Society for Free Radical Research - Europe

March News from the SFRR-E ECR subcommittee

Dear colleagues,

In today's newsletter, we will share with you a summary of March’s "Grant writing support for ECRs" webinar and announce our next webinar on the topic "Redox control of aging". At the end of the newsletter, as always, you can also find a collection of upcoming events (check out the travel awards for the Thiol-Based Redox Regulation and Signaling Gordon GRS) with important deadlines and some suggestions of interesting redox reads recently published.


March’s webinar

On March’s webinar we enjoyed one inspiring talk on the topic "Grant writing support for ECRs":


Orientation, guidance and tips and tricks for successful grant writing for early career scientists

Isabel Fabregat, PhD

Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain

Dr. Fabregat gave an eye-opening talk about grant writing. We would like to share with you some of the main points of her presentation as we think this topic is of crucial importance for early career researchers.

What are strong points in an application/interview for a postdoctoral position?

You should read the requirements for the application and create a checklist with all the documents that you need to attach to the proposal. Even if it’s not requested, always propose potential referees who can speak for you. That includes supervisors, collaborators or also mentors.

Educate yourself about the group’s research line and tell the reviewers why you are interested in it. You should also tell them why the position is adequate for you by describing your career goals and how the position is in line with them or how it could advance your career. Think about a training plan, identify three to five training objectives for the skills you would like to acquire in the project and how you will develop them (attending courses, institution internal training…).

What to avoid?

You shouldn’t feel unsure or unprepared. If you like the position, just apply, even if you don’t know all the required techniques, you can always learn them.
Don't be afraid to ask for the independence you would like, regarding publication and supervision.

What should be included in the CV when applying for a postdoctoral fellowship/grant?

Work experience, previous positions/fellowships, participation in research projects, presentation of results in conferences (oral communications and invited talks should be highlighted), relevant publications (specify if you were first, co-senior or co-corresponding author), relevant attended courses, teaching experience, academic awards. You must prepare the CV specifically for the call you’re applying to, not only regarding the format, but also the content and what to highlight in your CV.

Which are the differences in fellowship/grant applications when it’s your first postdoc or when you are a senior postdoc? What is expected in the project proposal?

If you’re applying for your first postdoc you might not have published the main results of your PhD yet. In that case, you need to reinforce the CV in the part of explaining your experience. If you’re applying for your second, third… postdoc, your PhD must be published, and the focus must be on the experience in the first postdoc if results are not published yet, you must show that your results in a project are good.

What are the differences between a PhD and a postdoc?

During your PhD years, you might have probably dedicated 80% or more of your time to your experimental research project. As a postdoc, you must balance your new research project with reading/writing papers about the topic of your research, designing experiments, generating new ideas, supervising students, and perhaps also teaching. Planning is more important than ever and weekly templates turn out very useful.

I’m applying for my first grant after the postdoc, should the topic be different from my postdoctoral research project?

If you feel comfortable and you like the research topic of your postdoc, you can continue in that direction when applying for your first grant as PI. But the project must contain new ideas, new questions, new methodologies. It must be clear that you are proposing something original even if still related to the topic of your postdoc project.
If you are applying for a fellowship/grant to be developed in your postdoc lab, independence from your supervisor must be guaranteed and it’s expected that you will be the corresponding author of your projects.

How ambitious should my proposal be? What do I need to pay special attention to?

Ambition depends on the team. If you will be working alone, you need to plan a project which will be feasibly developed by one person. If the grant includes a budget for personnel, you need to bear in mind how many people you could hire and what could be realistically done. The project must also be logistically and financially feasible. You should always be ambitious, if possible, about cutting-edge technology.

You need to consider that reviewers will evaluate the CV of the PI and the team, the scientific significance and innovation, experimental approach and environment. In addition, the proposal may be given an overall impact score. In the case of biomedical grants: you should include the translational impact and the eventual benefits of the project for patients.

I want to write my first project as PI, which are the most important aspects?

Understand the call: adequacy to the topic, read the guide for applicants. At all times, ask yourself how your proposal will stand according to the criteria listed.
Anticipation: start writing several months before the deadline, many months if it is an ERC Starting Grant. Book several weeks for writing before the deadline. Get plenty of feedback, look for local expertise, ask people who got ERC starting grants for feedback.

Title and abstract: they are very important, they must be as concise as possible and prepared to be understood by not specialised reviewers.

Length of the proposal and language: it is always limited, and that’s a good thing. Get to the point quickly. Use a clear language, short sentences and be as concise as possible.

