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STREAMLINE PROJECT ACTIVITIES AT CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

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Two members of the STREAMLINE team, Mina Perić, PhD and Vanda Balint are currently on the staff exchange at the Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute in Cardiff, UK. They are learning how to make brain organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Our team members are also studying how to analyze neuronal electrical activity recorded on a Multielectrode array (MEA).

Uncovering the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain function will help us understand the biological basis behind human psychology. The nervous system is composed of two basic cell types: glial cells (also known as glia) and neurons. While glial cells provide mechanical, trophic, and metabolic support to neurons, the communication between neurons is fundamental to all of the functions associated with the nervous system. Neuronal communication is an electrochemical event. The Multielectrode array (MEA)-systems record, amplify, and analyze signals from biological samples in vitro. Cells are grown in specially designed sterile cell culture plates (containing embedded electrodes) and placed in the MEA instrument for analysis. Cellular functionality can be determined by capturing spontaneous electrical activity as presented in the movie below:

A cerebral organoid, or brain organoid can be described as an artificially grown, in vitro-generated cellular system or a miniature organ resembling the brain. Using human pluripotent stem cells to create in vitro brain organoids allows researchers to understand the developmental mechanisms and maturation of the nervous system. Brain organoids derived from patients’ induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be used to investigate disease pathogenesis in the nervous system.

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Highlights from Data Protection and Data Sharing in Biomedical Research Training

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The STREAMLINE partners from the University of Maastricht (UM) held a two-day training devoted to researchers from the Western Balkans. Like last year, the training was consisting of lectures given by experts from UM and self-study prepared by the participants based on material provided by the training organizers. Throughout group practice, the participants presented their own work following the training guidelines. We use the opportunity to thank Dorothee Horstkötter, Helena Bossini Castillo, and Birgit Wouters for organizing the event and sharing their experience.

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UM trainings 2023

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Dear Colleagues,

 

We are pleased to invite you to take part in on-line two-day training sessions organized within STREAMLINE project by our partners from the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

The trainings will cover following topics:

7th and 9th of November 2023
„Data Protection and Data Sharing in Biomedical Research: Judicial
Guidelines and Legal Practices” which is
dedicated to data protection and data sharing in biomedical research.

 

17th of November and 8th of December 2023

8th  of December 2023 and 12th of January 2024

„Preparing and managing EC-funded projects/ project applications”
is aimed to enhance management skills of
both administrative staff and researchers.

You can find enclosed detail agendas of events.

All interested participants should register on link

https://forms.gle/ebyoK65eF5C8SPjq8

Please, feel free to share this information with your colleagues.

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STREAMLINE for students in October

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In October, Dr. Andrijana Lazić presented the STREAMLINE project to students through an interesting lecture “Induced pluripotent stem cells as a model system for the study of neurodevelopmental diseases”.

Choosing the right professional path is one of the biggest challenges that students have in career counseling. Therefore, on October 17, as part of the “Find out first-hand” program, the Center for Career Development and Student Counseling of the University of Belgrade and the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), University of Belgrade, organized a visit for final-year students from different faculties of natural sciences of the University of Belgrade. The students had the opportunity to become more familiar with IMGGE projects and career planning possibilities. Dr. Andrijana Lazić described to students challenging and thrilling work with human induced pluripotent stem cells technology, an exciting new era in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, as well as disease modeling and drug discovery.

A week later, on October 26, master’s and doctoral students of the Faculty of Science, University of Niš, from the Department of Biology and Ecology visited IMGGE. That was great opportunity for students from Niš to visit IMGGE laboratories and facilities, as well as to familiarize themselves with the STREAMLINE project and hear all about the possibilities of induced pluripotent stem cells in modern medicine.

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CERTH trainings 2023

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Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to participate in on-line trainings organized under the umbrella of the STREAMLINE project by our partners from the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Greece

The trainings will cover following topics:

 

13th of November 2023
Proposal preparation for EU calls

Participants will have opportunity to hear about requirements for EU funding programmes and get practical advices regarding research projects planning and proposal preparation.

