Fish represent a huge biological community that plays a key role in the equilibrium of the planet’s aquatic systems. The aim of this FEBS Advanced Lecture course is to provide new knowledge on the functioning and evolution of the fish immune system, to highlight how the fish immune system tackles bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, and to explore the role of ecological and environmental constraints affecting fish immunity. The molecular, genetic and functional properties of the fish immune system will be discussed in the view of how to study host–pathogen interactions at the molecular level and to unravel the role of evolutionary and ecological processes in shaping the fish immune system. A particular aspect will be the impact of anthropogenic stressors like climate change and aquatic pollution on fish immunity, and its impact on managing infectious diseases in aquaculture.

Organizers: Joachim Frey

While reactive oxygen species (ROS) were previously widely regarded as mere metabolic by-products, they have now been recognized as important mediators in cellular signalling cascades. It is now accepted that ROS are important in homeostatic signalling events. However, excessive activities of ROS and oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and DNA have been linked to pathologies and therefore oxidative stress is still considered to be a leading player in the pathophysiology of multiple diseases and ageing. This FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on “Redox biochemistry: cellular responses and disease relevance” will focus on recent developments in this exciting field of redox biology.

Organizers: Tilman Grune, Niki Chondrogianni

After last year’s success, the FEBS Advanced Lecture Course: Danube Conference on Epigenetics will return in 2024 for the 5th time. The conference will bring together scientists to discuss a range of topics in the field of epigenetics: from transcriptional regulation, through chromatin modifications, nuclear architecture, transgenerational inheritance and metabolism to DNA methylation. Lectures by leading experts in the field will be followed by poster sessions in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition, this year’s program will again feature a dedicated hands-on session on “How to write better scientific papers”, with a specific focus on data visualization. After the exciting sessions, evenings will be shared with new and old friends during social events, ideal for interacting one-on-one with invited speakers. If you wish to immerse yourself in the full spectrum of epigenetics in a friendly atmosphere, then join us in Budapest between 28–31 October 2024!

Organizers: Tamas Arányi

The field of ADP-ribosylation has observed a substantial expansion in the last several years, driven by the recent emergence of new technologies in cell biology, proteomics, chemistry, structural biology and the expanding roles of ADP-ribosylation in cancer but also bacterial or viral infections. This FEBS Advanced Lecture Course aims to address recent breakthroughs, but also current advancements and challenges on PARPs and ADP-ribosylation, from the fundamental biochemical, cellular and structural aspects to the translational clinical uses in oncological and non-oncological applications.

The event website is under development.

Organizers: Françoise Dantzer, Ivan Ahel, Peter Bay, Daniela Corda, Nicola Curtin, Hana Hanzlikova, Ivan Matic, Gyula Timinsky, Jose Yelamos

This FEBS Practical Course highlights different microscopic and spectroscopic methodologies to study biomolecular processes in living cells such as: (multiphoton) confocal microscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), super-resolution microscopy, total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF), fluorescence correlation microscopy (FCS), and single-molecule detected fluorescence.
Image taken by Andriy Volkov.

The event website is under development.

Organizers: Jan Willem Borst, Yvonne Stahl, Koen van den Dries, Stefanie Weidtkamp

The last four decades of research have firmly established sphingolipids as dynamic regulators of cellular functions with profound links to human health and disease. The advent of new technologies has dramatically expanded the sphingolipid universe and further illuminated the far-reaching impact of sphingolipids in physiology and pathology. Building on this, the 2025 FEBS Special Meeting on Sphingolipid Biology: Breaking Boundaries will provide a unique forum to hear the latest developments in sphingolipid research and hopes to catalyze collaborative efforts that transcend traditional boundaries.

Organizers: Liana C. Silva, Mariana Nikolova-Karakashian, Stefka Spassieva, Chris Clarke, Noemi Jimenez-Rojo

The 2025 FEBS Advanced Lecture Course “Emerging Insights from Structural Biology into Molecular Mechanisms of Diseases” offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of cutting-edge research in the field. Designed for early-career scientists, the event features lectures from world-leading experts from both academia and industry, career development sessions, and numerous chances to network with renowned professionals in an inclusive environment. Present your own work through posters or selected talks and engage in discussions that could shape your future research and career. So, if you are passionate about structural biology in a medical context, this meeting is not to be missed!

Organizers: Albert Guskov, Katharina Dürr, Dirk Slotboom