in vivo July 2014 | Issue 27
NEWSLETTER OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICINE
Alzheimer’s experts unite Alzheimer’s Disease causes a progressive
Alzheimers’ experts gather at the Barcelona BioMed Conference organised in collaboration with the BBVA Foundation on 9-11 July. (Photo: L.T. Barone)
Aznar receives Bank of Sabadell honour
loss of memory and thinking and reasoning
Salvador Aznar Benitah has been
skills, and is one of the greatest challenges facing
awarded the IX Bank of Sabadell Prize for
today’s aging population. One of the hallmarks
Biomedical Research. Selected from among
of Alzheimer’s is the presence in the brain of ab-
more than 65 candidates, the jury recognised
normal accumulations of the amyloid-ββ protein,
“his contributions to the field of stem cell
which was the focus of the last Barcelona BioMed
research, and in particular, for discovering
Conference, Amyloid-ββ and Alzheimer’s Disease:
the influence of the circadian rhythm on
From Fundamental Principles to Therapeutic
the behaviour of adult stem cells, a finding
Strategies, held on 9-11 July. More on page 2.
which has important implications in the fields of ageing and cancer.” The 38-year-
1-2-3 in Nature Cell Biology
old scientist heads IRB Barcelona’s “Stem Cells and Cancer” group. “This prize is one of the most important in Spain and among the biggest
Colon cancer, metastatic cancer, and micro-
ranked journals. The articles arise from research
internationally. It represents recognition at
tubule biology in cell division are the focus of
by the groups of Roger Gomis (1 June), Eduard
the highest level,” explains Carlos López-
three articles appearing in advanced online edi-
Batlle (22 June) and Jens Lüders (29 June). The
Otín, chair of the jury.
tions in June of Nature Cell Biology. With an
Batlle team’s work was chosen for the cover of
impact factor of 20, NCB is one of the highest
the July print issue. More on page 3.
When maths meet life This summer, IRB Barcelona has opened its doors to several scientists from areas that have traditionally been at arm’s length from the life sciences: mathematicians, physicists, and statisticians. They’re all part of a new training programme for University students called Maths4Life, aimed at opening new opportunities to merge these fields. More on page 4.
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CERCA showcase
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A new website for IRB
Salvador Aznar Benitah received the IX Bank of Sabadell Prize for Biomedical Research from Bank President Josep Oliu at a ceremony on 1 July. (Photo: Banc Sabadell)
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A letter from camp
p7
A trip to Tel Aviv
Chris Dobson: “Alzheimer’s is a curable disease”
A
lzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a brain dis-
the rest of their lives looking after my generation
ral defences to work longer.”
ease that causes a progressive loss of
The three-day Barcelona BioMed Confer-
and perhaps the next one,” adds the British sci-
memory and thinking and reasoning
ence, the 24th of the series, was organised in col-
entist. “The cost to care for people with AD is
skills, and represents one of the greatest chal-
laboration with the BBVA Foundation and saw
already enormous for society and will continue
lenges facing today’s aging population. One of
the participation of about 150 top scientists from
to increase without effective treatments!”
the hallmarks of AD is the presence in the brain
basic research, clinical neurology and pharma-
of abnormal accumulations of the amyloid-β
ceutical companies.
protein. This protein was at the centre of the last
The aggregation of proteins and formation
Barcelona BioMed Conference, Amyloid-β and
of amyloid deposits is what
Alzheimer’s Disease: From Fundamental Prin-
gives rise to AD. Normally,
ciples to Therapeutic Strategies, held from 9-11
says Dobson, “we have de-
July at the Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
fence mechanisms, chaperones
Christopher Dobson (University of Cam-
and quality control systems,
Fortunately, Dobson thinks, “a lot of things are now coming together. We are at a turning point in AD research. Scientists are beginning to
❝ Alzheimer’s is something
we can deal with... We don’t have to accept that it is part of our future.❞ Chris Dobson, University of Cambridge
understand what the agents causing the disease are, and finding that there are testable biomarkers.” Dobson thinks that
bridge), who co-organised the conference with
that pick up the beginnings of
IRB Barcelona’s Natàlia Carulla, is “completely
these aggregation events and
the work carried out in
convinced that, contrary to widespread public
prevent them or degrade the species that would
one of the absolutely key issues in the AD field,
belief, Alzheimer’s is a treatable disease.”
