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As a student and young researcher I travelled a lot – internships, workshops, conferences. Mobility is crucial for scientists, we have to discuss, learn and interact with others. Recently, due to COVID pandemics, lots of duties on-site and becoming a mum I’ve travelled less. However, at the beginning of this year I received mobility funding as one of four winners in the latest edition of the competition International Internship Programme for University of Gdańsk Young Researchers in the frame of the  Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB).  Thanks to this grant I spent three months at the Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), which is a part of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

During my stay in IGTP I worked in the research group of Prof. Eva Martinez Caceres, who specializes in clinical immunology and immunotherapy. Her group developed an innovative method to treat multiple sclerosis with the use of autologous dendritic cells derived from monocytes. This therapy went through all the pre-clinical stages of testing (on cells and then model organisms) and is now in stage I/IIa clinical trial.

My stay in professor Martinez-Caceres lab was very fruitful – I learnt how to induce differentiation of monocytes into dendritic cells, how to culture them and use them in functional tests. I also tested the impact of TLR9 stimulation on monocyte-derived dendritic cells, with the use of TLR9 ligand that we developed in the ICCVS. These experiments were a part of my research task: “Optimization of co-culture conditions to maximize TLR9-mediated NK cell activation” funded by the National Centre for Science in the Miniatura 6 Programme. The skills that I’ve learnt at IGTP will be very useful in my day-to-day lab work in ICCVS where we are working on immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

The team of professor Martinez-Caceres is very young and energetic. I felt most welcome and got a lot of useful advice on my experiments with dendritic cells. During my internship I took part in weekly meetings and journal clubs, I also gave a talk describing my research at ICCVS.

Personally, this opportunity to live in Barcelona for three months was an unforgettable experience for my family. We had a great time and managed to escape from cold Polish spring…

I recently returned from a week packed with enriching learning experiences, engaging networking opportunities, and memorable adventures in the heart of Dubrovnik, Croatia. I was fortunate to participate in the 15th Mass Spectrometry in Biotechnology & Medicine (MSBM) summer school from July 2nd to July 8th, 2023.

The summer school provided a deep dive into the fundamentals and applications of mass spectrometry (MS), spanning a diverse range of fields including proteomics, metabolomics, and peptidomics, among others. The lectures delivered by renowned scientists and the hands-on workshops offered a wealth of information. In my role at ICCVS, where I apply MS to profile proteins in cancers, this was an invaluable learning opportunity. I was able to further my understanding of the latest developments in MS, grapple with its challenges, and explore promising solutions.

This MSBM summer school was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the global scientific community. I had stimulating discussions with other students, scientists, and industry professionals, learning about their work and brainstorming potential collaborations. These conversations helped broaden my perspectives and appreciate the many ways MS is pushing the boundaries of scientific research.

Aside from the intensive scientific engagements, I had the chance to take in the calming beauty of Dubrovnik. The city, with its fortified walls and beautiful beaches, offered a tranquil backdrop to our fervent scientific discourse. The trip to Lokrum island and a hike to Mount Srđ added an extra layer to my experience, making it truly unforgettable.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the organizers of the 15th MSBM summer school. Special thanks to Prof. David Goodlett, without whom the trip to Dubrovnik would not have been possible. I want to also give thanks to Dr. Sachin Kote and the ICCVS. The learnings and memories from this event will certainly guide my future scientific endeavors and serve as a pleasant reminder of a remarkable week spent in Dubrovnik.

Kenneth Weke

Lokrum island	View of the city from Mount Srđ

Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) is a renowned research institute located in the city of Brno, where I was working since mid-February until the end of June 2023. From the first day, I was actively involved in an exciting research project focused on the impact of RNA editing in lung cancer. The hands-on experience gained during conducting my experiments enriched my understanding of scientific methodologies and allowed me to feel more confident while working in the laboratory. Every day brought new challenges, sparking my creativity and enhancing my problem-solving skills.

One of the most invaluable aspects of my internship was the guidance and mentorship provided by prof. Mary O’Connell. Mary, as my supervisor, not only shared her wealth of knowledge but also encouraged me to challenge myself, fostering a sense of confidence in my abilities. Her mentorship played a pivotal role in shaping my research project, and I felt genuinely supported throughout the entire journey.

It is worth mentioning, that both ‘RNA and Immunity Laboratory’ which I was working with, as well as the whole CEITEC are a melting pot of cultures, with researchers and interns coming from all around the world. This multicultural environment not only exposed me to various perspectives but also enriched my social skills. The friendships forged during lunch breaks and coffee sessions transcended borders, making the experience all the more memorable.

