Program
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| Tuesday | 10.02.202612:00 – 19:00 |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Registration & Welcome Coffee for Young Scientists' Satellite Registration will remain open from 12:00 to 18:00 |
| 12:30 – 12:35 | Welcome Address |
| 12:35 – 12:40 | Introduction from YSS Chairs |
| 12:40 – 13:00 | YSS Keynote Lecture I Lara URBAN University of Zurich, Institutes for Food Safety and Hygiene and for One Health Visit Urban's Lab Page |
| 13:05 – 13:25 | YSS Keynote Lecture II |
| 13:25 – 13:55 | Coffee Break |
| 13:55 – 15:15 | Scientific Symposium Speakers selected from abstracts (10' + 2' Q&A) Marta Mazurkiewicz (University of Zurich) Annemarie Ianos (Baruch College, City University of New York) Elena Barletta (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics) Jakub Hruby (EPF Lausanne) Marta Balkota (University of Geneva) Justine Leclerc (University of Zurich) |
| 15:15 – 15:45 | Coffee Break |
| 15:45 – 16:00 | Introducing: LS2-supported Student Prize Winners Victoria Jaël Moser & Mara Robinson (Sonderpreis) |
| 16:00 – 16:10 | FEBS Initiatives and Fellowship Opportunities for Young Scientists |
| 16:10 – 17:55 | Workshop/Panel Discussion "Speaking Science, thinking AI" Read More In today’s scientific landscape, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, but an integral part of research, analysis, and communication. While AI offers powerful tools and efficiencies, its overuse or misuse can lead to errors in data interpretation and scientific outcomes. At the same time, AI opens new avenues for communicating complex science to broader audiences, particularly when scientists struggle to translate their work beyond the lab. This workshop explores critical questions: how much should we rely on AI - not just for the heavy lifting of data processing, but its use in critical aspects of science communication. The workshop is designed to facilitate discussions between young AI users and experienced scientists on use of AI for data processing and science communication. Additionally, we discuss the overarching question of where must the human voice remain irreplaceable? Panelists: Kristina Thumfart (IACULIS GmbH), Verena Waller (Roland Berger) and Darren Ray Kelly (ETH Zurich). |
| 17:55 – 18:00 | Closing Remarks |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | YSS Apéro |
| Wednesday | 11.02.202608:15 – 19:20 |
| 08:15 – 09:00 | Registration & Welcome Coffee Registration will remain open until 17:00 |
| 09:00 – 09:10 | Welcome Address |
| 09:10 – 09:45 | The EMBO Keynote Lecture Metabolic rewiring driving metastasis formation Read More Metastasis formation is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. We find that metabolic rewiring is a liability of metastasizing cancer cells. For example, we discovered that extracellular remodeling of the metastatic niche, a process essential to metastasis formation, requires a transcriptional-independent regulation via the metabolites. Moreover, we provide knowledge on intratumor heterogeneity of metabolism and its role in pre-metastatic niche and metastasis formation. Thus, we study the metabolism of metastasizing cancer cells with the goal to define novel therapeutic strategies. |
| 09:45 – 10:15 | Lelio Orci 2025 Award Lecture Introduction by Pierre Cosson Winner will be announced in early 2026 |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Coffee Break & Industry Exhibition |
| 10:45 – 12:30 | Special Plenary Session: The PIs of Tomorrow PIOT finalists: Theodora Constantin (University of Basel) |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch Break & Industry Exhibition |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Poster Session I All posters exhibited - please remain near your poster! |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Closed Feedback Session for PIs of Tommorow Finalists and jury only |
| 14:30 – 16:15 | Parallel Symposia Session I |
The Metabolic Code of Life: Energy and Cell Systems Speakers selected from abstracts: (10' + 2' Q&A) Abigail Alexandre-Strefeler (University of Lausanne) | |
Advances in Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Po-Han Chang (EPF Lausanne) Theodora Constantin (University of Basel) Annemarie Ianos (Baruch College, City University of New York) Kelvin Groot (University of Zurich) Ali Hallaj (University of Lausanne) Linda Wedemann (EPF Lausanne) | |
From Disorder to Function: The Evolving Landscape of IDPs and Condensates Industry speaker (5') Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 1' Q&A): Benjamin Frühbauer (ETH Zurich) | |
Ion Channels and Membrane Transporters: At the Interfaces That Fuel Life Francesca GIORDANO Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC)/UMR9198 Visit Giordano's Lab Page Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Alexandre Bokhobza (University of Bern) Marta Monguió-Tortajada (University of Lausanne) | |