otherwise become toxic. This process works in-
namely the nature and structure of the key spe-
IRB Barcelona “addresses
“Fifty years ago,” explains this scientist,
credibly well – in fact, so well that up to the age
cies involved in pathology, that future drugs
“people thought cancer was incurable. Now we
of 60 the risk of suffering from AD is very low.
could target.”
know that’s not true. Another interesting parallel
But as we grow older, the protective mechanisms
is with AIDS. After 20 years of massive invest-
start to be less efficient.”
What are especially toxic, and can initiate the subsequent neurodegenerative events, in
ment, at least in the developed world you can live
In one sense, it could be easier to tackle than
fact, are the species that form before fibres and
being HIV positive. I am sure AD could become
other diseases. “The nature of the species giving
plaques, not the proteins themselves. These spe-
like that. We will be able to live with it without
rise to AD,” explains this chemical biologist, “is
cies are generally called oligomers, and can be
experiencing such debilitating symptoms. We
much simpler than viruses or bacteria. In fact,
made of several molecules. Because they are rela-
only need to find the drugs that enable our natu-
they are really junk. They are by-products of
tively small, they can move around and cause the
protein production and function that are normal-
spread of the disease.
Christopher Dobson opened the Barcelona BioMed Conference on Amyloid-β. (Photo: L.T. Barone)
ly cleared out of your system. Amyloid deposits
Meetings like the Barcelona BioMed Confer-
are not going to fight back, they are not going to
ence help to catalyse new research. As Dobson
mutate to evade drugs. We have to find a way to
puts it, “I am optimistic that these multidisci-
reduce their occurrence or to clear them out. I
plinary roots will bring us to lots of new ideas
am quite sure drugs capable of doing this can be
that will completely transform this field. We
developed soon.”
must get the message across that AD is some-
.
The key for the change of paradigm is to in-
thing we can deal with, it’s not the end of the
vest more money. “If people in their 20s, 30s and
world. We don’t have to accept that it is part of
40s don’t think about this disease, they will spend
our future.” (ltb)
eral processes such cellular proliferation, se-
cells that regulate the consumption of energy
nescence, and cancer progression.
stores and its depletion reduces fly lifespan in
SCIENCE BITES
➲
A shape coupling A
for
perfect
study performed in
collaboration between IRB Barcelona’s Raul Méndez and Frédéric H.-T. Allain from the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophys-
➲
No food? p53 to the rescue! p53 is a well known tu-
flies under starvation conditions. The paper has been published on 10 July in Cell Reports.
ics in Zurich and published in Genes and De-
mour suppressor gene conserved from humans
velopment on 1 July has revealed the structure
to flies. Now, Milan’s lab has unveiled a new
➲
that allows CPEB proteins to bind RNA with
role for p53 in Drosophila during starvation as
proteins exist.” This is the claim of the article
high fidelity. CPEB proteins are essential for
it contributes to metabolism adaptation. p53
published by Xavier Salvatella and Modesto
translation control and are implicated in sevp2 in vivo July 2014 | Issue 27 p2 in vivo July 2014 | Issue 27
seems to modify the metabolism of specific
Orozco in Nature Communications on 12
Molecular highways
“In-
formation transfer pathways inside
1-2-3 in Nature Cell Biology Colon cancer, metastatic cancer, and microtubule biology in cell division are the focus of three articles appearing in advanced online editions in June of Nature Cell Biology. With an impact factor of 20, NCB is one of the highest ranked journals. The articles arise from research by the groups of Roger Gomis (1 June), Eduard Batlle (22 June) and Jens Lüders (29 June). The Batlle team’s work was chosen for the cover of the July print issue.
