Registration, Welcome Coffee, Mounting of Posters

Welcome Address

Monica Gotta (Chairwoman of the LS² Annual Meeting 2019, UNIGE)
Urs Greber (President of LS², UZH)

Announcement of program & sponsors, General Assembly, Industry Exhibition & Lottery, the 2 dedicated poster sessions, 50 years LS²/USGEB apéro and award sessions

Regulation of microtubule catastrophe, rescue and repair: seeing proteins and drugs in action

Tight regulation of microtubule dynamics is essential for many cellular processes, including cell division, migration and morphogenesis. Using in vitro reconstitution experiments, we explored the detailed mechanisms of such regulation by microtubule plus end tracking proteins. We found that CLASPs, acting in a complex with End-Binding (EB) proteins efficiently suppressed microtubule catastrophes, including those induced by microtubule encounters with barriers, drugs and depolymerizing agents. A single conserved TOG domain of CLASPs was necessary and sufficient to perform this function. Moreover, CLASP could promote tubulin incorporation into incomplete and damaged microtubule lattices. Cell biological experiments suggested that regulation of microtubule dynamics and integrity by CLASP is essential for controlling cell shape and movement. Furthermore, we used assays with fluorescent analogues of microtubule-stabilizing and destabilising agents to directly visualize their effects on microtubule growth. We found that a single molecule of the microtubule-depolymerizing drug eribulin bound to the microtubule tip was sufficient to trigger a catastrophe. Microtubule rescue and stabilization by taxanes was more complex and required the accumulation of at least ~15 drug molecules in a defined microtubule region.

SGV Update/ Swiss 3R Competence Center (3RCC) announcement

PIs of Tomorrow - The Future of Swiss Research

Presenting the five finalists of the international Postdoc competition!

Chairs: Nino Nikolovski , Aleksandra Konovalova, Elisa Araldi, Emanuela Milani (all ETH Zurich)

More information on the session at: https://annual-meeting.ls2.ch/2019/pis-of-tomorrow

Lunch Break / Poster viewing / Industry Exhibition

upon invitation only

Careers Lunch session: You and your career

Get prepared for your career. Learn about yourself, your possibilities on the job market, the tools to apply and how to develop a network and a plan to get to the job you want.

Organized by the Career Services at the University of Zurich.

Invited speaker: Dr. Daniela Gunz, Career Services UZH

Invited speakers

Juri Rappsilber,  TU Berlin (D)
In situ protein structures by mass spectrometry - emerging prospects

Kathryn S. Lilley, University of Cambridge (UK)
How RNA and protein interacts in time and space

Industry speaker

Jens Lättig (Tecan)
Semi-automated sample processing for peptide enrichment and buffer exchange

Speakers from abstracts

Kathrin Frey, ETH Zurich
Associating HDL proteotype with clinical HDL particle signaling capacity

Marco Faini, ETH Zurich
Quantitative structural biology of endogenous protein complexes

Alexander Leitner, ETH Zurich
Structural analysis of protein–RNA complexes using crosslinking of segmentally isotope-labeled RNA and tandem mass spectrometry (CLIR-MS/MS)

Poster flash talks

Philip Knobel, University of Zurich
Exploring the interactome of ADAM17 in the tumor microenvironment and its role for radiation resistance

Lydie Lane, SIB & University of Geneva
Using neXtProt and other bioinformatics resources to identify human uncharacterized proteins potentially involved in male reproduction

Liliana Malinovska, ETH Zurich
Probing the structural landscape of alpha synuclein in cells and tissues

Stoyan Stoychev, CSIR Biosciences, ZA
Development of fully automated pipeline for phosphoproteome profiling

Rodrigo Villaseñor, University of Zurich
Proximity biotinylation labeling with engineered chromatin readers reveals the proteome composition of key chromatin states in mouse embryonic stem cells

Invited speakers

Simonetta Gribaldo, Institut Pasteur, Paris (FR)
Firmicutes with an outer membrane? Insights into the evolution of the bacterial cell envelope

Klas Flärdh, Lund University (SE)
Mechanisms that control cell polarity and polar growth in a bacterium

Industry speaker

Michael Siegert, Resistell AG
Resistell - nano-vibration antibiogram

Speakers from abstracts

Christian Röhrig, ETH Zurich
Improved targeting of intracellular and drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by fusion of peptidoglycan hydrolases to cell-penetrating peptides

Eric Sumrall, ETH Zurich
Bacteriophage predation selects for non-virulence in Listeria monocytogenes

Victoria Wosika, University of Lausanne
Single promoter transcription dynamics reveal bursting kinetic chromatin regulation of osmostress genes expression

Poster flash talks

Kevin Assoumou, University of Geneva
Interaction between ESCRT and autophagy pathways in membrane damage repair

Nienke Jager, University of Lausanne
Single cell analysis of the filamentous growth pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Dominik Olszewski, University of Zurich
The role of ceramide at late stages of adenovirus infection