Aleksandra Domin

Equally important to doing science is communicating it. Talking to people who are ‘in our field’ during scientific meeting offers an extra opportunity to grow! Not only are we moved to think how to put our research in a larger context (which we often miss when dwelling into specific question and experimental details), but we also make a room to auto-review what we have done so far and think how the results fit together and what is missing. A feedback received from other scientists, such as, for example, novel ways to address our question or an unthought explanations of our results is extremely precious and motivating. On top of that, such meetings are an outstanding opportunity for networking and finding novel collaborators.

Together with Alicja Dziadosz ( as ‘Alas Team’) we joined the 4-day 1st FEBS Redox Medicine Workshop in Luso, Portugal (22 –26 May 2023). This FEBS advanced course hosted both prominent senior researchers in the field of Redox Biology as well as young pre- and postdoctoral researchers selected from all over the world. The program has been tailored to promote an informal and relaxed environment in which science, scientific careers and personnel experiences as a scientist in the XXIst century were discussed. We had a chance to present our data and thoughts both in the form of oral presentation, as well as during poster session. Everyone from the Redox field is familiar with the transcription factor Nrf2 that we work with and we got a really nice feedback, especially concerning suggestions on mass-spec-based approaches to differentiate the Nrf2 isoforms. The meeting was held in a beautiful hotel in a village surrounded by Buçaco National Forest, hosting a number of endemic and exotic centenarian trees introduced by Portuguese mariners during the Age of Discovery as well as the Fonte Fria – an enchanting cascade fountain. It is a ‘double win’ when a good meeting is held in such a marvelous surrounding!

Short after this workshop I went to Vienna for the Annual Meeting of The Society for Free Radical Research Europe (SFRR, 06-09 June 2023). This meeting was totally different – it was a huge conference with hundreds of participants. Nevertheless, organisers took care of Early Career Scientist (ECS: Students, Postdocs and Assistant Professors) and on the first evening conducted a Meet-the-Professor session followed by the meet-and greet event for ERC only, where we had a chance to do some networking in a funny way. Poster sessions were held in a form of digital posters, divided thematically and displayed on screens one by one. Each speaker had three minutes for a presentation. Such a short time limit made me squeeze an essence from what, how and why we study. That is good when doing a science pitch, but for the posters I still prefer the classical form, where you are not constrained by time and can chat freely on your work. The special guest of the Vienna meeting was a Japanese professor, Masayuki Yamamoto, whose group have been studying molecular, structural and contextual aspects of the Nrf2-Keap1 system for years. He gave a comprehensive lecture summing up the history of Nrf2-Keap1 system discoveries. Again I received an amazing feedback and brought to Gdansk new ideas, connections and inspiration!

Alicja Sznarkowska

View of the Buçaco National Forest	Digital poster presentation in Vienna
In front of the workshop Venue at Luso	Poster session during workshop in Luso

As part of the CANVAS project, a group of scientists from ICCVS: dr Elżbieta Chruściel, Martyna Muszczek Ines Papak and Łukasz Arcimowicz participated in 3D cell culture training organised by our project partner – RealResearch in Kraków, from 12.04.2023 until 23.04.2023. During our stay, we had a great opportunity to learn more about 3D cell culture from experts as, the CEO of Real Research – dr Marcin Krzykawski and the scientists working in his team: dr Krzysztof Klimkiewicz and dr David Earnshaw. During this time, we have learnt how to work with a 3D cell culture model based on LifeGel – a unique hydrogel developed by RealResearch. We learnt how to apply it for establishing primary cell cultures using clinical samples from the patients. Incredibly, after only a few days of training, we could already see 3D structures of the established primary cell lines forming. Obtained cultures allowed us to experiment a bit more with assays that can be performed on LifeGel – we performed metabolic activity assays, viability assays and fluorescent staining. The training allowed us to work confidently with LifeGel in ICCVS laboratories in Gdańsk, enabling us to continue to work on the CANVAS project. The training also presented a great opportunity for us to discuss research ideas and acquaint ourselves with colleagues from Kraków, and thanks to Marcin’s experience, it was a remarkable lesson on how to start and develop a scientific startup company. RealResearch Team also organised events that allowed for integration between scientists from ICCVS and the hosts. We had an amazing evening of axe-throwing and virtual reality games! During our free time, we explored the breathtaking, historical capital of Poland.