Natural protection of the colon Eduard Batlle’s team are a step closer to understanding the evolution of colon cancer. They found that the colon has a safety mechanism that restricts the formation and rapid development of adenomas. Between 30% and 50% of people over 50 years develop adenomas, benign tumours that, over time, can turn into cancer, and this safety mechanism is automatically activated when these pre-cancerous lesions appear. “The formation of an adenoma in the colon is accompanied by an increase in the production of a molecule called BMP (bone morphogenetic protein). This molecule limits the self-renewal capacity of adenoma stem cells, thus impeding the rapid development of the lesion,” says Batlle, ICREA Research Professor who leads the Colorectal Cancer Lab. The study, whose main author is Gavin Whissell, has revealed a safety circuit to eliminate the tumours, or at least control their development. “Colon cancer is a disease that develops slowly, and this is possibly thanks to this mechanism,” he points out. The mechanism may not be equally effective in every person. Genetic variations in the population determine that some people have more robust safety mechanisms to respond to polyp formation than others. “We provide a plausible explanation of why certain genomic variations are associated with a greater risk of colon cancer.” The study opens the door to strengthening strategies to fight this dis-
ease, one of the most prevalent cancers, with 1,600,000 cases diagnosed annually and a mortality rate of 50%.
Metastases of metastasis First-authored by Jelena Urosevic and Xabier Garcia-Albéniz, a study on the new concept of metastases of metastasis appears in Nature Cell Biology’s July issue. The team led by ICREA Research Professor Roger Gomis explain why colon cancer metastasis always follows the same invasive pattern, first establishing itself in the liver and then in the lung. The study reveals that the metastatic lesion in the liver is necessary for later metastasis to the lung, making the liver a platform from which the cells prepare the lung niche to be
risk of colonisation,” explains Gomis.
Spotlight on microtubules Jens Lüders’ most recent paper is the third to be published in NCB, appearing in
colonised. The researchers observed that tumour cells
the August print issue. With the help of Ju-
in the liver release PTHLH. This molecule af-
lien Colombelli and IRB Barcelona’s state-
fects the cells of pulmonary blood vessels,
of-the-art Advanced Digital Microscopy fa-
which respond by triggering a remodelling pro-
cility, Lüders solved a long-standing mystery
cesses, causing the previously impermeable ves-
in the microtubule field - how to track the
sel walls to form gaps. When a tumour cell es-
starting points of microtubules. These pro-
capes from the liver to travel towards the lung,
tein filaments assemble the mitotic spindle, a
it exploits these gaps to enter the lung.
complex structure that distributes the chro-
“The tumour cells gain capacity to produce
mosomes correctly when cells divide.
PTHLH when the levels of p38 are decreased.
“We have finally been able to label the
Our results suggest that the administration of
starting points of thousands of these fila-
p38 inhibitors to certain patients with advanced
ments, which are extremely dynamic and
stages of colon cancer or with metastases could
variable, and follow their distribution and
be counterproductive and may increase their
movement during the assembly of the mitotic spindle,” say Nicholas Lecland and Lüders, the authors of this study. “For more than 10 years scientists have been able to track only the growing ends of microtubules but not the starting points. We lacked essential information about the dynamic architecture of the
June. The authors demonstrate the trans-
IRB Barcelona, with the collaboration of
mitotic spindle and how it contributes to cell
fer of information in all proteins containing
Joan Massagué in the MSKCC, has demon-
division,” says Lüders.
beta-sheets. “If our hypothesis is correct, we
strated that a loss of RARRES3 in estrogen
The researchers describe for the first time
would be able to find many sites within the
receptor-negative breast cancer is enough to
where most microtubules form inside the
structure of a protein that would be equally
promote the cancer cell colonization into
spindle and how they are transported to op-
or more efficient at interacting with a drug,”
the lung. The paper published online in
posite poles. “We now have a more complete
says Salvatella.
EMBO Molecular Medicine on 27 May also
➲
.
suggests that RARRES3 expression could be
RARRES3 must be there
useful to identify patients with greater sus-
Research headed by Roger Gomis at
ceptibility to lung metastasis.
understanding of the mitotic spindle and can
.
use our novel labeling strategy to test old and new hypotheses about cell division,” says the German scientist. (sa)
Maths come to IRB
O
n any given day you will see lots of different types of researchers walking in and out of labs at IRB Barcelona: molecular biologists, chemists, structural biologists, to name just a few.
