Elena Conti
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
Germany
EMBL Conference
This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually.
Based on recent methodological breakthroughs, the number of identified mammalian RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) has skyrocketed from around 700 to over 2000. More importantly, completely new classes of proteins (including enzymes, signaling molecules, transporters and channels etc.) were recognized as RBPs, posing questions regarding the biological functions of RNA binding.
This meeting will bring together leaders in the field of RBPs – classical and newly discovered – and discuss exciting progress on all fronts, from posttranscriptional regulation of RNA expression to the riboregulation of protein functions, facilitated by rapidly emerging experimental technologies and data analysis tools. Discussion topics will range from structural work over cell biology, including RBP-containing ‘membraneless organelles’, metabolism and progress regarding human diseases. The methodological spectrum will be equally wide, and also include data analysis and AI/modeling approaches.
Since this will be the first time that such a conference is organized, community building or community extension, from the established field of classical RBPs in posttranscriptional control to the emerging perspectives, is also a major objective of the conference.
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
Germany
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Germany
Seoul National University
Republic of Korea
MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
UK
Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science)
China
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
USA
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Republic of Korea
Hokkaido University
Japan
Yale University School of Medicine
USA
University of Colorado Boulder
USA
Australian National University
Australia
Yale University School of Medicine
USA
Institute of Molecular Infection Biology
Germany
University of California, San Diego
USA
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
Italy
Sapienza University of Rome
Italy
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Saudi Arabia
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Seoul National University
Republic of Korea
Course and Conference Officer
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Time (Europe/Berlin) | Session |
---|---|
15:00 – 16:30 | Registration and light refreshments |
16:30 – 16:45 | Opening remarks |
16:45 – 17:45 | Keynote lecture (tbc) Elena Conti – Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany |
17:45 – 18:45 | Keynote lecture: Phase separation and the role of RNA binding proteins Anthony Hyman – Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany |
18:45 – 19:45 | Dinner in Canteen |
19:45 – 21:30 | After dinner drinks and Pub Quiz in Canteen |
Time (Europe/Berlin) | Session |
---|---|
09:15 – 12:45 | Session 1: Systems Biology of RBPs (experimental multi-omics and data analysis) Chair: first name last name – institute, country |
09:15 – 09:45 | Title to be confirmed Karla Neugebauer – Yale University School of Medicine, USA |
09:45 – 10:00 | Selected short talk #1 |
10:00 – 10:15 | Selected short talk #2 |
10:15 – 10:30 | Selected short talk #3 |
10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee Break and Meet the speakers |
11:00 – 11:30 | Title to be confirmed Thomas Preiss – Australian National University, Australia |
11:30 – 11:45 | Selected short talk #4 |
11:45 – 12:00 | Selected short talk #5 |
12:00 – 12:15 | Selected short talk #6 |
12:15 – 12:45 | Exploring the world of RNA binding proteins in bacterial pathogens Cynthia Sharma – Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, Germany |
12:45 – 14:00 | Lunch and meet the speakers |
14:00-18:15 | Session 2: Structure and function of RBPs (including modelling/AI) Chair: first name last name – institute, country |
14:00 – 14:30 | Title to be confirmed Anna Pyle – Yale University School of Medicine, USA |
14:30 – 14:45 | Selected short talk #7 |
14:45 – 15:00 | Selected short talk #8 |
15:00 – 15:15 | Selected short talk #9 |
15:15 – 15:45 | Prediction of RNA structures and their interactions using deep learning Minkyung Baek – Seoul National University, Republic of Korea |
15:45 – 16:15 | Coffee Break and Meet the speakers |
16:15 – 16:30 | Selected short talk #10 |
16:30 – 16:45 | Selected short talk #11 |
16:45 – 17:00 | Selected short talk #12 |
17:00 – 17:30 | Title to be confirmed Gideon Dreyfuss – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, USA |
17:30 – 18:15 | Flash talk session 1 (3 min – 1 Slide) |
18:15 – 19:30 | Dinner in EMBL Canteen |
19:30 – 21:30 | Poster Session 1 (odd numbers) |
Time (Europe/Berlin) | Session |
---|---|
09:15 – 12:45 | Session 3: Biological condensates Chair: first name last name – institute, country |
09:15 – 09:45 | RNA binding proteins in RNP Granules and neurodegenerative diseases Roy Parker – University of Colorado Boulder, USA |
