Methods course on RNP analyses – from ensembles to single molecules
From October 8th to 10th 2018, a hands-on methods course took place at the University of Regensburg, aimed at training PhD students in the latest methods of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) analysis. Topics included the quantification of protein-RNA interactions, single molecule analyses of RNPs by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RNA structure probing, and comprehensive capture of RNA-binding proteins by interactome profiling from cultured cells. The course attracted PhD students from labs around the globe, some travelling from as far as Canberra, Australia, to get insight in and training on a variety of biophysical and biochemical methods. The design of the course was also aimed at fostering interactions between the participants, allowing them to build networks with peers working on related topics. Besides the lectures and the practical hands-on training, it was particularly the vivid and intense discussions among the participants that made this course a big success.
We are extremely grateful for the support of many expert speakers and trainers that delivered lectures on the latest methodological developments and that supervised the experimental work. In particular we want to thank the invited speakers from industry and academia that travelled to Regensburg to provide expert guidance: Rastislav Horos (European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, Heidelberg), Agatha Korytowski (Malvern Panalytical), Stefanie Nunes Rosa (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala), Joel Perez-Perri (EMBL Heidelberg), Bruno Sargueil (CNRS/Paris Descartes University), and Ralf Seidel (Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Universität Leipzig).
The course was organized by the Graduate Research Academy RNA Biology of the Collaborative Research Centre 960 (SFB960, Ribosome formation: principles of RNP biogenesis and control of their function) that also provided financial support.