15th of November 2023
Managing a research project

During this training participants will get guidelines and recommendations regarding the management of EU-funded research projects including implementation, monitoring of project progress, risk management and reporting.

20th of November 2023
Improving soft/professional skills of ESRs

This training is dedicated to early stage researchers (ESRs) to help them write good quality research papers, to teach them how to present research at conferences, give them guidelines for CV preparation and etc.

You can find enclosed detail agendas of events.

All interested participants should register on link:

https://forms.gle/9pbXQHeUEMkph25r6

Please, feel free to share this information with your colleagues.

With best regards,

STREAMLINE team

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STREAMLINE outreach at CoMBoS 2

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The Second Congress of Molecular Biologists of Serbia (CoMBoS 2) was held from October 6-8, 2023 in the Hall of Heroes at the Faculty of Philology, located in the heart of Belgrade. CoMBoS 2 covered many fields of molecular biology and offered exciting lectures delivered by renowned scientists and experts from our country and abroad.

The Congress was a good opportunity to increase the visibility of the STREAMLINE Project outputs among academic public. Accordingly, within the congress STREAMLINE team organized thematic workshop: “iPSCs as a tool for modelling disease and discovering molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders”. The majority of attendees was students that had an opportunity to learn about the latest iPSCs-based approaches for studying neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, they fallowed the lectures regarding cell reprogramming techniques and in vitro neural differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells, they also got insight into 3D modeling of neurological disorders and the latest trends in iPSCs technology towards innovative solutions.

As invited speaker, dr Andrijana Lazić, presented STREAMLINE outputs through lecture “22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome as a tool for modelling and research of neurodevelopmental disorders” within session Molecular Biomedicine. The main focused of the lecture was on STREAMLINE Exploratory Research Project and how far we have come in designing a new iPSCs-based tool for unveiling neuropathological mechanisms of human neurodevelopmental disorders.

Within the same session the youngest STREAMLINE team members Jovana Kostić and Ivana Simeunović presented their PhD topics in form of posters. Particularly, they briefly introduced the establishment of iPSCs from patients with 22q11.2 duplication and deletion syndrome as model systems for studying neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Overview of the week at Maastricht University

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Last week STREAMLINE team members, Danijela Drakulic, Natasa Kovacevic Grujicic, and Stefan Lazic were extremely busy learning how to use new bioinformatics tools with Dr. Friederike Ehrhart at the Department of Bioinformatics, Maastricht University. Bioinformaticians say: “Sometimes, you need to spend hours just to realize that you forgot a comma at a single spot.” Our team members are convinced that this phrase is perfectly correct!
On Wednesday, after hard work, IMGGE researchers and Milan Slavković, IMGGE Project Manager, enjoyed dinner with partners at the restaurant in the center of beautiful Maastricht. Delicious food and interesting topics made the evening really special.
The next day, Danijela presented the STREAMLINE project to the auditorium at the School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University. Afterward, we had an active discussion and received a plethora of positive comments.
At the end of the week, Danijela, Natasa, and Milan had the meeting with the Managing Director of MHeNs, Tom van den Crommenacker.
Milan Slavkovic returned to Belgrade striving to implement the knowledge he had gained.

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STREAMLINE at CoMBoS2

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It is our great pleasure to announce the Second Congress of Molecular Biologists of Serbia (CoMBoS2) that will be held from October 6-8, 2023 in the Hall of Heroes at the Faculty of Philology, located in the heart of the Belgrade.

During opening lectures on the first day of CoMBoS, academician Milena Stevanović, principal investigator of STREAMLINE will be awarded for her life dedication to science.

Within this congress STREAMLINE team will have thematic workshop “iPSCs as a tool for modelling disease and discovering molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders” that will be held on October 6th. This thematic workshop will be dedicated to the latest iPSCs based approaches for studying neurodevelopmental disorders.

On October 7, 2023 dr Andrijana Lazić will present STREAMLINE project through lecture “22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome as a tool for modelling and research of neurodevelopmental disorders”. She will discover how close we are in designing a new tool for unveiling neuropathological mechanisms of human neurodevelopmental disorders.

Here you can find more information and scientific program of CoMBoS2:

CoMBoS program