09:45 – 10:00 | Selected short talk #13 |
10:00 – 10:15 | Selected short talk #14 |
10:15 – 10:30 | Selected short talk #15 |
10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee Break and Meet the speakers |
11:00 – 11:30 | Title to be confirmed Ling-Ling Chen – Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science), China |
11:30 – 11:45 | Selected short talk #16 |
11:45 – 12:00 | Selected short talk #17 |
12:00 – 12:15 | Selected short talk #18 |
12:15 – 12:45 | Title to be confirmed Shinichi Nakagawa – Hokkaido University, Japan |
12:45 – 14:15 | Lunch and meet the editors |
14:15 – 16:15 | Poster Session 2 (even numbers) |
16:15-19:15 | Session 4: Disease RBPs and new therapeutic angles Chair: first name last name – institute, country |
16:15 – 16:45 | The intriguing moonlighting function of the U2 snRNP in the infection of cytoplasmic viruses Alfredo Castello – MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK |
16:45 – 17:00 | Selected short talk #19 |
17:00 – 17:15 | Selected short talk #20 |
17:15 – 17:30 | Selected short talk #21 |
17:30 – 18:00 | Coffee Break and Meet the speakers |
17:30 – 18:00 | Title to be confirmed Yoosik Kim – Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea |
18:00 – 18:15 | Selected short talk #22 |
18:15 – 18:30 | Selected short talk #23 |
18:30 – 18:45 | Selected short talk #24 |
18:45 – 19:15 | Going out of phase: RNA aptamers to interfere with pathological protein condensation Elsa Zacco – Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy |
19:15 – 20:15 | Conference dinner in the canteen |
20:15 – 00:00 | Party |
Time (Europe/Berlin) | Session |
---|---|
10:00 – 11:30 | Session 5: New technologies to study RNA-protein interactions Chair: first name last name – institute, country |
10:00 – 10:30 | Title to be confirmed Gene Yeo – University of California, San Diego, USA |
10:30 – 10:45 | Selected short talk #25 |
10:45 – 11:00 | Selected short talk #26 |
11:00 – 11:15 | Selected short talk #27 |
11:15 – 11:30 | Closing remarks |
11:30 – 12:00 | Packed lunch and departure |
On-site registration fees include admission, conference materials, meals and coffee breaks. Participants are expected to book and pay their own accommodation and travel expenses.
Virtual registration fees include access to all of the talks (livestreamed and on demand) and facility to submit questions.
On-site Academia | €800 |
On-site PhD Student | €700 |
On-site Industry | €1000 |
On-site Journal Editors* | €300 |
Virtual Academia | €225 |
Virtual PhD Student | €175 |
Virtual Industry | €275 |
* Editors from scientific journals are allowed to attend at a reduced rate, but asked to contribute to the conference in return by taking part in ‘meet the editors’ sessions or other planned activities within the programme.
A letter to support your visa application will be issued, on request, once payment of the registration fee is confirmed. We recommend that you book your visa appointment as soon as possible, to avoid any delay with your visa application.
Accredited journalists may be eligible to register for complimentary press registration. Registrants may be required to provide accreditation or equivalent proof of press membership after registration. Please contact Julia Patricia Nohle for more information. Please note that we do not offer complimentary registrations for editors of scientific journals.
Registration will be on a first come, first served basis. Your place can only be confirmed after payment of the registration fee. If you are added to our waiting list, please consider taking advantage of our offerings to participate virtually.
On-site participants: Types of payments accepted are international bank transfers and credit card payments.
Virtual participants: We are only able to accept card payments. In exceptional cases we can accept bank transfers. Please contact Julia Patricia Nohle for details.
Only participants registering to attend the on-site event are eligible to submit an abstract. Abstracts will not be accepted from virtual participants.
After registration you can submit your abstract via a separate link that will be provided in the email confirmation. Alternatively, you can access the link on the confirmation page directly after registering. The same login credentials are used for both processes.
Please note:
Abstract body: The limit of 2000 characters refers to manually typed text and excludes spaces. If an error occurs try using a different web browser (preferably Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).
If you copy-paste the text into the form, hidden formatting might still be included which may cause the text to exceed the 2,000 character limit resulting in an error message. We recommend you clear all formatting before pasting in the text.
If you have special symbols in your text, make sure you are using Unicode characters, otherwise these will not be recognised.
Title: The title should not exceed 20 words. Only the first word of the title should start with a capital letter and the rest should be lowercase.
