Nervspan: a Europe-wide research training network
Announced in spring 2023, the European Nervspan network will bring together a dozen laboratories and industrial partners to train doctoral students. Bringing together teams with expertise in the neural development of the C. elegans model, this network offers students the opportunity to be trained in research within a multi-disciplinary framework on a European scale. It enables students to gain initial experience of international research collaboration and to develop their career plans. Registrations are open until July 14.
International collaboration to train young scientists
Funded by the European Marie Sklodowska-Curie program, the scientific objective of the Nervspan network is to extend knowledge of neuronal development and plasticity during the life cycle of C. elegans, as well as its sex-specific aspects. A total of 10 projects are proposed to shed light on this issue.
Selected students will be attached to one or two laboratories, and will be able to benefit from training from all member academies. Nervspan will facilitate the organization of doctoral student secondments to other network teams. Particular attention will also be paid to developing communication skills, analyzing large volumes of data and building professional projects.
"The strength of this network lies in strengthening international links between research teams to support the training of young scientists and enable them to develop skills in molecular biology, bioinformatics, high-resolution microscopy, proteomics and transcriptome profiling", explains Sophie Jarriault, whose team is a member of the network.
Among the various projects proposed, Sophie Jarriault's project focuses on understanding the stages preceding in vivo reprogramming and the cellular trajectory of a rectal cell that naturally reprograms itself into a motor neuron, by combining genome editing and bioinformatics analysis techniques. To find out more about the proposed projects, click here.
An international network of 10 labs
The scientists whose teams are submitting projects to the Nervspan network are:
- Denis Dupuy, Bordeaux
- Thomas Boulin, Lyon
- Mike Boxen, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Mario De Bono, Vienna, Austria
- Sophie Jarriault, Strasbourg, France
- Martin Harterink, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Patrick Laurent, Brussels, Belgium
- Dylan Mooijman, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Meital Oren-Suissa, Rehovot, Israel
- David Weinkove, Durham, United Kingdom