Several Advanced Lecture Courses and Special Meetings established the tradition of the ABC meetings in Austria. This 9th FEBS Special Meeting – ABC2023 – will cover all basic and applied aspects of ABC proteins, both in normal and cancer cells, their important roles in genetic diseases as well as drug resistance phenomena in cancer or microbial systems. Leading scientists from all over the world and representatives of major pharmaceutical companies will present and discuss latest news on ABC proteins operating in bacteria, fungi, plants, parasites and humans. We were able to commit numerous leading experts to participate, with many new faces attending as plenary speakers.

Organizers: Gergely Szakacs, Ute Hellmich

Deadline for applications: 6 January 2023

The molecular and cellular pathways in hematopoietic aging and associated hematological disease remain poorly understood. Our Workshop will bring together basic, translational and clinical scientists to discuss key regulators of hematopoietic stem cell ontogeny, cell fate specification and self-renewal upon aging and malignant transformation, highlighting state-of-the-art technologies such as metabolomics, single-cell sequencing and model systems. The FEBS Workshop is also supported by the ARCH Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN and will take place in the beautiful setting of Fodele in Crete.

Organizers: John Strouboulis, Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid, Eleni Katsantoni, Antonella Ronchi

Deadline for applications: 20 March 2023

The past decades have witnessed a growing interest in inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a linear polymer of phosphate that predates life. PolyP participates in many vital functions including bacterial virulence, blood coagulation, cancer, inflammation, and chaperone activity, among others. In addition, recent publications revealed novel fundamental knowledge in polyP biology. Following the success of the first polyP meeting, held virtually in 2021, this FEBS Workshop gathering will show the current progress and engage our researchers’ community.
The event website is in preparation.

Organizers: Adolfo Saiardi, Felix Ruiz, Roberto Docampo

Deadline for applications: 31 March 2023

The 1^st FEBS Workshop on Redox Medicine will cover the most recent data on the redox regulation of biological functions ranging from fundamental to clinical research and therapeutic applications, as well as specific and sensitive tools and techniques to properly identify and quantify oxidants in complex biological settings. The main goal is to promote an environment in which young researchers can interact with prominent senior researchers. Join us for a workshop including lectures by invited speakers and short presentations by participants selected from submitted abstracts.

Organizers: Ana Ledo, Barbara Rocha

This FEBS Advanced Lecture Course aims to provide an overview of the current structural, biophysical, informatics and chemical techniques used in disease biology understanding and drug discovery and design.  A combination of lectures and workshops will provide theoretical background and hands-on experience. Poster sessions and short talks, as well as the very informal atmosphere typical of the beautiful town of Erice, will encourage networking and interactions with leaders in the field.

Organizers: Giovanna Scapin, Charlotte Dean, Frank von Delft

This FEBS Advanced Lecture Course will cover all  fields related to the study of  the family of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), from basic molecular and physiological studies to applied clinical research with an explicit aim to cover drug development. The different sessions are organized in a way that facilitates interaction between young researchers and senior scientists. The meeting is expected to host ~100 participants encompassing scientists engaged in drug chemistry, structural biology, biochemistry, DNA damage response, animal and human studies.

Organizers: Andreja Mikos, Ivan Matic

Deadline for applications: 20 March 2023

This course addresses the mechanobiology community and aims at offering a comprehensive view on advanced approaches to measure and quantify the mechanical properties of biological materials at different scales, from molecules to cells and tissues. It will include scientific lectures, hands-on activity with state-of-the-art instruments, and evening discussions with researchers from university and industrial background. A social event will help cement the cohort of attendees.

Organizers: Massimo Vassalli, Lining Ju

Proteolysis is a critical post-translational modification as every protein encounter a protease in their lifetime, be it signal peptide removal, activation, processing, or degradation. Proteases act in concerted networks to amplify signals, regulate biology and are hypothesized molecular switches and effectors involved in tissue remodeling. The extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates key functions such as cell movement, shape, growth and survival via cell adhesion, cell-ECM, and cell-cell interactions, and some biological functions that are still uncharacterized. We are only beginning to understand the intriguing regulatory aspects of proteases that modulate the ECM and many questions remain.  Specifically, 1- How universal are the auto-feedback mechanisms driven by ECM proteolysis? 2- How does cleaved ECM regulate the initiation and resolution of inflammation and cancer progression? 3- Does aberrant proteolysis dysregulate the resolution of inflammation or it is the ECM that regulate proteolysis?  Our meeting will directly address these questions by inviting several experts from the ECM and proteases and give them an opportunity to discuss where the next decade will take us.

Organizers: Irit Sagi, Antoine Dufour, Nikos Karamanos