Invited speakers

Helder Maiato, IBMC Porto (PT)
Spatial control of time during chromosome segregation

and

EMBO Young Investigator Lecture:

Caren Norden, MPI of Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics, Dresden (DE)
Making the retina: The interplay of single cell biology and tissue-wide phenomena 

Industry speaker

Cornelia Rössler (Merck)
The boost of your microscope needs for advanced live cell imaging

Speakers from abstracts

Dora Mahecic, EPFL Lausanne
Membrane bending energy and tension govern mitochondrial division

Paolo Armando Gagliardi, University of Bern
Spatio-temporal oncogenic signalling in a breast cancer epithelial community

Poster flash talks

Alexandra Bondaz, University of Geneva
Cell fate regulation of spindle assembly

Gabriella Saro, University of Fribourg
Dissecting calcium transient mechanisms in a C. elegans thermal nociceptor

Anthony Petkidis, University of Zurich
Towards the biological mechanisms underlying Adenovirus-induced cell lysis

Analysis of tissue ecosystems in health and disease by highly multiplexed imaging

Epithelial cell extrusion and its misregulation in disease

What links cell division to cell death in order to maintain constant epithelial cell densities? We found that mechanical forces control both processes: cell stretching triggers rapid cell division, whereas, crowding causes cell death by a process we call ‘epithelial extrusion’, in which cells fated to die are seamlessly squeezed out from epithelia. Extrusion is essential for maintaining correct epithelial cell densities. We find a growing number of diseases result from misregulation of extrusion. Excessive extrusion disrupts epithelial barrier, causing inflammation and infection hyper-sensitivity after an asthma attack. Conversely, oncogenic mutations hijack apical extrusion signaling and promote a class of aggressive tumors, which invade via a new mechanism—basal extrusion.

Poster viewing: 17:30-18:00 odd numbers, 18:00-18:30 even numbers

Please note that the apéro will only start after this session to really allow for uninterrupted interactions at posters and booths!

Plus free viewing of posters & industry exhibition

Epigenetics meets mathematics: The fusion of experiment and theory brings insights beyond intuition

Epigenetic gene regulation is highly stable: epigenetic memory of gene expression states can persist over many cell generations and potentially for longer. However, epigenetic regulation is also flexible: genes that are subject to epigenetic regulation can respond dynamically to environmental and developmental signals. How can epigenetic regulation be both stable and flexible? I propose that the key lies in the highly dynamic nature of epigenetic systems. Over the last two decades it has become clear that the nucleus is an extraordinarily busy and noisy place: many proteins, including epigenetic regulators, are in constant motion, exchanging rapidly between chromatin bound and free states. Quantitative aspects of this motion are highly regulated. I propose that that to fully understand this regulation, epigenetics needs mathematics. We need ‘‘moving models’’ built of mathematical descriptions, which we can feed with measured values of quantities and mobilities of the components. A good model makes testable predictions that tell us whether our hypothesis makes sense. If it does not, we change the model. There has never been a better time to combine theoretical approaches with quantitative experiments. On the theoretical side, the last decade has seen a quiet revolution in the application of models built by physicists to the deep questions of epigenetics. On the experimental side, the advent of technologies that allow real time analysis at the single cell and single molecule level, together with those that enable targeted genome editing, allow precise perturbation and quantitative measurements at an unprecedented level. It is time for epigenetics to meet mathematics. I will give examples from work in the field and in my own lab, of how the fusion of experiment and theory has brought fresh insights into epigenetic regulation that go beyond intuition.

Announcements of 2nd day program, General Assembly, Industry Exhibition & lottery, and poster session, and award ceremony

Announcement tbd

Invited speakers

Thierry Hennet, University of Zurich
Pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of milk oligosaccharides

Frédérique Lisacek, SIB Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics, Geneva
Glycoinformatics can bridge glycomics with other -omics

Industry speaker

Erdmann Rapp, GlyXera GmbH
Advances in the Glycoanalytical Toolbox

Speakers from abstracts

Kayluz Frias Boligan, University of Bern
Siglec-9+ and Siglec-9- natural killer (NK) cells as effectors of the immune system

François Bonnardel, SIB
Architecture and evolution of blade assembly in β-propeller lectins

Poster flash talks

Samara Naim, University of Bern
Non-apoptotic roles of the BCL-2 family member BOK

Timo Rey, EPFL Lausanne
Mitochondrial RNA Granules are organised as tiny but robust liquid droplets

Nastaran Ghahhari, University of Geneva
Genome-wide quantitative and functional decoding of estrogen receptor α-dependent enhancer activities in breast cancer

Xiujie Liang, University of Fribourg
Roles of Arginase-II in vascular endothelial inflammation under hypoxic condition

Quentin Haas, University of Bern
Glycan-checkpoint inhibitor unleashing CD8+ T cells against cancer

