The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network RNAct is pleased to announce the international conference Tailoring RNA binding proteins and RNA targeting to be held in Valencia on 14th and 15th September 2022.

With this conference we intend to bring together experts in the field that cover the broad scope of RNAct, from RNA binding proteins to RNA and back, while giving the 10 RNAct early-stage researchers a chance to present their results to the scientific community, and get feedback from experts.

The conference aims to be a platform for high-level discussions involving academic experts and scientists from the biotech and pharma industries, covering the interactions between RBPs and RNA, the (re-)design of RBPs, the mechanisms of RBP-mediated post-transcriptional regulation, and the industrial application of RNA targeting/binding, including the targeting of RNA/RBPs by small molecules, in fields such as bioanalytics and synthetic biology. Discussion will be sparked off around these topics through keynotes by renowned experts, as well as through oral presentations and poster sessions of selected submitted abstracts. A special innovation workshop will highlight current developments for modulating and targeting RNA binding proteins and RNAs for therapeutic approaches.

We look forward to greeting you in Valencia!


Venue

Venue
  • Location
  • The conference will take place on 14th and 15th September 2022 at the Blue Cube located in the Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación (CPI), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV).

  • The exact location can be found here: Blue Cube Auditorium

  • How to get there
  • You can reach CPI either from Avenida de los Naranjos or via Calle Ingeniero Fausto Elio. Once here, you should access CPI through the access flanked by big green "5" and "4", then take the lift to the 3rd floor and follow the signage to building M-N (Blue cube).

Confirmed speakers


Programme

14th September 2022
🕒 Session 1 - RBP-RNA binding
Chair: Prof. Dr. Wim Vranken
8:50 - 9:10 Registrations
9:15 - 9:25 Welcome
Prof. Dr. Wim Vranken and Prof. Dr. Michael Sattler
9:25 - 10:15 Keynote 1 - Prof. Samuela Pasquali
Modeling RNA polymorphism
10:15 - 10:30 Oral presentation 1.1: Eliska Chalupova
Deep Learning the binding patterns of RNA-binding proteins using ENNGene
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 - 11:50 Keynote 2 - Prof. Dr. Alexandre Bonvin
Solving 3D puzzles of biomolecular interactions by integrative modelling
11:50 - 12:05 Oral presentation 1.2: Anna Kravchenko
New strategy for optimizing knowledge-based docking parameters: application to ssRNA-RRM docking
12:05 - 12:20 Oral presentation 1.3: Guillermo Pérez Ropero
Biophysical and in vitro characterization of Musashi-1 binding to RNA
12:20 - 12:25 Flash presentation 1.4: Philipp Innig Aguion
Structure determination of RNP complexes by MAS solid-state NMR spectroscopy
12:25 - 12:30 Flash presentation 1.5: Céline Cattelin
Conformational dynamics of nuclear-encoded RNA-binding repeat-motif proteins that regulate gene expression in organelles
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
🕒 Session 2 - RBPs and protein design
Chair: Prof. Dr. Michael Sattler
13:30 - 14:20 Keynote 3 - Prof. Dr. Luis Serrano
TBD
14:20 - 14:35 Oral presentation 2.1: Joel Roca Martínez
Deciphering the RRM-RNA recognition code: A computational analysis
14:35 - 14:50 Oral presentation 2.2: Jose Gavalda-Garcia
Conformine, a predictor of protein Conformational Variability from amino acid sequence
14:50 - 15:20 Coffee break
15:20 - 16:10 Keynote 4 - Dr. Thomas Simonson
Physics-based computational protein design
16:10 - 16:25 Oral presentation 2.3: Niki Messini
Understanding and designing RNA binding specificity of the RRM domain
16:25 - 16:40 Oral presentation 2.4: Hrishikesh Dhondge
Cross-Mapper for Structural Domains (CroMaSt): A workflow for domain family curation through cross-mapping of structural instances between protein domain databases
16:40 - 17:00 Panel session
Designing RBPs for RNA binding
17:00-18:45 Poster session and reception
20:00 - 22:00 Gala dinner
🛈 The gala dinner will take place at Hotel Las Arenas. Hotel Las Arenas can be easily reached from the conference venue by trams 4 and 6. It takes about 10 minutes to go from stop "Beteró" to stop "Platja les Arenes". An apéro will take place at Malvarrosa garden, while the dinner will be held at the Zeus hall.
15th September 2022
🕒 Session 3 - RNA targeting and gene expression regulation
Chair: Dr. Guillermo Rodrigo
9:00 - 9:50 Keynote 5 - Prof. Alfonso Jaramillo
TBD
9:50 - 10:05 Oral presentation 3.1: Anahi Higuera Rodriguez
In union there is strength: complex mechanisms of multidomain RNA-binding proteins unraveled using binding kinetics
10:05 - 10:20 Oral presentation 3.2: Anna Pérez-Ràfols
Untangling the Complex Mode of Interaction of a Multi-Domain RNA Recognition Motif Protein: The Case of Human Musashi-1
10:20 - 10:50 Coffee break
10:50 - 11:40 Keynote 6 - Prof. Roee Amit
Antiviral synthetic RNA-protein granules
11:40 - 11:55 Oral presentation 3.3: Luca Sperotto
Intramolecular interactions modulate RNA binding of hnRNP A1
11:55 - 12:10 Oral presentation 3.4: Roswitha Dolcemascolo
Repurposing the mammalian Musashi-1 as an allosteric translation repressor in bacteria
12:10 - 12:15 Flash presentation 3.5: Rosa Márquez-Costa
Programmable regulation of translation by harnessing the CRISPR-Cas13 system
12:15 - 13:15 Lunch
🕒 Session 4 - Industrial applications of RNA binding/targeting
Chairs: Dr. Jos Buijs and Dr. Wolfgang Kaiser
13:15 - 14:05 Keynote 7 - Dr. Leonardo De Maria
RNA-targeted therapeutics
14:05 - 14:20 Oral presentation 4.1: Casilda Hitier
RNA encapsulation by protein cages
14:20 - 14:35 Oral presentation 4.2: Taher Yacoub
Design of aptamers against BACE1 enzyme involved in Alzheimer’s disease
14:35 - 14:50 Oral presentation 4.3: Veronica Riccioni
Small molecule inhibition of EWS-FLI1/DHX9 interaction impacts circRNA expression in Ewing sarcoma cells
14:50 - 15:20 Coffee break
15:20 - 16:10 Keynote 8 - Prof. Dr. Modesto Orozco
TBD
16:10 - 16:25 Oral presentation 4.4: Fabio Pasin
Heritable Cas9-mediated genome editing using recombinant RNA viruses
16:25 - 17:45 Innovation workshop
Prospects of RNA binding/targeting from an industrial point of view
17:45-18:00 Closure and awards