Our science is a very interdisciplinary thing. This summer, you’ll also see several scientists from areas that have traditionally been at arm’s length from the life sciences: mathematicians, physicists, and statisticians – and they’re all part of a new training programme aimed at opening new opportunities to merge these fields. Nowadays, biomedical research is increasingly demanding mathsrelated scientists. In the age of Big Data, our scientists generate such an enormous amount of information (in genomics, imaging, and so on) that we need specialists in data analysis. “Translating thousands of data into something that is understandable and manageable requires theory, methodology, and technology,” explains Camille Stephan-Otto Attolini, head of IRB Barcelona’s Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit. For this reason, the Institute has organised a summer placement scheme for mathematicians, physicists, and statisticians interested in putting their knowledge to the service of biomedical research. “There is now a need for interdisciplinary groups with experts ranging from clinical settings to informatics, passing through biology and biostatistics. What’s more, among these professionals, we need people who can build bridges, people capable of combining other disciplines with the aim to better exploit the data,” continues Stephan-Otto, who holds a PhD in Mathematics. This year IRB Barcelona has granted fellowships to three undergraduate students (two on a double degree of Maths & Physics, and another studying Biomedical Engineering) to spend three months
.
working in the groups of Modesto Orozco, Patrick Aloy and Camille Stephan-Otto Attolini. (om)
IN BRIEF Nijmegen exchange. 5 PhD students and the Academic Office’s Patricia Nadal attended the PhD Student Retreat at the RIMLS Institute in Nijmegen (Netherlands) in May as a follow up to their visit last year at our PhD Students Symposium in November. The students, selected by the Student Council, brought back some good ideas for the organisation of IRB Barcelona’s own 2-day PhD Student Retreat, which will take place for the first time in the Fall.
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in vivo
July 2014 | Issue 27
Ready to fly! The 2013 ”la Caixa”-IRB International PhD Programme students receive their fellowship certificate in a ceremony on 8 July (Photo: J. Domínguez)
”La Caixa” fellows honoured at ceremony in Madrid... Salvador Guardiola, Rosa Pascual, Sandra Segura, Francisca Peixoto and Alexandra Balaceanu (not pictured), the IRB Barcelona PhD Students who joined the Institute as part of the ”la Caixa”-IRB International PhD Programme in September 2013 travelled to the CaixaForum in Madrid on 8 July for the ”la Caixa” Foundation awards ceremony where they received their fellowship certificates from Foundation president, Jaume Lanaspa and Secretary of State Carmen Vela.
...and awards for other IRB Barcelona researchers follow ERNEST GIRALT received the European Peptide Society’s Josef Rudinger Memorial Lecture Award, which he will receive in Sofia, Bulgaria on 31 August
• FERNANDO ALBERICIO received the Research Excellence Prize
of Spain’s Royal Chemical Society on 21 May as well as being appointed permanent member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in July. He will be formally inducted in March 2015
• JORDI CASANOVA
was elected numerary member of the Biological Sciences section of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Catalonia’s National Academy, on 17 June
• Former PhD student ELISA ESPINET (Batlle lab) received the UB’s extraordinary doctorate award for her thesis on 26 June • Former PhD
student XAVIER JUST BARINGO (Albericio lab) was named finalist of the Reaxys PhD Prize.
PhD Recruitment Day. 25 prospective
to talk about the due diligence process for po-
PhD students came on 22 May to meet the IRB
tentially licensable projects. The Innovation
Barcelona scientific community. After hearing
Workshop Series is meant to foster entrepre-
a presentation of the Institute, the group had
neurship among the IRB Barcelona community.
a chance to visit some laboratories and have a
The next session will take place in October and
lunch with Group Leaders. Most students came
will be dedicated to improving business presen-
from biomedical faculties, from within and out-
tation skills.
side Spain.