Authors and affiliations: Please fill in the author’s details as requested in the online form. The compulsory fields are: First Name, Last Name, Organisation Name (Affiliation or Company), Country and Email.
Kindly mark only one author in the role of First Author and please don’t forget to indicate who will be the Presenter.
Please enter your co-authors correctly via the system by adding accounts together with their organisation/institute. Do not copy-paste them into the body of the abstract text, as they will not be indexed in the abstract book.
Presentation types: When submitting your abstract, you can apply for an oral or poster presentation. A selection process will take place with the results announced 2-3 weeks after the abstract submission deadline.
For detailed instructions on how to submit a conference abstract, follow the instructions provided in this video.
Please check our FAQs pages for further information on how to submit an abstract.
Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of registration fee waivers, travel grants, and childcare grants.
Your place in the meeting is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.
The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course or conference.
The travel grant will cover the cost of travel to an on-site event (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa, and/or registration fees*) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:
–up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Conference or EMBO|EMBL Symposium from within Europe.
–up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Conference or EMBO|EMBL Symposium from outside Europe.
The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.
There is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants, speakers, and organisers when attending a conference.
Eligible costs include (but are not limited to) fees for a baby-sitter or child-care facility, and travel costs for a caregiver. Please note that priority will be given to early stage researchers. In order to apply for this grant, you must be registered by the abstract submission deadline. There is a limited amount of funding available for the childcare grants and funds will be distributed amongst eligible applicants.
On-site participants
You may apply for financial assistance when submitting your abstract. In your application you will be asked to answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.
Virtual participants
If you are attending virtually, you can apply for financial assistance in the submission portal by the abstract deadline. Read the instructions on how to apply for financial assistance. Only submissions for financial assistance will be accepted. Presentation abstracts cannot be submitted here and will be declined.
In your application you will be asked to summarise your current work, answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance, and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.
The scientific organisers will select the recipients of registration fee waivers and travel grants during the motivation letter or abstract selection process. Results will be announced approximately 6 – 8 weeks before the event start date, however for some events this may be delayed. Selection results do not impact your admission to the meeting. Selection for registration fee waivers and travel grants is based on scientific merit, your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support, and the impact this event will have on your career.
Childcare grants will be allocated in the same timeframe (6-8 weeks before the event start date). Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers.
Costs will be reimbursed after the meeting only once a reimbursement form and original receipts (from travel costs) have been received.
View our list of external funding opportunities and information on attending a conference as an event reporter.
For further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.
Accommodation is not included in the conference registration fee.
The hotels below have rooms on hold for participants until 11 February 2025, in some cases at special rates. Please email the hotel directly, quoting the booking code RBP25-01 to confirm the exact price of the room.
Hotel Anlage | Hotel ibis Heidelberg | Premier Inn Heidelberg City |
Hotel Bayrischer Hof | ISG Hotel | Staycity Aparthotel Heidelberg |
B&B Hotel | Hilton Heidelberg |
For travel information, please see here.
If you are travelling to the conference within Germany then you are eligible for the Deutsche Bahn ‘Event Ticket’ (called the ‘Veranstaltungsticket’ in German). This will result in a lower ticket price if your travel distance to Heidelberg is more than 100 km. You need to provide proof of your event attendance when purchasing the ticket.
For more information in English see here or in German see here.
You can book your ticket here.
Conference shuttle buses are free of charge for participants, and depart from designated bus stops near the hotels to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings.
The bus stops for this conference are:
View Conference shuttle bus stops and hotels in a larger map. Please note that not every bus stop will be used for every event.
Address: EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
For more information about accommodation and travel, please refer to the FAQ page.
All meals and coffee breaks are included in the registration fee. Our catering staff will prepare a wide variety of vegetarian meals, meat and fish dishes, soups, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of desserts.
Please wear your badge at all times when serving yourself.
No food or drinks are allowed in the auditorium.
There are lockers available next to the stairs leading down into the Auditorium. You will find some of those equipped with sockets to charge your smartphone/tablet etc.
In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor and a plug that fits the German socket may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. American, Japanese, etc.). A USB charging station for electronic devices is available at the registration desk.
If you are interested in purchasing EMBL merchandise (products presented in the glass display in the registration area), please email the EMBL shop to place an order or get in contact with your Course Organiser.
Kindly note the EMBL shop is only open upon request and all purchases must be made in cash (Euros only).
Please read EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for on-site events.
Do not smoke in any EMBL building.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in the Auditorium and all laboratories.
Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.