Innovation workshop

The RNAct project will host an Innovation Workshop in Valencia (Spain) on 15th September afternoon. The event will consist of an open discussion with relevant stakeholders on challenges and industrial applications of RNA targeting/binding, including the targeting of RNA/RBPs by small molecules.

Interested stakeholders may register their interest in this form to receive further information on the event.


Registration

Registration fee for ISCB members only: 170€
Registration fee for non-ISCB members: 200€

Attendees willing to benefit from the special discount can apply for ISCB membership here. For convenience, we ask interested participants to register only once their newly requested membership is approved.

🛈 The registration fee covers the attendance to the conference, the meals offered during the event, and the attendance to the gala dinner. It does not cover travel nor accommodation expenses, which are to be covered by attendees. Unfortunately, no bursaries are available.

The deadline for registrations is 2nd September 2022.

⬩ Registration link ⬩.


Abstract submission

Participants can contribute with (i) posters or (ii) oral presentations. When preparing and submitting your abstracts, please make sure to specify the preferred type of contributions and the topic you would like to contribute to. The topics are: 1 - RBP-RNA binding; 2 - RBPs and protein design; 3 - RNA targeting and gene expression regulation; 4 - Industrial applications of RNA binding/targeting

Please note that only a limited number of oral presentations can be accommodated in the Conference agenda. Relevant contributions that cannot be showcased in full-length presentations will be offered a flash oral (5 minutes) + poster presentation.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Format: 15 minutes talk + 5 minutes questions.
Deadline for submission: 15 August 2022 EXTENDED
Decision: 31 August 2022

Selected full-length talks can also contribute to the poster session should they wish to do so. This is to be communicated to the organizers via email (info@rnact.eu) upon the acceptance of your oral presentation.

TEMPLATE FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS
The template is available here.

POSTERS
Format: A0 (84.1 x 118.8 cm) in portrait orientation.
Deadline for submission: 15 August 2022.
Decision: 31 August 2022

ABSTRACT TEMPLATE
The template is available here.

SUBMISSION
🛈 Submissions are managed through EasyChair. Authors willing to submit an abstract must have an EasyChair account, either using pre-existing or newly created (free of charge). Authors can create a new account by following the submission link available in the Call for Papers.

⬩ Call for Papers and Submission link ⬩.


Prizes

The organizing committee is pleased to announce the Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster prizes sponsored by RNAct beneficiary Dynamic Biosensors.

Best Oral Presentation Prize: 500€
Best Poster Prize: 250€

To be eligible, participants must have an oral presentation or poster, and be a graduate or undergraduate student. Eligible participants should be the first authors of the work presented at the Conference.


Accommodation

⚠ The conference will take place in parallel with the Davis Cup in Valencia.
Attendees are thus advised to book their accommodation as soon as possible.

The following hotels are recommended:


Further information

Useful information to plan your stay in Valencia can be found at Visit Valencia.


Contact

All relevant questions should be emailed to info@rnact.eu.


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