Kick-off for TargetRNA
May 26th marked the kick-off for the doctoral network, gathering Ph.D. candidates from all over the world.
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TargetRNA is an EU Horizon funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) doctoral training network, coordinated by UiB. This network will train Ph.D. candidates across Europe, and from different fields, in targeting RNA molecules.
On 26th of May they were (almost) all gathered in Bergen for a kick-off meeting.
Professor Ruth Brenk at the Department of Biomedicine, UiB, is leading the network from Bergen. She’s pleased with the outcome of the first day of the meeting:
"It has been good. All the students have introduced themselves, where they come from, what background they have and what they will do in their network," she says.
Later they will mount Fløyen (by cable car) and have dinner. Having social get-togethers is a crucial part of networking:
"We hope to reach an understanding about what we would like to achieve scientifically and finding a mode to work together. To make this happen it is important to get to know each other better", says Brenk.
Finding new ways to target and interact with RNA
"The main goal for the network is to train Ph.D. candidates in this specific field. During the four-year project period all the candidates should obtain a Ph. D.", says Brenk.
More specifically, the students will learn how to target RNA with small molecules, how the molecules can be found, optimized and activated. Brenk explains:
"In recent years researchers have discovered that RNA, besides being the instructions sheet for protein making, have many different functions in the cells. The students in the network will work on advancing the methods of targeting RNA and finding new ways of interacting with them", says Brenk.
Discussion with a Nobel laureate
The students come from all over the world: Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italia, India, Egypt, Indonesia and China. They also come from a wide range of different fields: Microbiology, organic chemistry, structural biology, bioinformatics, biology, just to mention a few. The host institutions are distributed across Europe, namely in Norway, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Italy.
Learning to work together and communicate across fields and borders is crucial. According to Brenk, the work has already started:
"They have already formed interdisciplinary teams that work together across cultures and countries", she says.
Besides getting to know each other and finding ways to share information, the students attending the meeting will get lectures from many of the front runners in the field. In addition, Nobel laureate Thomas Cech will discuss with them was it takes to be a researcher and how to communicate research to the lay public. UiB Ferd also offers sessions about pitching research.
This meeting in Bergen will be the only one in Norway. The next meeting for the network will be in Frankfurt in November and next on the program is a winter school in Madrid.