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Beyond first aid…
Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the conference. Note that the next pharmacy is a 4-minute drive from the EMBL, but for many medications you will be required to see a doctor to get a prescription.
Ensure in advance that your medical insurance will cover you during your visit in the event that you do need to see a doctor while in Heidelberg. In any case, the EMBL Course and Conference Office will assist you to get to the pharmacy and a doctor of your choice if necessary.
Wi-Fi is available on campus using the EMBL-Events network and the event specific password, which will be provided on site. The eduroam network (secure, worldwide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community) is also available.
‘’Lost and Found’’ items are kept at the registration desk until the end of the conference.
There are lockers available on-site to store your luggage, which require a 2 EURO coin to operate. There is another luggage room on level E0, which is free to use but remains unlocked during the conference.
There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.
During the conference, an EMBL Photographer may be taking photos. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the photographer or a member of the Course and Conference Office.
We can help to print your boarding pass/train ticket. Please send it to events@embl.de and collect your print-outs at the registration desk.
There is a room for prayer, meditation and yoga located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of others using the room.
A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on the website of Heidelberg Marketing.
During the event, we provide conference shuttle buses to and from EMBL. In addition, there is the public bus 39A that serves the EMBL campus and taxis can be easily booked at any time. Information on the conference shuttle buses can be found on the individual event website and more detailed information on travelling to EMBL can be found on our Travel Information page.
Hello | Hallo |
Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen (formal) Tschüss (informal) |
Good morning | Guten Morgen |
Good afternoon | Guten Tag |
Good evening | Guten Abend |
Good night | Gute Nacht |
I’m sorry | Es tut mir leid |
Excuse me… | Entschuldigen Sie |
How are you? | Wie gehts? |
I’m fine thanks. And you? | Mir geht es gut , danke. Und Dir/Ihnen? |
What is your name | Wie heißen Sie? (formal) Wie heißt Du? (informal) |
My name is | Ich heiße… |
Do you speak English | Sprechen Sie Englisch? |
I don’t understand | Ich verstehe nicht |
Please speak more slowly | Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen |
Thank you | Dankeschön |
Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette? |
Please call me a taxi | Bitte rufen Sie mir ein Taxi |
How do I get to….? | Wie komme ich zum/zur…..? |
A beer/two beers please | Ein Bier/zwei Bier bitte |
A glass of red/white wine please | Ein Glas Rot/Weisswein bitte |
The menu, please | Die Speisekarte, bitte |
Is there a local speciality? | Gibt es eine Spezialität aus dieser Gegend? |
I’m vegetarian | Ich bin Vegetarier/ Vegetarierin |
It was delicious | Es war hervorragend |
The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bitte |
I have a headache | Ich habe Kopfschmerzen |
I have a sore throat | Ich habe Halsschmerzen |
My stomach hurts | Ich habe Magenschmerzen |
I’m allergic to | Ich bin allergisch gegen |
I need a doctor who speaks English | Ich brauche einen Arzt, der Englisch spricht |
* Talks will only be recorded upon speaker’s consent
Please note that only on-site participants are able to submit abstracts and participate in the poster sessions.
We are using an event platform for this conference. More information about the platform will be shared ahead of the conference.
Additional information can be found in our Code of Conduct.
It is important to stay healthy and move around, especially when you are attending an event virtually. We have put together a few coffee break stretches and yoga videos in the conference platform for you to enjoy during the event.
Please use the Q&A function in the event platform.
If you have any other questions, you can go to the Help Desk in the event platform. Click on ‘more’ on the top menu and click Help Desk.
The programme is planned based on the Europe/Berlin time zone, unless otherwise stated. Please take your time zone into consideration when planning your attendance.
Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions, COVID-19 safety policy and travelling to EMBL on our Information for participants page.
COVID-19 information for on-site events at EMBL Heidelberg can be found in our COVID-19 FAQs.
Event sponsor
Media partners
Advanced Biology, a Wiley journal
Advanced Genetics, a Wiley journal
Journal of Cell Science, The Company of Biologists journal
Medinformatics, a Bon View Publishing journal
Molecular Systems Biology, an EMBO Press journal
Open Biology, a Royal Society journal
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Date: 11 - 14 Mar 2025
Location: EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual
Venue: EMBL Advanced Training Centre
Deadline(s):
Abstract submission: 15 Dec 2024
Registration (On-site): 28 Jan 2025
Registration (Virtual): 3 Mar 2025
Organisers:
Contact: Julia Patricia Nohle