Łukasz Arcimowicz

This year’s Annual Conference of the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators took place in beautiful Prague from 24-26 April. The event attracted 1.400 participants and provided a great opportunity for exchange and networking  of the research managers’ and administrators’ (RMA) community.

I had the pleasure to be involved in two poster presentions. In the first one, together with colleagues dr Lidia Tańska and Ewa Kaszewska from two other Centres of the International Research Agendas Programme (IRAP), we shared insights from organising research support in the Centres we are involved in. This was the story of the research support organisation at ICCVS – International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, ICTQT – International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies at the University of Gdańsk, and QOT – Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies at the University of Warsaw. The second poster presentation prepared together with Marta Dziedzic from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of UG & MUG showed some of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) measures at the University of Gdańsk designed with input of several H2020 projects, such as STARBIOS2, ResBios and MINDtheGEPs. It is also a pleasure to report that I was also granted an EARMA Conference Speaker Travel Award.

The conference provided lots of inspiration for day-to-day management of projects, grant writing, and research support. It was also a good plaform to meet old and new friends, especially the RMAs from the SEA-EU Alliance.

Some of the insights will flow into the activities of the  Horizon Europe project CANVAS which as one of the aims targets the upgrading RMA skills and a better connection to RMA networks.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Izabela Raszczyk

From October 31^st to November 3^rd 2022 we attended the third international conference on Single‐Molecule Protein Sequencing (SMPS3) in Delft, the Netherlands, bringing together leading researchers who are pioneering the development of new techniques in this field. The conference aimed to stimulate further development in the field of single‐molecule protein sequencing, which has the potential to revolutionise genomics and biomedical research, as well as open up new opportunities for single-cell proteomics and real-time medical diagnostics.

With a  poster titled “Understanding the sequencing fidelity of the pMHC‐TCR complex” presented at the conference we presented research exploring whether sequencing ambiguities in the recognition of peptides by T cell receptors can be overcome to enable high-fidelity protein sequencing. We discussed the potential of the major histocompatibility complex-T cell receptor interaction as a single-molecule protein sequencer and the implications of this for understanding cell-mediated immunity, as well as the possibility of using this technology for fighting viral infections.

In addition to the participation as an author,   one of us (Javier) had the pleasure to host an Industrial Forum session during the conference that brought together representatives from leading protein sequencing companies such as: Erisyon, Quantum-Si, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Elements IC, and Northern Nanopore Instruments. This session provided an opportunity for the industry representatives to discuss the latest developments in protein sequencing technologies, and to explore potential collaborations with academic researchers in the field.

Overall, the conference provided an exciting opportunity for researchers in the field to share their latest findings and discuss the latest developments in single-molecule protein sequencing. The poster presented was a noteworthy contribution to the conference, highlighting the potential of this technology for understanding cell-mediated immunity. The industrial forum session also added a valuable component to the conference, providing a platform for the academia and industry to connect and explore new possibilities for future developments in the field.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Javier Alfaro, Aleksander Pałkowski

As the winter aura is still present in Gdańsk, we use to think back to our sunny stay at one of our SEA-EU Alliance partners,  University of Split, Croatia, in June 2022. The ICCVS Research Support Team consisting at that time of Wioleta Domańska-Babul, Małgorzata Bastian, Magdalena Dziki,  Anna Krajewska, Joanna Świerk, accompanied by a project manager colleague Marta Dziedzic from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology had a very fruitful ERASMUS+ training & exchange stay at the University of Split.

The amazing views at literally every step one takes in Split on the beach and in the old town, although really hard to resist,  have not prevented us from  enjoying a day with Alexandra Banić from the Faculty of Maritime Studies, especially the exciting presentations during the Multiplier event of the MareMathics project. And hear, hear… two of us stood even on the podium as winners after a Kahoot competition.

At the School of Medicine we discussed with the Research Office various aspects of organization of research support in a biomed research environment as well as opportunities for collaboration in EU Horizon projects aiming at doctoral education. It was a pleasure to find out how much we have in common, talk about different ways of solving similar challenges in everyday work. We also presented opportunities for research funding for Croatian scientists who would like to do research in Poland, such as for example the Polonez funding from the National Science Centre, MSCA Fellowships, or NAWA Chair.

We met colleagues from the Project Implementation Support, Unit for Project Development, and Technology Transfer Office. We discussed the research support officers’ role in developing international networks and about the profession of  RMAs (research managers and administrators) in both countries. It was also fun to meet in person friends from the EU project ReSEArch EU with whom we until then had collaborated mainly in the online mode.