| 16:15 – 16:45 | Coffee Break & Industry Exhibition |
| 16:45 – 17:20 | Keynote Lecture I Mapping new pathways of pyroptotic cell death Read More Cell death is inhibited in cancers but increased in neurodegeneration, highlighting the importance of its regulation for human health. MAPL is an outer mitochondrial membrane SUMO ligase involved in cell death in both cancer and neurodegeneration in vivo, yet how MAPL controls the fate of this process remains unclear. Combining genome-wide functional genetic screening and cell biological approaches, we found that MAPL induces pyroptosis through an inflammatory pathway involving mitochondria and lysosomes. This discussion will detail the mechanisms by which MAPL and the mitochondria-to-lysosome pathway act at the nexus of immune signalling and cell death. |
| 17:20 – 17:25 | Introducing: The Division of Business and Economic Development of the Kanton of Zurich & Innovation Zurich Initiative |
| 17:25 – 19:20 | Industry Exhibition |
| 17:45 – 19:20 | Apéro |
| Thursday | 12.02.202608:30 – 17:20 |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration & Welcome Coffee Registration will remain open until 16:00 |
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome Address |
| 09:05 – 09:40 | Keynote Lecture II Looking under the hood of cells from micron to atomic scales Read More Powerful new ways to image the internal structures and complex dynamics of cells are revolutionizing cell biology and bio-medical research. In my talk, I will focus on three emerging technologies capable of revealing new properties of cellular organization at scales ranging from nanometer to atomic resolution. Whole cell milling using Focused Ion Beam Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) was used to reconstruct the entire cell volume at 4-nm voxel resolution, revealing all membrane-bound organelles and their trafficking intermediates at isotropic resolution. Single particle tracking using Halo dyes revealed unexpected features of mRNA trafficking, including sites where secretory proteins are translated on ER and their regulation by lysosomes. Finally, High Resolution Template Matching (HRTM) of ribosome subunits in cryo-EM images of intact human cells afforded a look at ribosomes at different stages of peptide elongation at the atomic scale. Together, these new tools open-up a plethora of questions related to mechanisms of cell structure/function that can now be studied in intact cells at the nanometric/molecular level. |
| 09:40 – 10:20 | Coffee Break & Industry Exhibition |
| 10:20 – 12:05 | Parallel Symposia Session II |
Advances in Volumetric Microscopy: from Method Development to Biological Applications Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Elda Bauda (University of Geneva) Laura Batti (Wyss Center for Bio and Neuro Engineering) Ruth Hornbachner (University of Zurich) Nikita Vladimirov (University of Zurich) Akanksha Jain (University of Zurich) | |
Advancing Cancer Therapeutics Through Patient-Derived Complex Models Industry speakers (20'): Markus Koester, Menorca Chaturvedi (opnMe.com by Boehringer Ingelheim) Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Jakub Gubala (University of Geneva) | |
Proteomics in the Era of Multi-Omics Jana SEIFERT University of Hohenheim, Department of Functional Microbiology of Livestock Visit Seifert's Lab Page Industry speaker (20'): Torsten Müller (Bruker AG) Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Elena Barletta (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics) Tatjana Sajic (University Hospital Lausanne) | |
| 12:05 – 13:05 | Lunch Break & Industry Exhibition |
| 12:05 – 13:05 | Physiology Section Board Meeting |
| 12:05 – 13:05 | SSEP Council Meeting |
| 12:05 – 13:05 | MCB Section Board Meeting |
| 13:05 – 14:05 | Poster Session II All posters exhibited - please remain near your poster! |
| 14:05 – 15:50 | Parallel Symposia Session III |
Mitochondria: Fueling Cells in Life, Death, and Disease Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Christian Zimmerli (EPF Lausanne) | |
Are We Coming Closer to Understanding and Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases? Speakers selected from abstracts (8' + 2' Q&A): Emanuele Calia (University of Fribourg) Violina Dorogan (University of Lausanne) Simone Crivelli (University of Lausanne | |
Bioinformatics Driving the One Health Concept Speakers selected from abstracts (10' + 1' Q&A): Carina Osterhof (University of Fribourg) | |
Extracellular vesicles in Cardiovascular Therapeutics Philippe MENASCHE Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France Visit Menasche's Lab Page Speakers selected from abstracts (6' + 2' Q/A): Oksana Iamshanova (University of Fribourg) | |
| 15:50 – 16:10 | Coffee Break & Industry Exhibition |
| 16:10 – 16:50 | Friedrich Miescher 2026 Award Lecture Introduction by Daniel Legler |
| 16:50 – 17:15 | Award Ceremony PIOT, Poster and Exhibition Lottery Awards |
| 17:15 – 17:20 | Closing Remarks |