COST Action BM1307 PROTEOSTASIS - “European network to integrate research on intracellular proteolysis pathways in health and disease”

The COST Action PROTEOSTASIS BM1307, coordinated by Dr. Rosa Barrio (group leader at CIC bioGUNE) ended on the 24th of April 2018. This European network gathered 274 group members from almost all countries in Europe, and also USA and South Korea. The Action main objective was to facilitate research and collaborations in the fields of Ubiquitin/Proteasome, Ubiquitin-likes, autophagy and lysosomal systems in health and diseases.

The Chair of the Action (Dr. Barrio) and its members believe that, in order to be able in the future to dissect the molecular basis of complex disorders, such as cancer, neurodegeneration, muscle and tissue wasting, as well as most pathological conditions related to ageing, it was necessary to nurture synergies between research groups, whether small or large, to bridge the gap between parallel but closely related fields. By putting together hundreds of European scientists working in the field or intracellular proteolysis, PROTEOSTASIS offered the possibility to develop a large exchange space that breaks artificial barriers to unleash connectivity and creativity in this field. Whether from the academic or the private sector, the large PROTEOSTASIS network helped scientists to develop useful fundamental or translational knowledge, thanks to the multiple tools that it offers to the community.

Between 2014 and 2018, the PROTEOSTASIS network achieved the following milestones:

- Organization of 8 training schools aimed at providing innovative training activities applying the most state of the art techniques and methodologies, including the training on transferable skills, in order to increase the employability of young researchers in the field of PROTEOSTASIS.

- Organization of 14 scientific meetings/workshops dedicated to the topics of intracellular proteolytic system, protein modification, protein quality control, signalling and tools development and aimed at promoting the collaborative work and synergies with industry and clinicians in the fields of Ubiquitin, Ubiquitin-likes, Proteolysis and Autophagy in physiology and disease.

- Implementation of 47 Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) enabling t the mobility and transfer of knowledge between laboratories involved in the Action and supporting the empowerment of early career investigators

- Support and promotion of 7 Translational Projects working as proof of concept of the different collaborations and contributions of the network members to the field.

- More than 50 joint international Publications co-authored by members of the network from different countries and showcasing the contributions of PROTEOSTASIS to the scientific field.

- More than 10 H2020 applications by members of the network and 4 successful ITN projects already granted by the European Commission and running.

Furthermore, dissemination, communication and outreach activities have been a core part of the Action. Scientific dissemination was achieved by attending high-level meetings and events and co-organizing workshops and other activities with relevant European bodies in the field of life sciences (as for example EMBO, FEBS, COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS). Besides a dedicated website, the network has relevant presence in the social networks:

- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmQZiJ9a4OfS97T6Q2-g_sA

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Proteostasis; @Proteostasis

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Proteostasis-839198092811311/?ref=br_rs

COST has already recognized PROTEOSTASIS as a good practice, as reflected in the recent publication included in the official Website of the Programme: http://www.cost.eu/media/newsroom/boost-your-research-career

PROTEOSTASIS was also recognized as a success story by the NCP Wide.Net (https://www.ncpwidenet.eu/) for its contribution to EU research cohesion. It is the only project selected not coordinated by an Inclusiveness Target Country.

In other words, BM1307 PROTEOSTASIS was a fertile ground to revolutionize our approach of scientific challenges, by capitalizing on diversity and complementary expertise of the members of the network.
For further information: http://cost-proteostasis.eu/

About CIC bioGUNE role

Dr Rosa Barrio is the Chair of the Action and also the Grant Holder. She is in charge of the scientific and administrative management of the Action.

Dr Rosa Barrio holds a PhD in Sciences from the Autonoma University of Madrid (Spain), who worked in first line European Institutions (CBMSO, EMBL, IMBB). Since December 2004 she has been in charge of the Laboratory 1 at the Functional Genomics Unit of CIC bioGUNE, where she develops her research on the role of SUMOylation and other ubiquitin-like modifiers during development. CIC bioGUNE holds the Severo Ochoa mention of excellence of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain.

For more information: http://personal.cicbiogune.es/rbarrio/http://personal.cicbiogune.es/rbarrio/