Last but not least, we also found time to visit the Diocletian Palace, climb the Marjan hill, and enter the Cathedral of Saint Domnius which is one with its seat in the oldest building among European cathedrals.

Looking back we can already reveal that our links do grow stronger and stronger in the following months – we have submitted an exciting joint Horizon Europe project proposal together with our Croatian friends who did an absolutely remarkable job as the proposal Coordinator’s team (huge thanks Bruna Pausic, Ivana Vuka & Tonka Petričević !). Do keep fingers crossed for a success, by the way.  We are working on the next project proposal which is due in a few months  –  this time in cooperation with the School of Medicine and other partners, mainly from the SEA-EU Alliance.

Izabela Raszczyk

From 19th till 22nd of October 2022, we – Malgorzta Kurkowiak and Aleksandra Domin, the current ICCVS editRNA project team – visited the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC, Brno, Czech Republic). CEITEC is an impressive scientific centre in the fields of life sciences, advanced materials and technologies. The stay was organized as a part of international cooperation activities in the bilateral research project from the  Weave-UNISONO funding programme. We had the opportunity to share aims of the forthcoming projects and discuss details of further collaboration with members of the RNA and Immunity group, led by prof. Mary O’Connell.

Moreover, we met prof. Matthias Hentze, who is the Director of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and attended his lecture titled “Exploring the Underground of the RBP World: Riboregulation”. The speech was given as a part of the prestigious Mendel Lectures that host eminent guests from the field of medicine and natural sciences. Mendel Lectures have been organized for almost 20 years, hosted over 200 foreign scientists, including 15 Nobel prize laureates.

Continuing the ICCVS-CEITEC cooperation, Aleksandra will be joining Mary O’Connell’s team for a  6-months internship very soon, so stay tuned for future news from us.

Małgorzata Kurkowiak and Aleksandra Domin

from left: dr Małgorzata Kurkowiak and prof. Mary O’Connell

It was a windy eve of Halloween 2022, when two PhD candidates of our centre, myself – Mikołaj Kocikowski – and Katarzyna Dziubek – attended the prestigious “Science – Polish Perspectives” (SPP) conference at the University of Oxford. While truffle-parmegiano chips were one of the highlights of this adventure, it wasn’t the love of British cuisine that brought us back to the land of Earl Grey and double taps.

I had been invited to give a well-received talk entitled “Of Dogs and Men. How canines can help cure human cancers” while Kasia presented a poster – “Do we really know how cancer immunotherapy works? Shedding new light on the FDA-approved therapies and their safety”. Presenting our research to the top-tier researchers from a variety of backgrounds was a challenging, but ultimately successful, exercise in science communication.

Aside from a fantastic, inter-disciplinary menu of presentations and posters, ranging from the fates of Polish emigrants’ children, to quantum physics and beyond, other attractions were lurking at this gathering. Networking was supported by a workshop delivered by Olle Bergman, a Swedish communications consultant. A lot of inspiration and insight came from a talk by Joanna Bagniewska, a notable Polish science communicator and zoologist, who described the meanders of her own career, highlighted the importance of believing in ones own ideas and advised the audience on cooperating with scientific journalists.

The event provided numerous opportunities to talk and collaborate with colleagues from institutions such as EMBL, and to network with representatives of the key players of the Polish scientific landscape, such as the Foundation for Polish Science, Polpharma, or Łukasiewicz Network. It was very positive to observe the big institutions starting to compete for the best talent, aiming to man new Poland-based positions.

The annual SPP conference is run by Polonium Foundation, with the goal of bringing together the Polish scientific diaspora, according to their motto – “turning Polish brain drain into brain circulation”. Polonium acknowledges the reality of Polish scientists often choosing the most fertile ground for their research abroad and focuses on the potential of nation’s representatives working in the best scientific institutions of the world. The conference itself, like the foundation, is run purely through the unpaid effort of volunteers, their shared values and passion for this extraordinary event. That provides an authentic spirit and example to anyone who attends.

The conference left us with good memories. I only wish I could have spent more time following the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien through the stunning parks of Oxford. To quote one of the works by the father of British fantasy and remarkable researcher of myths and languages, whose ancestors lived in Gdansk, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” I’m sure though my feet will deliver me again to Oxford and SPP.

Mikołaj Kocikowski