Sell yourself! Write a complete CV and if possible, incorporate in the most relevant papers (first, last author) an explanation of the relevance of the results.

Research plan: propose a high-risk, high-gain project, but logistically and financially feasible.

Background: you need to present the state of the art and show your knowledge of the topic. It shouldn’t be very long, but enough to understand the hypothesis and objectives. If possible, incorporate preliminary, unpublished results from your group.

Project development: write a clear hypothesis, a general objective and detailed objectives. Have a clear structure and workplan, divide the project in tasks with milestones and deliverables. Include a detailed Gantt chart! Research milestones are critical points in a research project that indicate progress and provide a framework for achieving goals. These milestones help researchers track their advancement and ensure they are on the right plan. Project deliverables are the tangible results that the project team must produce to achieve the project objectives, they are specific, measurable, and time-bound, clearly indicating the project progress.

Include schemes, flow diagrams, to facilitate the evaluation.

In most of the applications, the CV of the PI is the only one that is presented. Change that, describe the team, the expertise of each one of the members and how they will ensure the development of the project.

Last but not least: you should take special time to correctly fill the following sections: scientific dissemination of the results, dissemination to the general society, technology transfer plan, ethical issues, gender issues. This part is 30% or more of the final points in EU projects and absolutely necessary.

From the ECR subcommittee we would like to thank Isabel for her wonderful presentation!

 


Webinar series “Emerging leaders in redox biology”

Our next webinar will be on 9th April 2024 at 15:00 CET on the topic “Redox control of aging” featuring Daphne Bazopoulou and Helena Cochemé.


The impact of early-in-life redox signaling in health, aging and disease

Daphne Bazopoulou, PhD

Biology of Stress and Aging Lab, Department of Biology, University of Crete, Greece

Daphne has been at the University of Crete as a student (B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D.) and since 2021 as an Assistant Professor and Group Leader (Biology of Stress and Aging Lab). In between the two, she consecutively held 2 postdoc positions at the University of Michigan (Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology) and embarked on an interdisciplinary journey of exploring organismal aging and mechanisms that dictate it and co-founding a spin-off. Her studies in C. elegans revealed that inter-individual differences in developmental Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels contribute to variations in stress resistance and lifespan and provided the first demonstration of a redox-regulated histone methylation event. Daphne has also worked with microfluidic-based platforms for exploring the effects of aging and age-related pathologies in neurons and performed chemical screens for identifying compounds that delay or reverse the age-dependent decline in the functionality of the C. elegans nervous system. Her team is currently involved in the study of ROS as adaptive signals for improving homeostasis, stress resistance and longevity and the impact of environmental stressors on organismal health and survival.



Redox signaling in aging

Helena Cochemé, PhD

Redox Metabolism Group, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom

Helena is a UKRI Investigator at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), where she leads the Redox Metabolism group. She is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2006, at the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit in the group of Prof. Mike Murphy, where she first developed her interest in mitochondrial oxidative stress and redox biology. She started working with Drosophila in 2007 as a post-doc at the Institute of Healthy Ageing, UCL in the laboratory of Prof. Linda Partridge. As part of her postdoctoral work, she characterized the mitochondria-targeted H2O2 probe, MitoB, and demonstrated that mitochondrial H2O2 levels increase in vivo with age. She established her own independent group at the LMS in 2013 and was promoted to Programme Leader Track in 2018. Research in the Cochemé lab is focused on the impact of redox signaling in aging and metabolic disorders, mainly using Drosophila as an in vivo model system. She is particularly interested in dissecting the role of redox-responsive cysteines in regulating survival, by applying a combination of redox proteomic and genetic knock-in approaches. Ultimately her goal is to uncover novel evolutionary conserved pathways and processes implicated in aging as potential therapeutic targets for health and longevity benefits.


More information about the ECR Subcommittee can be found on the SFRR-E website (ECR Committee), while regular updates can be found on Twitter (@SFRR_Europe), Instagram (@sfrr_ecr) and LinkedIn (SFRR-E). For any question or suggestion you might have, you can contact us via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Hope to see you online for our next Webinar Series appointment,

The ECR subcommittee

Upcoming events:

UK Redox Network Meeting


6th International Conference on Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in Plants



SFRR-E Annual Meeting


6th International Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) Meeting 2024

  • 12 - 15 June 2024
  • Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Deadlines: Registration: 31 May 2024
  • Further information: https://ahr-2024.de


Thiol-Based Redox Regulation and Signaling Gordon Conference

There are several travel awards available for graduate students and postdocs

The deadline for applications is June 1, 2024. Please note that for some awards an abstract must be submitted prior to the GRS deadline of April 7, 2024. Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. indicating which award(s) you wish to be considered for, along with a statement (no more than 150 words).