Invited speakers

Sabine L Flitsch, The University of Manchester (UK)
Design and Implementation of De Novo Biosynthetic Pathways

Tom Ward, University of Basel
Endowing Organometallic Catalysis with A Genetic Memory: Artificial Metalloenzymes

Industry speaker

Réka Nagy, Promega AG
Monitoring Functional Mechanisms of Protein Degradation using Promega’s Toolbox

Speakers from abstracts

Simone Haag, EPFL Lausanne
Targeting STING with covalent small-molecule inhibitors

Poster flash talks

Olesya Koloskova, NRC Institute of Immunology FMBA of Russia, RU
Design of long-acting RNA drugs

Johannes Rebelein, University of Basel
Artificial in vivo transfer hydrogenation catalyzed by iridium complexes bound to carbonic anhydrase II

Tijmen Booij, ETH Zurich
High-throughput drug screening with advanced cell-based assays

Vanessa Carle, EPFL Lausanne
Development of a potent coagulation factor XIa inhibitor based on a new cyclic peptide format

Invited speakers

Oded Rechavi, Tel-Aviv University (IL)
Transgenerational inheritance of small RNAs in C.elegans

Petra Hajkova, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (UK)
Epigenetic reprogramming in mouse development

Susan Gasser, FMI Basel
How active chromatin marks drive sequestration of heterochromatin in differentiated cells

Speakers from abstracts

Kamila Delaney, University of Geneva
Local inhibition of PRC2 activity by H3.3K27M drives DNA replication defects through the JNK pathway

Poster flash talks

Daniel Dilg, University of Geneva
Uncovering the interplay between the growth-promoting transcription factor Sfp1 and the stress-responsive transcriptional activator Msn2

Verena Hurst, FMI Basel
Regulation of RNA polymerases by the checkpoint kinase Mec1 (ATR)

Simona Abbatemarco, University of Geneva
Cytoplasmic PLK-1 foci: a way to regulate PLK-1 function?

Manh Tin Ho, University of Bern
Noncanonical functions of Phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase

Irina Lazar, University of Zurich
Profiling of germ stem cells epigenome in a mouse model of epigenetic inheritance

Poster viewing: 13:00-13:30 odd numbers, 13:30-14:00 even numbers

Is merit (gender) biased? Advancement in academia.

*Attendance to the panel only is free. Please register for the panel until January 5, 2019 with an e-mail to info@ls2.ch*

Chair: Dr. Gerlind Wallon (EMBO Deputy Director & Program Manager)

Invited panelists:

Dr. Britt Dahmen (Head of Department for Gender Equality and Diversity |  University of Cologne/DE)
E-Quality in selection processes: promising frameworks in practice
Prof. Dr. Marieke van den Brink (Radboud Gender & Diversity Studies | Radboud University, Nijmegen/NL)
Gender practices in recruitment and selection in academia

How do (gender) biases influence the evaluation and selection of scientists?
How can we address (gender) biases and reduce their influence on selection processes?

In this session we would like to explore how gender biases influence the evaluation of merit and thereby the outcome of selection processes in academia and elsewhere and how these can be addressed. Gerlind Wallon will summarise the current status of the representation of women in academia. Marieke van den Brink will report on her studies that reveal how recruitment in academia is influenced by (gender) biases. Britt Dahmen will present how the cascading model, a quota system required by law, is implemented at Cologne University. This will be followed by a panel discussion.

Invited speakers

Edgar Gomes, University of Lisbon (PT)
Positioning of cell nucleus in the periphery of skeletal myofibers

Susan Treves, University Hospital Basel
Extraocular muscle function is impaired in RYR3 KO mice

Industry speaker

Omid Mashinchian, Nestlé Research
Myogenic specification of pluripotent stem cells using three-dimensional multicellular microenvironments

Speakers from abstracts

Olivier Dorchies, University of Geneva
Tamoxifen for treating fatal muscular dystrophies: an unexpected facet of a topselling anticancer drug

Poster flash talks

Sven Kappel, University of Bern
TRPM4 controls cancer hallmark functions in colorectal cancer

Paulina Stoklosa, University of Bern
Possible role of TRPM4 in calcium-mediated exocytosis in colorectal cancer cell line HCT116

Agnieszka Dyrda, University of Geneva
The two STIM1 splice variants, STIM1 and STIM1 long, engage differently TRPC1 in store-operated calcium entry

Anuradha Rajendran, University of Zurich
Role of neutral amino acid transporter LAT4 in mouse epithelia

Axel Tollance, University of Geneva
Determination of the quiescence/activation mechanisms of muscle stem cells

All members are welcome & have voting rights!

Pyruvate metabolism and mitochondrial gene expression : two facets of mitochondrial biology with implications for neuropathologies and cancer

Power and benefit of selective phosphatase inhibitors for neurodegenerative diseases

Monica Gotta (Chairwoman of the LS² Annual Meeting, UNIGE)
Urs Greber (President of LS², UZH)