Batlle at Primera Plan@. Group Leader
Due diligence. On 16 June, Javier García,
Eduard Batlle was invited on 27 May to the
biotech consultant and professor at IE Univer-
Forum Primera Plan@, organised by the news-
sity, was invited by the Innovation Department
paper El Periódico de Catalunya with the sup-
Innovators network at home and away art of the strategic initiatives of the Innovation Department are
P
A few weeks later, IRB Barcelona and Iproteos delegates met again
to strengthen bonds with leading entrepreneurial networks and
at the Entrepreneurial Tech Fair organised by the IESE Business School
showcase the top quality research performed at the Institute.
(University of Navarra) in Barcelona on 9 July. In each edition of this
Once again, IRB Barcelona took part in BIO International Con-
Fair, IESE chooses early-stage technology-based projects promoted by
vention, the biggest biotech convention worldwide that has been taking
research centres and universities in Catalonia and seek to establish col-
place for the last 20 years. This year’s event was entitled “Connect, Part-
laborations between them and current and former IESE students.
ner, Innovate” and took place on 23-26 June in San Diego. The magni-
IRB Barcelona was one of the institutions invited to this event, while
tude of the BIO International Convention and the profile of the par-
Iproteos was one of the six companies presenting their projects, with
ticipants guarantee that the companies and research organisations present
the view to attracting possible investors. Iproteos’ goal was to raise the
will be provided with multiple opportunities to license their products
300,000 euros needed for the pre-clinical development of the first cogni-
and establish collaborations.
tive enhancement drug for schizophrenia.
Iproteos, IRB Barcelona’s spin-off company founded in 2011 by
The company has also launched the first Equity Crowdfunding for
Teresa Tarragó and Ernest Giralt, was also in San Diego to present its
a biotech company in Spain. They hope to raise a third of the total, and
research on new therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases of the
have already collected 25,000 euros. This system, common in other Eu-
central nervous system. IRB Barcelona and Iproteos attended as part of
ropean countries, allows small investors to obtain a percentage of the
the Catalan Biocompanies and Institutions cluster, under the BIOCAT
shares of the company they invest in. More information about this initia-
umbrella.
tive here: www.creoentuproyecto.com.
.
CERCA showcases research
I
RB Barcelona Director, Joan Guinovart, Head of Research and Academic Administration, Jorge Domínguez, and Head of Innovation, Cristina Horcajada, ventured across town on 28 April to attend the 1st CERCA Conference, held in the Born Centre Cultural. The event brought to-
gether the 47 research centres that belong to the Catalan Government, with a view to bringing about synergies whilst simultaneously boosting their international visibility. The gathering included presentations of 3 technology transfer projects in CERCA’s “Prova’t” initiative, including Ernest Giralt’s project, BBBSHUTTLE mAb, a collaboration with Joan Seoane at VHIO. This joint project seeks to develop a new treatment for brain cancer. CERCA, which stands for Catalan Research Centres, is commissioned with following up, sup-
.
porting, and facilitating the activities undertaken by research centres in Catalonia, which are characterised by an independent management model and the application of evaluation protocols—which together culminate in the development of outstanding science.
What in the WWW? port of the Bank of Sabadell. These conferences are attended by managing directors, academics, lawyers, researchers, and representatives from the financial and social sectors, and trade unions.
organisations and the business sector. AMBER Alert. Where do you go to learn the latest developments of the AMBER molecular dynamics software? The 10th International AMBER workshop, which took place in Barce-
Coffee for Research. Joan J. Guinovart
lona in June and was organised by IRB Barcelo-
and Josep Samitier, IBEC Director, inaugurated
na and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.
the first Café amb Recerca, a new networking
50 students from all over the world gathered
initiative launched by the Catalan Founda-
for the week-long meeting to learn new func-
tion for Research and Innovation (FCRI). The
tions and tools of this package. Instructors in-
events aim to provide an informal setting in
cluded Federica Battistini and Pablo Dans from
which to promote dialogue between research
Modesto Orozco’s lab.