Thanks to the support from the Company of Biologists, two travel awards ($940 each) are offered for young scientists traveling to the conference from outside of Europe.
Thanks to the support from SFRR-E, four registration fee waivers/travel grants (300 € each) are offered for young scientists traveling to the conference from within Europe.
Thanks to support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), 20 travel awards are available to young scientists within the US who are presenting a talk and/or poster: 10 travel awards ($300 each) for the GRS meeting and 10 travel awards ($1200 each) for the GRC meeting.

 

11th International Conference on Oxidative Stress in Skin Medicine and Biology

  • 12 - 15 September 2024
  • Location: Andros Island, Greece, Greece
  • Deadlines:
  • Abstract Submission: 30 June 2024
  • Further information: http://oxstress.pharm.uoa.gr

 

FEBS Advanced Lecture Course

  • Redox biochemistry: cellular responses and disease relevance
  • 30 September - 6 October 2024
  • Location: Spetses, Greece
  • Deadlines:
  • YTF and Grant Applications: 15 April 2024
  • Registration & Abstract Submission Closing: 15 April 2024
  • Further information: https://redoxbiochemistry2024.febsevents.org


HNE Club Meeting

 

SfRBM 2024 Conference

  • 31st Annual Conference
  • 20 - 23 November 2024
  • Location: Savannah, Georgia, USA
  • Deadlines:
  • Online Registration & Abstract Submission Open: 10 May 2024
  • Abstract and Awards Deadline: 15 August 2024
  • Early Registration Deadline: 2 October 2024
  • Further information: https://sfrbm.org/meetings/sfrbm-2024/



Interesting Redox Reads:

Gutierrez, V., Kim-Vasquez, D., Shum, M., et al. The mitochondrial biliverdin exporter ABCB10 in hepatocytes mitigates neutrophilic inflammation in alcoholic hepatitis. Redox Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2024.103052


Jackson, B. T. & Finley, L. W. S. Metabolic regulation of the hallmarks of stem cell biology. Cell Stem Cell (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2024.01.003


Vogel, F. C. E., Chaves-Filho, A. B., & Schulze, A. Lipids as mediators of cancer progression and metastasis. Nat Cancer (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-023-00702-z


Demicco, M., Liu, X. Z., Leithner, K. & Fendt, S. M. Metabolic heterogeneity in cancer. Nat Metab (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00963-z


Haynes, P. R., Pyfrom, E. S., Li, Y., et al. A neuron–glia lipid metabolic cycle couples daily sleep to mitochondrial homeostasis. Nat Neurosci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01568-1


Jacquemyn, J., Ralhan, I. & Ioannou, M. S. Driving factors of neuronal ferroptosis. Trends Cell Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2024.01.010


Dixon, S. D. & Olzmann, J.A. The cell biology of ferroptosis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-024-00703-5



Redox Job Opportunities:

Position: PhD Student
Topic: Fluorescent Biosensors in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Institute: VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology (Brussels).
Deadline: 1 May 2024.
Further information: https://jobs.vib.be/j/73328/phd-student-position-fluorescent-biosensors-in-neurodegenerative-diseases



February News from the ECR subcommittee

Dear colleagues, 

In today's newsletter, we will announce our next webinar on the topic “Grant writing support for ECRs”. We will also share with you a summary of February’s “Redox signaling in cancer” webinar, in case some of you didn’t have the chance to join. At the end of the newsletter, as always, you can also find a collection of upcoming events with important deadlines and some suggestions of interesting redox reads recently published.

Webinar series “Emerging leaders in redox biology”

We are excited to announce our next webinar which will take place on 5th March 2024 at 15:00 CET on the topic “Grant writing support for ECRs” featuring Isabel Fabregat. She will share insightful and practical information on how to develop a research idea into a successful grant application and will provide some tips and tricks for ECRs. Don’t miss this one if you are interested in grant writing!


