- FEBS3+ LS2 Annual Meeting 2020 “Cells, Molecules & Organism" 13 - 14 February 2020, University of Zurich, Irchel Campus. The highlights of the event were:
Four plenary speakers: Ya-Chieh Hsu, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, (US); Alex Schier, Biozentrum, University of Basel (CH); Erin Schuman, Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research (DE); and Melina Schuh, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (DE).
11 scientific symposia: Repair strategies for the heart & the vessels - Immunometabolic control of cancer & chronic diseases - Smart microscopy: machine learning applied to life sciences - Ubiquitin signaling & stress responses - Protein transport & sorting - Cell polarization & morphogenesis - Proteomics in food, nutrition & health sciences - Cell biology of infection - Chromatin organization & epigenetic regulation - Neural stem cells during development & in adulthood - Biological systems on the molecular scale.
Free Public Panel discussion: “Vaccination in Disease Prevention”
The popular Postdoc contest "PIs of Tomorrow"
Two dedicated poster sessions with 135 posters, with 5 poster prizes from sponsors, sections or partner societies and a poster quiz
450 participants and a large industry exhibition with 35 industry partners
The ceremonies of three Awards: the Friedrich Miescher Award, to Prof. Greta Guarda (IRB, affiliated to Università della Svizzera italiana, USI) and Prof. Nicola Aceto (University of Basel), the Lelio Orci Award to Prof. Silvia Arber (Biozentrum of the University of Basel and Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel) and the Prix Schläfli to Dr. Rebekka Wild (University of Grenoble, FR).
- LS2 Satellite Meeting for young scientists preceding the LS2 Annual Meeting with kind support from SCNAT
This satellite promoted networking among young, non-professorial scientists from Switzerland, Germany and Austria and motivate them in their career development by making them part of a panel discussion. During this Satellite, the awardee of the 2019 Prix Schläfli (SCNAT) Rebekka Wild (University of Grenoble, FR) gave a lecture which was introduced by Pia Stieger (SCNAT).
The satellite included a panel discussion on “how to find one´s career match?” with four panelists. Moreover, there were two scientific symposia with short talks selected by abstracts.
- Chairs: Nabil Hanna (UNIGE) and Fanny Georgi (UZH).
- 77 registered participants
- The satellite was followed by an Apero, supported by SCNAT, where selected speakers, young researchers and the invited keynote speakers of the Satellite and the LS2 Annual Meeting could gather together.
- https://annual-meeting.ls2.ch/files/2020
- Swiss Physiology Meeting 2020 – Online. 31 August & 1 September 2020
Annual Meeting of our Physiology section. 69 participants. Initially planned on-site, due to the COVID-19 restrictions we turned it to online. With the support from SCNAT
https://meetings.ls2.ch/physiology2020
- Autophagy Workshop – University of Fribourg. 7 September 2020.
The workshop was also offered as live-streaming. 44 participants. One-day event with two guest speakers and lots of possibilities to discuss autophagy, exchange autophagy protocols and networking. With the support from SCNAT
https://meetings.ls2.ch/autophagy-workshop-2020
- Co-organized meetings
- Cytomeet, 4 Febrary 2020, Haus der Universität, Bern
- One-day meeting for the Swiss scientific community interested in mechanisms of cell polarity, cytoskeletal rearrangement and cell migration,
- In collaboration with the section “Molecular & Cellular Biosciences”, with kind support from SCNAT
- Cell Migration Retreat, 22-23 September 2020, Seminarhotel Hirschen, Eggiwil
- The meeting is intended as a network for the Swiss scientific community, which deals with molecular mechanisms of cell migration of immune cells, lymphomas but also mesenchymal tumours (metastases).
- In collaboration with the section “Molecular & Cellular Biosciences”
- With kind support from SCNAT
- Swiss Microscopy Facility Day, 2 September 2020. Hybrid. University of Bern and online.