After seven years of reputable service, IRB Barcelona’s digital image needed a brush up. The new web site, launched at the end of this month, combines a more visual appearance with a different concept in navigation, which is now not only hierarchical, but also horizontal, to facilitate exploration through themes, key words and associations. We have added new sections and reorganised old ones, to better emphasise our strategic goals. Check it out at www.irbbarcelona.org.
in vivo
July 2014
| Issue 27
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A letter to Mom from summer camp July 1, 2014 Dear Mom, Greetings from MónNatura Pirineus! We arrived on Tuesday and everything here is really neat. We are in the middle of a national park — who knew the Catalan countryside was so beautiful and green! The camp facilities are great. We have real science labs set up in the middle of the woods! Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera, the people who organise the camp, really know what they are doing... The kids at camp are the greatest. The 50 who were selected to attend from high schools all over Catalonia are incredibly bright – and so passionate about science! It’s really fun and inspiring to work alongside them. I’m one of 15 counsellors who came to the camp to lead the students through 2-week long science projects. We explain our research and then work through lots and lots of experiments. My session is called “From DNA to disease; a journey through the three-dimensional biology of proteins.” Together with Oriol Marimon and
Mariano Maffei, former IRB researchers, we
I’m sad for camp to be ending in a few days,
work really hard with the students to clone, ex-
and I’ll miss the kids I’ve met here. But I am
press and purify proteins. Then we visualise the
looking forward to getting back to IRB Bar-
3D structure and try to understand why a mu-
celona and starting my new job as the Public
tation in DNA can totally change the protein
Engagement and Scientific Education Officer
structure and function leading to disease. Im-
where I’ll get to continue to do all sorts of cool
pressive stuff, and the kids are really up for the
stuff communicating science.
challenge! They are so excited about the chance they have to roll up their sleeves and dig into
Love,
real research. Lots of them have already told
Helena (González)
me that they are totally psyched about getting a
P. S. Send marshmallows if
headstart on their careers in science.
you can.
When we’re not in the labs, there’s plenty of time for us all to get to know each other and do regular camp stuff, like field trips and football. If the truth were told though, I’ve actually had to go in to the labs and drag some of the kids out. They are really committed to learning!
The Brazilian way
A
scientist of the 21st century is one who is not only busy with her next publication or research grant. We are worried also about how we interact with our community
and how we affect policy and change lives. Those of us who are involved in public engagement activities know we don’t only do it by choice, but also because these activities are part of sound scientific policies. The 13th International Conference on Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST 2014), held in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, was the ideal platform to get in touch with the best science communication professionals in the world. The contrast of a cruel history with the beauty of the exultant Brazilian population was the perfect setting for this event, focused on social inclusion in science communication. Over 4 days, almost 500 participants networked in the halls of the venue, where more than 100 simultaneous presentations where taking place: posters, workshops, seminars and performances, giving the state of the art and conducting new approaches in communicating science. IRB Barcelona established fruitful interactions with international organisations that will help the Institute
.
to develop new communication strategies. UNESCO and CERN offer good examples of engagement policies that really do have an impact on society. (hg)
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in vivo
July 2014
lab ria at a f bacte o ll fu s lez) ir plate ow the . Gonzá udly sh hoto: H ro (P p . rs ly e u s camp mp in J Pirineu mer ca Natura ce sum My Món ring the scien du session
A host of summer training activities
M
ost people associate summer with beaches and relaxation, but not everyone: some school kids eagerly wait for summer to enter the world of science. Over the summer months, IRB
Barcelona labs often “adopt” students to train them and help nurture their scientific spirit. “Now, I’m convinced that my future is in scientific research,” affirms Alejandra de la Rosa, an intern in Zorzano’s lab. “At school, you have a book with all the answers – here you write the book.” This year, two students awarded the “2013 Extraor-
dinary Baccalaureate Prize” also came to the Institute in July. They spent a week visiting 5 different labs to experience hands-on research. And, as every year, IRB opened its doors to 50 baccalaureate students who performed the practical work toward their high-school research projects, mentored by our PhD students. “Mentoring high school students is mutually beneficial. You teach them how to think like scientist and they come up with great ideas that you may
.
have never contemplated,” says former tutor, Helena González. (om)
| Issue 27
High-school students Alba Bossoms and Guillem Font visited IRB Barcelona for a week during July. (Photo: O. Martorell)
EXCHANGES
Miquel Duran goes to Tel Aviv
“I
block more that one enzyme at the same time.”
was looking for a scientifically
oping genomic scale metabolic models. “They
challenging country, but more ex-
do something very similar to what we did in
Three months for this stay were just
otic than a usual European state.”
our lab with proteins, but with metabolites.
enough to learn the techniques. “I might join
Miquel Duran, a PhD student in Patrick Aloy’s
And, most importantly, they can make quanti-
them again to finish up my projects,” says
Structural Bioinformatics lab, thought that Is-
tative predictions.”
