First Regional Structural Biology meeting: Balkans and the South-East Mediterranean

Meeting
Date: 14-May-2021 14:00 CEST to 14-May-2021 17:00 CEST

Contact: Evangelia Chrysina

It has been recognized that researchers from European regions such as the Baltics and the Balkans are underrepresented as users of the structural biology services that are being provided by Europe-wide Research Infrastructures such as iNEXT-Discovery and INSTRUCT-ERIC, offering their extensive networking, training and access programs to external researchers.

We believe that the free access that is given to some of the best structural biology facilities world-wide is not only crucial for life science research, but also indispensable for addressing current and future societal challenges. Therefore, we see any non-inclusiveness as a potential weakness for the European Research Area, especially since these regions and their surroundings have developed strong local research programs over the past years.

In a first online "Regional Structural Biology Meeting" that took place on May 14th 2021, iNEXT-Discovery partners NHRF and NKI opened the discussion to address the potential of structural biology and European Research Infrastructures for a wide audience consisting of scientists, policy makers as well as administration representatives and other stakeholders from the Balkans and South-East Mediterranean.

Structural biology in the European science landscape was introduced by prominent scientists, ESFRI and the European Commission, and round table discussions focused on different topics such as research valorization, academic and industrial developments, strengthening and widening user communities and economic growth.

Organizing Committee

• NHRF    Evangelia Chrysina, Spyros Zographos, Georgios Spyroulias   
• NKI        Anastassis Perrakis, Hans Wienk

AIMS

• Increase awareness of EU-wide iNEXT-Discovery and Instruct-ERIC structural biology services
• Emphasize on possibilities for remote access
• Broaden the structural biology user community
• Strengthen awareness and cooperation between European stakeholders

AGENDA

Session 1 (14:00 - 15:00 CEST)

• Networking (data sharing, regional development, user communities, the general public, involving industry)
• Opportunities for access to iNEXT-Discovery

14:50 - 15:00  The ESFRI perspective (Prof. Yannis Ioannidis, 10’)

Session 2 (15:00 - 16:00 CEST)

• Valorisation of access to European structural biology RIs (access policies and funding schemes)
• Regional structural biology RIs for economic growth, international cooperation, employability
• How structural biology may strengthen/build partnerships with new users (non-structural biologists), the private sector and industry capitalising national investments (structural funds)

Session 3 (16:00 - 16:30 CEST)

Break / Q&A on iNEXT-Discovery and Instruct-ERIC services

Session 4 (16:30 - 17:00 CEST)

Please use this link to register for the meeting (with registering for this event you accept that your name appears on our participation lists, and that you may be contacted by iNEXT-Discovery for evaluation of the event or for follow-up activity).