Orientation, guidance and tips and tricks for successful grant writing for early career scientists

Isabel Fabregat, PhD

Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
Her research line begins at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University (UCM), Madrid (1991) after a postdoctoral stage in Dr. Enrique Rozengurt’s Lab at the Imperial Cancer Research Foundation (ICRF) in London (1989-1990). Searching for new regulatory elements of hepatic cell proliferation and differentiation, Dr. Fabregat found that the Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-β) induced cell death in hepatocytes, and she was the first to propose TGF-β as an inducer of intrinsic apoptosis in hepatocytes, a process that required the production of reactive oxygen species. In September 2005, Dr. Fabregat moved to IDIBELL as a senior investigator, continuing with the same line of research. During the last few years, Dr. Fabregat’s group has also provided new data about how the liver tumor cell escapes from the apoptosis induced by TGF-β. In collaboration with different European groups, Dr. Fabregat created in 2013 a consortium dedicated to analyzing the potential of the TGF-β pathway as a therapeutic target in liver diseases (IT-LIVER: Inhibiting TGF-beta in Liver Diseases). Since 1997, Dr. Fabregat has received continuous national funding from the Plan Estatal de Investigación, Spain, as PI in all the projects, as well as funding from Europe in Marie Curie (FP7) and COST Actions. In recent years, her group has also been funded by private foundations and companies.

How can I join the webinar?
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86469731540?pwd=Mu9W9zBMm65TpJb6k4pwviFjseHQxw.OgbiZAvSiHJI7kVt
Passcode: 433382

 


February’s webinar

On February’s webinar we enjoyed two inspiring talks on the topic “Redox signaling in cancer”: 


Regulation of cell adhesion and anoikis by S-nitrosylation

Salvatore Rizza, PhD

Redox Biology Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr. Rizza presented his work on the role of GSNOR in cancer biology. His results show a downregulation of GSNOR as a feature in several cancers, which specifically inhibited anoikis increasing tumor cell survival and activated focal adhesion signaling. Importantly, he found FAK1 to be a direct target of S-nitrosylation, which could be exploited to treat GSNOR-deficient tumors.

  

MYCN Mediates Ferroptosis Sensitivity in MYCN-amplified Cancers

Hamed Alborzinia, PhD

Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM GmbH), Heidelberg, Germany
Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

Dr. Alborzinia presented his data on ferroptosis. His results show that MYCN amplification is associated with ferroptosis sensitivity. One tumor that has high levels of MYCN is neuroblastoma and this tumor is dependent on LRP8. He shows that LRP8 can be a target and that the single deletion of LRP8 in neuroblastoma cells triggers cell death by apoptosis.


More information about the ECR Subcommittee can be found on the SFRR-E website https://www.sfrr-europe.org/index.php/ecr-committee, while regular updates can be found on Twitter (@SFRR_Europe), Instagram (@sfrr_ecr) and LinkedIn (SFRR-E). For any question or suggestion you might have, you can contact us via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Hope to see you online for our next Webinar Series appointment,

The ECR subcommittee

Upcoming events:

SFRR-E Annual Meeting

Thiol-Based Redox Regulation and Signaling Gordon Conference
GRS: 13-14 July 2024

GRC: 14-19 July 2024


FEBS Advanced Lecture Course

  • Redox biochemistry: cellular responses and disease relevance
  • 30 September - 6 October 2024
  • Location: Spetses, Greece
  • Deadlines:
    • YTF and Grant Applications: 15 April 2024
    • Registration & Abstract Submission Closing: 15 April 2024
  • Further information: https://redoxbiochemistry2024.febsevents.org


Interesting Redox Reads:

  • Frei, M. S., Mehta, S. & Zhang, J. Next-generation genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors illuminate cell Signaling and metabolism. Annu Rev Biophys (2024). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biophys-030722-021359

  • Nakamura, T., Ito, J., Mourão, A. S. D., et al. A tangible method to assess native ferroptosis suppressor activity. Cell Rep Methods (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100710

  • Schlößer, M., Moseler, A., Bodnar, Y., et al. Localization of four class I glutaredoxins in the cytosol and the secretory pathway and characterization of their biochemical diversification. Plant J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16687

  • Eid, M., Barayeu, U., Sulková, K., Aranda-Vallejo, C. & Dick, T. P. Using the heme peroxidase APEX2 to probe intracellular H2O2 flux and diffusion. Nat Comm (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45511-9

  • Freitas, F. P., Alborzinia, H., Ferreira dos Santos, A., et al. 7-Dehydrocholesterol is an endogenous suppressor of ferroptosis. Nature (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06878-9

  • Geissel, F., Lang, L. Husemann, B., et al. Deciphering the mechanism of glutaredoxin-catalyzed roGFP2 redox sensing reveals a ternary complex with glutathione for protein disulfide reduction. Nat Comm (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45808-9

  • Fichman, Y., Rowland, L., Nguyen, T. T., et al. Propagation of a rapid cell-to-cell H2O2 signal over long distances in a monolayer of cardiomyocyte cells. Redox Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2024.103069