Miquel. “But they are all moving to Maryland
rael was the best choice for his 3-month stay.
“Israelis are very competent scientifically,
He just left a very critical war situation to land
their education and ambition are outstanding.
back in Barcelona. “We had to flee to refuges
His stay was an occasion for Miquel to get
But they have trouble attracting talent – that’s
in touch with a very different reality and way
what they say all the times,” says
of thinking. “It’s true that Tel Aviv has a very
many times in the past few days,” he recalls. Miquel’s scientific goal is to understand
Miquel.
and predict secondary effects of drugs. “The
soon, so I will have to go the US next time.”
lively social life,” he says, “but what surprised
This 29-year-old chemist by
me the most was the criticism people made
Interactome, the frame that our lab uses
training worked on two proj-
towards their government, either for being
to understand how things work,” explains
ects during his stay in Israel.
too tough or too mild on the Palestine issue. I
Miquel, “is limited. It is a good descriptive tool, but not quantitative enough. We
“On one side, I concentrated on
witnessed many lively discussions while I was
60 cell lines for cancer metabolic
there. I visited the West Bank many times and
models. The other project
both sides are really fed up with the situation.
was looking for multi-
People from both sides, at least the sensible
need a systems biology approach that can make quantitative predictions.”
.
target therapies. I was
ones, know they have to reach an agreement.
Miquel joined Eytan Rup-
trying to understand
But they can’t seem to talk to and understand
pin’s lab at Tel Aviv University
what happens if with
each other.” (ltb)
whose main expertise is devel-
one molecule you can Miquel Duran (Photo: G. Battista/M. Minocri)
In aid of the Balkans
I
n May, floods unseen in the last 120 years of history of Balkans struck the area of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia, killing people and forcing thousands out of their homes, devastating crops and de-
stroying infrastructures. IRB Barcelona researchers from the Balkancountries, Milica Pavlovic, Saska Ivanova, Ivan Ivani, Jelena Petrovic, Petra Miklocevic, Marko Marjanovic and Jelena Urosevic, came to-
.
gether in aid of their compatriots. They baked chupavzi and proya and raised 550 euros to send back to their countries to help those in need. (ss)
Sommelier Xavi Ayala promoted the initiative Vi per Vida to support research at IRB Barcelona (Photo: S. Armengou)
Tasting wine to fight metastasis More than 350 people gathered in Mollerussa (Lleida) on 31 May to raise their glasses to life and support IRB Barcelona research into metastasis. The first “Vi per Vida” Charity WineTasting event was organised by sommelier Xavier Ayala with the support of Generalitat de Catalunya, INCAVI, the Mollerussa town council, and other local organisations. The event, led by Xavier himself and journalist Elisabet Carnicé, offered two hours of fun tasting seven wines. Figures from the world of Catalan culture, gastronomy, music, and sport recorded video
.
messages of support, shown during the event. The “Vi per Vida” The community of IRB Barcelona researchers from the Balkan countries raise money to help their flood-stricken compatriots back home (Photo: M. Candotti)
Association is preparing new tasting sessions, the next one to be held in Calella (Barcelona) in December. (sa)
What to do with our doctorate?
P
hD students worried about their future employability had the chance to listen to Barthélémy Durette either at the Careers Progression in Science – option beyond the bench,
or at the Competency and Employability of PhD workshop – both held on 12 June and organised by IRB Barcelona’s Academic Office. The first event, an annual collaboration with the PCB, showcases the career choices of professionals from science who decide to work outside academia. The workshop focussed specifically on the career paths of recently graduated PhD.
