These learned tendencies affect all aspects of mind and behaviors, and are probably at least as important for day-to-day functioning as what we know about ourselves consciously.” “Given the importance of synaptic transmission in brain function, it should be practically a truism to say that the self is synaptic. What else could it be? Not everyone, however, will be happy with this conclusion. Many will surely counter that the self is psychological, social, moral, aesthetic, or spiritual, rather than neural, in nature ... even a partial understanding of the synaptic basis of who we are is, for me, an acceptable goal. For seeking knowledge about the brain is not only a valid scientific pursuit; it can also improve the quality of life, as when it uncovers new ways of treating neurological or psychiatric disorders.” ***
33
Were you looking for the membership form? It is on the next page. Hurry! We can hardly wait to have you as new member!
34
ATG Membership Form Name*: ___________________________________________________ PubMed Name: ____________________________________________ GABBA Edition: ___________________________________________ Address *:__________________________________________________ Fiscal Number: _____________________________________________ Phone: _______________________ Fax: ________________________ Email Address*: ____________________________________________ Wire Transfer or PAYPAL Confirmation Number*: ________________ *Required Information The dues for 2015 are 20 EUR and are payable via wire transfer or PayPal. Associação ATG - ALL TIME GABBAs NIB: 0035 0285 00074467330 90 IBAN: PT50 0035 0285 00074467 330 90 BIC (Bank Identification code): CGDIPTPL
PayPal: geral@atg.up.pt
Please email this form to geral@agt.up.pt or visit the website to complete the form online.
You reached the end of the second issue of the ATG member newsletter. Will you help us prepare the next issue?
You can contribute with material for the existing sections or create new ones. Together, we will make this newsletter grow!
36
ATG - All Time GABBA The Alumni Association of the Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology University of Porto - Portugal