  • Jonak, K., Suppanz, I., Bender, J., et al. Ageing-dependent thiol oxidation reveals early oxidation of proteins with core proteostasis functions. Life Sci Alliance (2024). https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202302300


Lastest Redox Preprints:

  • Scherschel, M., Niemeier, J. O., Jacobs, L. J. H. C., et al. The NAPstar family of NADP redox state sensors highlights glutathione as the primary mediator of anti-oxidative electron flux. BioRxiv (2024). https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.14.580349


Redox Job Opportunities:

Position: PhD Student


Call for papers:

Journal: Redox Biochemistry and Chemistry



January 2024 News from the ECR subcommittee

Dear colleagues, 

In today's newsletter, we will announce our next webinar on the topic “Redox signaling in cancer”. We will also share with you a summary of January’s “Redox mechanisms in plants” webinar, in case some of you didn’t have the chance to join. We will present to you the newest members of the ECR subcommittee. At the end of the newsletter, as always, you can also find a collection of upcoming events with important deadlines and some suggestions of interesting redox reads recently published.


Webinar series “Emerging leaders in redox biology”

Our next webinar will be on 6th February 2024 at 15:00 CET on the topic “Redox signaling in cancer” featuring Salvatore Rizza and Hamed Alborzinia.


Regulation of cell adhesion and anoikis by S-nitrosylation

Salvatore Rizza, PhD

Redox Biology Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

Salvatore Rizza is a senior researcher in the lab of Giuseppe Filomeni at the Danish Cancer Institute. His research has centered on redox stress and specifically on the study of GSNOR, a pivotal enzyme regulating the levels of proteins covalently modified by the cellular messenger nitric oxide (NO). In 2016, Salvatore uncovered a crucial link between the absence of GSNOR and mitochondrial respiration, pinpointing SDH as a vulnerability in a subset of tumors. Building on this, he shifted focus to GSNOR dynamics during cell senescence and aging, elucidating the age-dependent GSNOR decline orchestrated by DNA methylation and demethylation reactions. This decline was intricately tied to mitochondrial aberrations, shedding light on the aging process. Further expanding this exploration, he delved into the interplay of NO-signaling and mitochondria homeostasis in immune cells and discovered that under oxidative stress, GSNOR induction led to decreased S-nitrosylation levels, boosting mitophagy and supporting the viability of immune cells facing excessive oxidative and nitrosative stress during activation. In 2023, Salvatore and his colleagues unveiled the prevalence of GSNOR deficiency in most solid tumors, triggering FAK1 hyperactivation and promoting anchorage-independent cell growth. This insight has significant therapeutic implications, as FAK1 inhibitors emerge as potential agents to exploit this vulnerability, effectively positioning GSNOR as a novel therapeutic efficacy marker in cancer research.

 

MYCN Mediates Ferroptosis Sensitivity in MYCN-amplified Cancers

Hamed Alborzinia, PhD

Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM GmbH), Heidelberg, Germany
Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

Hamed Alborzinia graduated in veterinary medicine from Shiraz University (Iran) before enrolling in the Molecular Biology Ph.D. program at Heidelberg University. During his doctoral studies in Heidelberg, he utilized bioanalytical techniques to investigate cancer cell metabolism. In 2018, he joined the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM) and the Division of Stem Cells and Cancer at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) within the lab of Prof. Andreas Trumpp in Heidelberg, Germany. As a Postdoctoral researcher, his primary focus has been on unraveling the metabolic properties of cancer cells, particularly in relation to emerging forms of cell death, such as ferroptosis. Recently appointed as a group leader at HI-STEM/DKFZ, Hamed's main objective is to explore cell death mechanisms in cancer cells, with a specific emphasis on drug resistance. His research group is actively involved in uncovering the novel metabolic cell death pathway of ferroptosis, with the ultimate aim of identifying therapeutic strategies for challenging cancers, including those characterized by MYC deregulation and drug tolerance.


January’s webinar

On January’s webinar we enjoyed two inspiring talks on the topic “Redox mechanisms in plants”:


Exploring plant redox landscapes by developing novel NADP redox biosensors

Jan-Ole Niemeier, MSc

Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (IBBP), Westfälische
Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany

Jan-Ole Niemeyer presented their work on the design and characterization of a new genetically encoded biosensor to measure the real-time variations of the NADPH/NADP+ pool in plants exposed to different conditions. His results using this sensor, further revealed the glutathione buffer to be essential in the detoxification of exogenously added hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in plant cells.