NEW AT IRB BARCELONA “Where do I want to be in five years’ time?” When
Anna Merlos (Barcelona, 1974) asked herself this, she already had a solid scientific background. A biologist from the University of Barcelona, she completed her PhD thesis in 2001 at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital on protein ectodomain shedding, a regulatory mechanism for protein function, and then went on to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, USA, for a year. In 2003 she returned to the IMIM in Barcelona where she worked on pancreatic cancer, and landed in Eduard Batlle’s lab at IRB Barcelona in 2007. “After our 2011 paper in Cell Stem Cell, I began to think about the next step,” she says. Her public engagement activities helped her identify a direction. “Fundraising for scientific research seemed an ideal match for me. It would
Durette, a Project Manager at Adoc Talent Management in
allow me to bring my passion for science outside the lab and involve
Paris, and a PhD himself, is convinced that “PhD graduates need
society.” Anna has just completed a Postgraduate degree on the topic and
to be aware of the numerous competences they acquire during
as our new Strategic Projects and Philanthropy Officer, she is developing
their doctorate, beyond the technical skills in their field.”
a comprehensive fundraising plan for the Institute.
“Once they stop and think about their skills, PhD holders quickly notice that they have acquired a broad range of transferrable competences, like skills in communication, project manage-
Goretti Mallorquí (Girona, 1976) has joined the Research and Academic Administration Office
ment, IT, innovation and administrative management. Some of
as Scientific Officer after a very lively and diverse
these cannot be formalised, like the ability to deal with complex
scientific career. A biologist from the University of
problems or to collaborate, the ability to lead or to have a broad
Girona, she studied metalloproteases of therapeutic
vision. Curiosity, resilience, dynamism, patience, honesty, learn-
interest during her PhD and postdoc at the CSIC in
ing or adaptation are also all valuable assets that people master
Barcelona. In 2007 she left for New York where she spent 2 years at the
during their PhD.”
Hospital for Special Surgery. She then became a senior scientist in protein
His best tip for current PhD students is to “look beyond
purification at ERA Biotech, in Barcelona, where she led a team of five
your nose. During a PhD we tend to focus on what we have to
scientists, while simultaneously completing a Masters degree in Science
do on the very moment. But you have to anticipate your future
Communication at the Pompeu Fabra University. She then moved back
career. We have data showing that people who have had a profes-
to the bench in Seville, researching enzymatic methods to develop renew-
sional project in mind before ending their thesis, have a 5% higher
able energy sources at Abengoa Bioenergies. Back in Barcelona in 2013,
chance getting a job one year after the discussion.” (ltb)
she worked in the Pompeu Fabra as a project manager for European
.
What the heck...
projects. “At IRB Barcelona I will help coordinate the Core Facilities’ needs, and serve as an interface between IRB Barcelona researchers and the Park’s platforms,” she explains.
ON THE MOVE Dutch national Roeland Boer (Ambon, Indone-
sia, 1972) spent nearly 10 years at IRB Barcelona in Miquel Coll’s lab before making the decision to move to the Alba Synchrotron to become a beamline scientist. “This was a great opportunity for me to take the next step in my career and gain more responsibility,” he says. A structural chemist from the University of Utrecht, Roeland in 2001 moved to Lisbon for 3 years, where he made the big jump “from small molecules to proteins,” as he puts it. In 2004 he moved to IRB Barcelona where he started working on DNA, on drug-like molecules and transcription. “IRB gave me a lot, many facilities and resources, and much freedom,” recognises Roeland.
...is going on at IRB Barcelona? Stay tuned to find out.
In his new role, he is putting together a group and in the meanwhile he shares the responsibility of maintaining and updating the beamline XALOC.
In vivo, issue 27. Published by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine. Office of Communications & External Relations. Barcelona Science Park. c/Baldiri Reixac, 10. 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Web: www.irbbarcelona.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/irbbarcelona - Twitter: @IRBBarcelona Editorial committee: Luca Tancredi Barone (ltb), Sarah Sherwood (ss) (editors), Sònia Armengou (sa). Contributors: Helena González (hg), Òscar Martorell (om). Graphic Production: La Trama. Legal deposit: MU-29-2012. This document has been printed on recycled paper. To subscribe or unsubscribe from in vivo, e-mail: info@ irbbarcelona.org. © IRB Barcelona 2014.