Programme

Conference venue: Région Alsace, 1 place du Wacken, Strasbourg France,
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 15 68 67, Fax : +33 (0)3 88 15 68 15

Wednesday September 17
19.00-21.00 Welcome Reception/Registration

Thursday September 18
Plenary Sessions

9.30-9.45 Opening and Welcome
Marja Makarow, Chief Executive, European Science Foundation

9.45-10.05 To be announced
Representative from the French Minister for Higher Education and Research

10.05-10.25 European Research Area: Challenges and Perspectives
Manuel Hallen, Director of Health, Directorate-General for Research, European Commission

10.25-10.45 EuroBioFund
Wouter Spek, Director, EuroBioFund

10.45-11.30 Coffee Break

11.30-13.00 Roundtable Discussion
Opportunities and challenges for joint programmes in Europe (Dr. Patrick Chaussepied, Coordinator, Department of Biology and Health, National Research Agency, FR; Mr. Volker Rieke, Director of Life Sciences, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, DE; Mr. Hans van den Berg, R&D Coordination, Executive Director, NV Organon, NL; Professor Eero Vuorio, Chancellor, University of Turku, FI; Dr. Nicolas Carboni, Director General, Alsace BioValley, FR).

13.00-14.15 Lunch

14.15-15.15 Introduction to Brokerage Session Topics

1. Harnessing (Cyano-)Bacteria for Energy Production (CyanoBioEnergy)
Presented by Professor Dr. Matthias Rögner, Plant Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University Bochum, DE

With total energy consumption being predicted to at least double by the year 2050, there is a need to develop alternative sources of energy. One solution to the challenge of creating sustainable long-term solutions for global energy needs is solar driven production of environmentally friendly fuels like hydrogen. Harnessing solar energy can be done through a number of systems, including microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, which can generate hydrogen directly from water using sunlight. CyanoBioEnergy proposes a programme to understand and considerably improve the process of photosynthesis coupled to the H₂-evolving enzyme hydrogenase including the exploration how cyanobacteria can, using a systems biology approach, produce renewable and CO₂ neutral sources of energy.

2. Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract for Health
(MetaHIT Health)
Presented by Dr. S. Dusko Ehrlich,  Microbial Genetics Unit, National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), FR

Metagenomics is an exciting and emerging field, where the DNA of entire communities of microbes are studied directly from their natural environments. Within one environment, the human intesintal tract, there are perhaps over 100 bacterial species, which remarkably, we know very little about. Given the increasing evidence of the role these microbes play in our health and disease, it is important to characterise them and use this knowledge to prevent, diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions. MetaHIT-Health aims to address this key issue by expanding the scope of an newly established international consortium and strengthening the European base.

3. A European Resource of Affinity Reagents for Analysis of the
Human Proteome (EURAFFIN)
Presented by Dr. Michael Taussig, Babraham Bioscience Technologies, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK

While the human genome has approximately 24000 genes, it is estimated that the number of proteins could be in the region of 10-100 times this. To fully understand the complexity and function of the human proteome, it is essential to have a comprehensive and standardised collection of antibodies and other specific binding molecules directed against all known proteins. Currently, antibodies only exist for a small fraction of proteins and often, commercially available ones are of a varying standard. EURAFFIN aims to develop a pan-European platform for the systematic development and quality control of these essential reagents, which will impact throughout basic research and medicine, as well as the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

15.15-15.45 Coffee Break

Parallel Sessions
15.45-17.45

Session I Harnessing (Cyano-)Bacteria for Energy Production (CyanoBioEnergy)

Session II Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract for Health
(MetaHIT Health)

Session III A European Resource of Affinity Reagents for Analysis
of the Human Proteome (EURAFFIN)

20.00-23.00 Conference Dinner at the Chateau de L’Ile

Friday September 19

Plenary Sessions

9.30-10.30 Introduction to Brokerage Session Topics

4. European Profiles of Structural and Sequence Variation of the
Human Genome in Disease (EUVADIS)
Presented by Professor Xavier Estivill, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, ES

The "European population" is extremely rich in genetic variability, with different disease prevalence and phenotypes. The aims of EUVADIS are to study the variability of European citizens at the genome sequence level, with a special focus on common human disorders and traits, and to integrate epidemiology and preventive measures. To achieve these goals, the human genomes of 1000 subjects with ten common disorders will be dissected at the sequence level, and the biological data of medical conditions will be integrated for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common human diseases.

5. Molecular Biology of Survival
Presented by Professor Miroslav Radman, Evolutive and Medical Molecular Genetics (Inserm 571), Faculty of Medicine, Hospital Necker, Université Paris Descartes, FR

As life expectancy continues to rise (since 1997 for example, France has seen an increase of life expectancy at birth from 78.38 to 81.9 years), this places increasing strain on the health and social systems. New approaches are needed to understand the processes of ageing, robustness and disease, so the goal of health ageing can be achieved. As ageing is a highly complex process, taking a systemic approach should prove highly beneficial. The proposal, RAD, aims to systematically unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the robustness and mechanisms of ageing and death in a diverse range of living organisms.

6. Calibrating Europe's Biodiversity using DNA Barcodes (ECBOL)                   Presented by Professor Pedro Crous, Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, NL

Our ability to assign biological specimens or their derived products to species can be critical for public health, conservation, environmental monitoring and quality, food safety, and basic research. Europe has the world’s largest repositories of biological specimens, but it is often impossible to identify specimens using traditional methods. ‘DNA barcoding’ uses a short, standardised gene sequence for species identification and European researchers are actively involved in building global libraries of referenced sequences. By establishing a European network of high throughput DNA barcoding laboratories, we will be able to accurately identify and monitor biodiversity, and improve quality of life.

Parallel Sessions
10.30-12.30

Session IV European Profiles of Structural and Sequence Variation of the
Human Genome in Disease (EUVADIS)

Session V Molecular Biology of Survival

Session VI Calibrating Europe's Biodiversity using DNA Barcodes (ECBOL)

12.45-13.00 Closing Remarks

Wouter Spek, Director EuroBioFund
John Marks, Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Science and Strategy, European Science Foundation

13.30-15.00 Lunch

Latest Update: 26/08/08