 


Let it shine: Monitoring plant live dynamic with fluorescent biosensors

José Manuel Ugalde, PhD

Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) - Chemical Signalling, University of Bonn, Germany

Dr. Ugalde introduced the dual role of H2O2 as signaling or toxic molecule in cells depending on its concentration, and how critical it is to follow H2O2 levels with spatial and temporal resolution to understand its role as messenger. His results using genetically encoded sensors to follow H2O2 levels and the redox state of the glutathione buffer, revealed the relevance of different cellular detoxification pathways to modulate intracellular ROS levels under stress in real time.

 

Welcome to the new members of the ECR subcommittee!

We are very pleased to present to all of you the four new members of the ECR subcommittee! They will support us in the webinar, social media and conference team.


Ufuk Ersoy

I completed my undergraduate studies in physiotherapy at Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir, Turkey. Following a brief stint as a physiotherapist, I realized that the hospital environment wasn’t aligned with my passion for exploration and discovery. Driven by this desire, I decided to pursue my dreams further and enrolled in postgraduate studies at the University of Liverpool. I successfully earned my MRes degree, specializing in CIMA musculoskeletal ageing, just as the COVID pandemic emerged.
Despite spending only a month in the labs, the experience was impactful, fuelling my decision to apply for a PhD position within the same department. Currently, I am in the final year of my PhD program at the University of Liverpool. My research focuses on unravelling the impact of maternal undernutrition on skeletal muscle aging. The goal is to comprehend whether suboptimal nutrition triggers an accelerated aging phenotype in skeletal muscle, with a specific emphasis on understanding the associated impairments in redox signalling and mitochondrial homeostasis. I enjoy travelling, football, basketball, reading, and the gym :)

- What annoys you in the lab? People who whistle :@

- What do you like to do the most in the lab? Not western blot

- What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment? A pint of beer (or any drink) :)

- Which was your first spot in your lab coat? Cannot remember but probably my tears after a failed experiment :D



Verónica Miguel

I’m a postdoc researcher in the immunobiology laboratory at the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Dr. David Sancho´s lab).

My research focuses on the immunometabolic control of macrophage functions. I studied Biotechnology at the University of León (Spain). I was fascinated about cellular metabolism and its alterations during disease development. So, I pursued a MSc in Molecular Biomedicine at the Autonomous University of Madrid and completed a PhD at the Center for Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” in Spain (Dr. Santiago Lamas´ lab). I was dedicated to investigate the role of fatty acid oxidation in chronic kidney disease. I identified new miRNAs involved in renal fibrosis related to the regulation of redox and metabolic pathways. My research training includes four stays in the USA, in laboratories of Alabama, Yale, Pennsylvania and Harvard Universities. In 2021, she joined Dr. Kramann’s laboratory at the University Hospital RWTH Aachen as a postdoctoral FEBS fellow, where I developed novel methodologies enabling the study of metabolism in renal organoids.

- What annoys you in the lab? Empty reagent tubes.

- What do you like to do the most in the lab? To discuss new findings.

- What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment? To take a break and eat some chocolate!

- Which was your first spot in your lab coat? Trypan blue while cell counting.


Konstantinos Papanikolaou

I’m a Postdoc in the Exercise Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition lab at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science of the University of Thessaly, Greece. My research interests are focused on exercise redox biology and skeletal muscle metabolism and regeneration.

I studied Exercise Science at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. Since my first years, I was a member of the physical performance lab where I conducted an experimental undergraduate thesis on human physiology and performance. Then, I completed a Master’s degree in Exercise and Health for clinical populations at the University of Thessaly, Greece, where I was introduced to the field of redox biology. At this time, I explored several topics including the impact of exercise and nutritional interventions on redox signaling, muscle physiology and inflammation. For my PhD thesis, I investigated the redox-dependent regulation of skeletal muscle stem cells following exercise-induced injury in humans, a topic that I am still working on. During that time, I had the privilege to complete a research training in the lab of Prof. Dr. Tilman Grune in the Department of Molecular Toxicology at DIfE, Germany, where I was able to deepen my knowledge by applying novel techniques and methodologies to study redox processes.

- What annoys you in the lab? Dirty and messy benches.

- What do you like to do the most in the lab? Fluorescence microscopy.

- What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment? Drinking a cold beer.

- Which was your first spot in your lab coat? A marker pen stain, I guess.

 


José Manuel Ugalde

I’m a Jr. Group leader at the University of Bonn, Germany. My research focuses on the characterization of gene superfamilies linked to plant cell detoxification, and the modulation of cellular redox homeostasis.

