September EpiSeedLink Agenda
EpiSeedLink resumes the training courses in September after summer.
Episeedlink´s fellows will learn about Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in two courses, one theoretical online and the other practical at the CBGP.
- Theory on NGS. This training will provide theoretical background underlying NGS and library preparations. It will consist of lectures and practical exercises learning Fellows to make informed decisions regarding the appropriate sequencing platform, best approaches to prepare libraries from different types of samples (multiplexing, adaptor design), and experimental design (nr of replicates, reads/sample, controls required, etc). It will be online on the 4th and 5th of September. Tijs Bliek and Maike Stam (one of our Supervisors) will be the trainers. Both belong to the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) from the University of Amsterdam (UVA).
- ChIP seq Course. This course will provide hands-on training in Chromatin Immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) on Arabidopsis and oilseed rape leaves. Fellows will learn to prepare the biological material, crosslink, and carry out all steps of the ChIP protocol, to perform quality controls and qPCR validation, to isolate and quantify amounts of immunoprecipitated DNA, and to generate the libraries for NGS. The course will held at the Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP) in Madrid. It will be during the week of the 18th of September. The trainers will be Dr. Pedro Crevillén and Antón Abelenda, with the assistance of Dr. Manolo Piñeiro and Dr. José Antonio Jarillo. All of them are members of EpiSeedLink´s family at the CBGP.
- European Researchers Night. This is a Europe-wide event which attracts more than 1.5 million visitors each year and will certainly be happening near you. You will have the opportunity to learn about the interesting research projects going on close to you.
Introducing our Supervisors and his/her Institutions
It is time to meet the Supervisors of EpiSeedLink and the Hosting institutions where they are based in.
EpiSeedLink is composed of 14 skilled and internationally recognized leaders and 11 host institutions around Europe, including both the academic and the industrial sectors.
Here is a representation of the supervisors and their institutions.
The EpiSeedLink Supervisors are a distinguished group of well-renowned researchers hailing from various academic and industrial institutions across Europe. Their collective academic achievements and extensive experience make them prominent figures in the fields of science. They are engaged in a diverse range of research and activities encompassing Epigenetics, Genetics, Plant Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Seed Priming, and, which reflects their ability to bridge gaps between these interconnected disciplines and foster collaborations that drive scientific progress.
Individually, each supervisor boasts an impressive track record of contributions to scientific knowledge and innovation within their respective domains. With a wealth of academic merits, they have not only made significant advancements in their fields but have also demonstrated an exceptional ability to convey complex concepts effectively to students at various levels.
One of the remarkable strengths of the EpiSeedLink Supervisors lies in their extensive experience in guiding and mentoring students through their academic journeys. They have a proven track record of supervising Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students, facilitating their growth and development as emerging researchers. Over the years, they have collectively guided more than 90 PhD students to successful graduations, nurturing the next generation of scientists with their mentorship and insights.
Moreover, their commitment to academic excellence extends beyond PhD supervision. The EpiSeedLink Supervisors have also overseen the progression of nearly 100 postdoctoral fellows, providing guidance and mentorship to early-career researchers as they navigate the challenges of their chosen fields.
For more information about each of our supervisors, click here. If you would like to know more about where each of our supervisors are based, click here. Every step of the way, our supervisors will ensure to provide adequate supervision to each of the EpiSeedLink Fellows, whose project descriptions can be found here.
Scientific Methods Course
This course will illustrate the principles of scientific research.
It will allow:
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- exercising methodical doubt
- checking hypothesis
- discuss how to design appropiate experiments
- exercising methodical doubt
Fellows will learn among other topics about:
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- how to plant and execute a research project
- principles of open science,
- pitfalls of publication
- fake science
Green/Environmental Awareness Course
This course will help to raise awareness of the carbon imprint of everyday life and in particular Research actions
Dr. José Miguel Mulet from UPV explains to the fellows:
- the sustainable implementation of specific measures, including the use of renewable forms of energy at research institutes,
- how to reduce waste and energy loss, and
- how to implement green traveling and transportation to research events
Ethics and Research Integrity Course
Ethics and Research Integrity and ethical behavior are an integral part of scientific excellence
Dr. LL. Montoliu from CNB-CSIC explains to the fellows the ethical challenges and issues related to research integrity, as well as how to address these challenges and issues.
Introducing our External advisory Board
Episeedlink has an External Advisory Board (EAB) comprising six subject matter experts coming from academia and industry.
Our EAB Members are experts in the Episeedlink topics such as seed development, plant breeding, abiotic stresses, molecular markers, or epigenetics.
- Anna Amtmann, Molecular Plant Physiology (Molecular Biosciences) Professor at the University of Glasglow. Research in her group has continued to unravel the molecular mechanisms that enable plants to adapt to mineral nutrient deficiency, salinity and drought. Current projects investigate the genetic and epigenetic determinants of plant stress tolerance and of root architectural changes under mineral nutrient deficiency.
- Ales Pecinka, Group Leader at the Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics from the Institute of Experimental Botany, v. v. i. (IEB). His research focuses on Chromatin, Epigenetics, DNA damage repair, SMC5/6 complex, DNA protein crosslinks, Seed development. His works mainly use Arabidopsis and barley
- Jon Falk, Managing Director at Saaten-Union Biotec GmbH talked to us about his company in relation to plant breeding, how to improve it, and how to improve The utility of molecular markers for those purposes.
- Leonie Bentsink, Personal Professor at Wageningen UR (University & Research centre). Her research focuses on fundamental aspects of seed traits, like seed dormancy, seed longevity, and germination, concerning their ecological importance and application prospective for the industry.
- Löic Lepiniec. Research Director at Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin from the INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement) His research focuses on the regulations of seed development and metabolism.
- Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid, Senior Group Leader at Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology to the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). Her research focus is: “Epigenetic changes contribute significantly to diversity in gene expression, differentiation, and adaptation potential. Using the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Aethionema arabicum, her group investigates how environmental factors like heat, light, or genotoxic stress influence chromatin features, gene expression, and epigenetic inheritance, within plants and between generations”.