- Meeting point of staff of Swiss Core Facilities to network and exchange of ideas. The event aims to develop long-term and joint strategies that will enable the microscopy infrastructures distributed throughout Switzerland to guarantee their users access to the latest technologies and provide optimal support to researchers in the use of the equipment.
- In collaboration with the intersection Microscopy.
- With kind support from SCNAT
Internationale Aktivitäten
- Dr. Beat Suter, from Institute of Cell Biology of University of Bern, attended the 60th FEBS Council Meeting held on 16 October 2020, online. He is the secretary of our Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) section and therefore the delegate representing Life Sciences Switzerland, as one of the Constituent Society of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies – FEBS. The scientific meeting was postponed to 2021.
- Dr. Marcus Thelen, from the Universitá della Svizzera italiana, represents Life Sciences Switzerland as delegate at the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB). He is board member of our Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) section. The MCB section is adhering body of the IUBMB.
- Dr. Zhihong Yang from University of Fribourg, as president of our Physiology section, represents Life Sciences Switzerland as member society at the Federation of European Physiology Societies (FEPS) and the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS).
Nachwuchsförderung
- LS2 PhD travel grants to visit conferences abroad. Total grants given in 2020: 5, supported by SCNAT, https://www.ls2.ch/files/c667/tg-reports-2020.pdf
- 20 travel grants for Bachelor and Master students to attend the LS2 Annual Meeting (50 CHF each), supported by SCNAT
- LS2 sponsored events (https://www.ls2.ch/events/sponsored-events):
- UNIGE Science Postdoc Day 2020, 17 September 2020, ONLINE. Participation as speaker to promote our activities for young scientists
- Travel grants for young researchers to attend the Autophagy Workshop 2020 in Fribourg on 7 September. Supported by SCNAT.
Forschungsunterstützende Informations- und Koordinationsaufgaben
- Mailchimp-based newsletter with all relevant info on LS2 and general life sciences events and activities, newsletter archive at: https://www.ls2.ch/about-us/ls2-newsletter-archive
- Supporting calendar on website: https://www.ls2.ch/events/other-events with a focus on scientific conferences in Life Sciences
- Job board: window on our website where members of LS2 and collaborators can post new open positions: https://www.ls2.ch/links/job-board
- Member database, open to all members, allows to enter areas of expertise and fosters exchange
- Active social media channels and groups on Facebook, twitter, and LinkedIn
- Science Policy news ticker from ScienceGeist onto the ls2.ch homepage (http://www.sciencegeist.com) ScienceGeist is a curated collection of over 3500 constantly updated science policy issues, and supported by SNSF (subscription possible for everybody). As a result, our members and the public have constant access to the latest Science Policy issues via our homepage.
Dialog mit der Gesellschaft
- Free Public Panel Discussion as part of the LS2 Annual Meeting 2020 in Zurich: Vaccination in Disease Prevention.
12 February 2020; 18:45 – 21:00. UZH Campus Irchel. Zurich *In German and English language*
- Chairs: Urs Greber and Christian Münz (UZH, CH)
- Moderator: Jan Fehr (UZH, CH)
- Invited panelists: Martin Bachmann (Oxford University, UK and UNIBE, CH), Thomas Mertens (University of Ulm, DE), Florian Klein (University of Köln, DE) and Nolwenn Jouvenet (Institute Pasteur, Paris, FR).
- The event was free of charge and open to the general public.
- Scientists from Switzerland, Germany and France were invited to discuss questions regarding vaccination, both in German or English. Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements in the history of medicine. It is effective against many viral infections in humans and animals, and against non-viral disease. Increasingly, people in the western world are hesitant about vaccination, and thereby put children and adults at risk to develop disease.
Dedicated webpage for the scientific community of Life Sciences in Switzerland and the public about the current pandemic. Topics range from reliable scientific resources, to vaccines information. Members and non-members of LS2 can share their knowledge there. https://www.ls2.ch/public/ls2-covid-19-window