My motivation to understand how our environment works led me to study biochemistry as a way to see the mechanics of life processes in detail. Through my studies, I had the chance to work in plant biology and became immediately fascinated with plants’ resilience and adaptability. After my Master’s thesis characterizing essential genes in pollen development, I did a PhD in Molecular genetics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, focusing on the study of the antioxidant role of the phytohormone salicylic acid (SA) at the Lab of Dr. Loreto Holuigue. Since I wanted to measure redox dynamics in plant cells, I went to the lab of Dr. Andreas Meyer at the University of Bonn, Germany, during two internships. There, I became fond, and a huge fan, of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors as a tool for real-time monitoring of redox biology. At the moment, I am starting my independent research group in Bonn, focused on the redox dynamics of different cellular sub-compartments and the characterization of large redundant gene families related to cell redox modulation and detoxification processes. I am a science communication enthusiast, for which I have worked for the past two years as an associated features editor at Plant Physiology, highlighting top research as short and approachable articles with funny titles.

- What annoys you in the lab?  Finding an empty box of competent cells, Or an empty bottle of a common reagent.

- What do you like to do the most in the lab? My Friday afternoons. Saved for me to do all the new, fun, and sometimes weird experiments ^.^’
- What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment? Print a copy, tape it to my office door and have a beer.

- Which was your first spot in your lab coat? Don’t know if it was the first, but I remember many with crystal violet and safranin from my microbiology classes.

 

More information about the ECR Subcommittee can be found on the SFRR-E website (ECR Committee), while regular updates can be found on Twitter (@SFRR_Europe) and Instagram (@sfrr_ecr). For any question or suggestion you might have, you can contact us via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Hope to see you online for our next Webinar Series appointment,
The ECR subcommittee

Upcoming events:

SFRR-E Annual Meeting


Thiol-Based Redox Regulation and Signaling Gordon Conference

  • GRS: 13-14 July 2024
  • Deadline: applications must be submitted by 15 June 2024, any applicants who wish to be considered for an oral presentation should submit their application by 7 April 2024.
  • GRC: 14-19 July 2024
  • Deadline: applications must be submitted by 16 June 2024
  • Location: Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
  • Further information: https://www.grc.org/thiol-based-redox-regulation-and-signaling-conference/2024/


SFRR-E Summer School / FEBS Advanced Lecture Course

  • Redox biochemistry: cellular responses and disease relevance
  • 30 September - 6 October 2024
  • Location: Spetses, Greece
  • Deadlines:

 

Interesting Redox Reads:

Timson, R.C., Khan, A., Uygur, Saad, M., et al. Development of a mouse model expressing a bifunctional glutathione synthesizing enzyme to study glutathione limitation in vivo. JBC (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105645


Megarioti, A., Esch, B. M., Athanasopoulos, A., et al. Ferroptosis-protective membrane domains in quiescence. Cell Rep (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113561


Jakubek, P., Suliborska, K., Kuczyńska, M., et al. The comparison of antioxidant properties and nutrigenomic redox-related activities of vitamin C, C-vitamers, and other common ascorbic acid derivatives. Free Radic Biol Med (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.10.400


Shi, X., DeCiucis, M., Grabinska, K. A., et al. Dual regulation of SLC25A39 by AFG3L2 and iron controls mitochondrial glutathione homeostasis. Mol Cell (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2023.12.008


Hendricks, J. M., Doubravsky, C. E., Wehri, E., et al. Identification of structurally diverse FSP1 inhibitors that sensitize cancer cells to ferroptosis. Cell Chem Biol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.04.007


Geeson, M. B., Hsiao, J. C., Tsamouri, L. P., et al. The interaction between NLRP1 and oxidized TRX1 involves a transient disulfide bond. Cell Chem Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.12.012


García-Giménez, J. L., Irene Cánovas-Cervera, I. & Pallardó, F. V. Oxidative stress and metabolism meet epigenetic modulation in physical exercise. Free Radic Biol Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.01.008


Zhuravlev, A., Ezeriņa, D., Ivanova, J., et al. HyPer as a tool to determine the reductive activity in cellular compartments. Redox Biology (2024) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2024.103058

 


Call for papers:

Journal: Free Radical Biology and Medicine


Journal: Redox Biochemistry and Chemistry

TODAY 9th of January 2024 at 15:00 h CET next webinar on Redox mechanisms in plants

Dear colleagues,

Our next webinar on Redox mechanisms in plants will take place TODAY 9th of January 2024 at 15:00 h CET and we are excited to announce the following speakers:
 

Exploring plant redox landscapes by developing novel NADP redox biosensors

Jan-Ole Niemeier, PhD(c)
Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (IBBP), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, D-48143 Münster, Germany

Jan-Ole Niemeier received his BSc in Biology from the University of Bremen, Germany and his bachelor thesis was entitled “Towards the identification of polyspermy regulating factors in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana”. He then (2020) took his Master's in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the same university and the title of this MSc thesis was “Towards the targeted degradation of mitochondria and induction of mitophagy”. Since 2021, he is a PhD candidate at Markus Schwarzländers lab in Münster, Germany.

 

Let it shine: monitorring plant live dynamic with fluorescent biosensors

José Manuel Ugalde, PhD
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Chemical Signalling, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany

José Manuel is a Chilean biochemist who completed his doctorate at the Catholic University of Chile, focusing on the study of the antioxidant role of salicylic acid in plants under the supervision of Dr. Loreto Holuigue. During his PhD, he carried out two internships at the University of Bonn, Germany, in the laboratory of Dr. Andreas Meyer, where he focused on redox biology and the use of fluorescent biosensors in plants to better understand redox dynamics.

After finishing his PhD in 2018, he continued his work on biosensors in Bonn as a postdoc and now leads his own research group. Currently, he is dedicated to the study of various aspects of redox biology in plants, focusing on the redox dynamics of different cellular sub-compartments and the characterization of redundant superfamilies linked to detoxification in plant cells.

How can I join the webinar?

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86469731540?pwd=Mu9W9zBMm65TpJb6k4pwviFjseHQxw.OgbiZAvSiHJI7kVt
Passcode: 433382

For any question or suggestion, contact us via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The SFRR-E ECR subcommittee
SFRRE ECR webpage

Next webinar will be on 5th December 2023 at 15:00 CET on the topic “Persulfides”

Dear colleagues, 

Our next webinar will be on 5th December 2023 at 15:00 CET on the topic “Persulfides” and, we are excited to announce the following talks:


Supersulfides as a basis of antioxidant system

Vladimir Baraev, PhD

Department of Environmental Medicine and Molecular Toxicology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

Uladzimir (Vladi) was born in Minsk (Belarus) where he received initial training in free radical chemistry. He then finished Master's course in molecular spectroscopy in Lille (France) and Leipzig (Germany). After he completed his Master's thesis with Maria Fedorova, Vladi joined the lab of Tobias Dick in Heidelberg, Germany to study the role of supersulfides in cellular free radical reactions and ferroptosis. After completing his Ph.D. thesis last year, Vladi moved to the lab of Takaaki Akaike in Sendai (Japan), a world leader in the supersulfide field. Now Vladi is studying the role of supersulfides in a human antioxidant defence system.


Sulfurtransferase-mediated persulfidation in plants

Anna Moseler, PhD

Department Chemical Signalling, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation University of Bonn, Germany

She started her scientific career working on functional analysis of oxidoreductases of the glutaredoxin protein family in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana at the University of Bonn with Andreas J. Meyer. After defending her PhD thesis, she was awarded with a prestigious Humboldt fellowship to work with Nicolas Rouhier and Jeremy Couturier in Nancy, France investigating cysteine catabolism with a focus on sulfurtransferases.
Currently, she holds a position at the Institute of Crop Sciences and Resource Conservation at the University of Bonn, Germany. Her research aim is to elucidate the molecular processes underlying persulfidation as a key posttranslational modification, where a cysteine thiol (- SH) is covalently bound to sulfur to form a persulfide (SSH). Despite the increasingly recognized role of persulfidation in plants and other species, the cellular mechanisms behind persulfide formation remain largely unknown. The goal is to identify proteins that contribute to persulfidation either directly by transferring the persulfide to specific target thiols or indirectly through the production of H2S for downstream persulfidation reactions, and to investigate the regulation and functions of the persulfides.

How can I join the webinar?

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86469731540?pwd=Mu9W9zBMm65TpJb6k4pwviFjseHQxw.OgbiZAvSiHJI7kVt

Passcode: 433382

More information about the ECR Subcommittee can be found on the SFRR-E website (https://www.sfrr-europe.org/index.php/sfrre/ecr-early-career-researcher), while regular updates can be found on Twitter (@SFRR_Europe) and Instagram (@sfrr_ecr).

For any question or suggestion you might have, you can contact us via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Hope to see you online for our next Webinar Series appointment,
The ECR subcommittee

SFRR-E

The Society for Free Radical Research - Europe (SFRR-E) is dedicated to promoting interest in all aspects of research related to Free Radicals in any scientific field.

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