European funding for a new research network aimed at standardising immunological biomarkers
The latest developments in basic and clinical research have suggested that myeloid regulatory cells contribute to a pathological immune disbalance in the course of human disease. Myeloid regulatory cells are a specialised subset of white blood cells, which include granulocytes, dendritic cells, macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and acquire immunoregulatory and/or immunosuppressive activity as a consequence of the disease of the host. Unfortunately, the dysfunction of these cells is still poorly understood. The reason for this is that, worldwide, myeloid regulatory cells have been researched using vastly different methods and markers. The new COST Action Mye-EUNITER, short for “European Network of Investigators Triggering Exploratory Research on Myeloid Regulatory Cells,” aims to establish technical standards for the characterisation and analysis of these cells.

The BIOME Core “Genetics and Cell Biology” organized a joint annual Retreat with the RTG 1431 from 09 July to 10 July 2014. The retreat was held at the “Wolfsburg” in Duisburg, a well-situated, beautiful Catholic academy providing a stimulating environment for a scientific meeting. The main organization of the meeting, including the scientific program and everything else that made this get-together enjoyable, was done by Martina Przekopowitz, Rita Nadorf, and Antje Zickler. They put together a well-balanced program over 2 days of very interesting lectures held by invited speakers, such as Alfred Vertegaal (Leiden), Franz-Joseph Müller (Kiel), Vikram Panse (Zürich), Tilmann Brummer (Freiburg), Thomas Eggermann (Aachen), Robert Ernst (Frankfurt), and Gisela Taucher-Scholz (Darmstadt). In between, the program was completed by short talks given by the participating students from both graduate schools. Every presentation was discussed afterwards by the highly motivated audience.

The BIOME doctorates, Julia Badziong and Robert Petri, organised 2014's annual meeting of the Immuinolgy and Tumour cores which was once again held in Essen. The retreat was given a regional bias by the invitation of guest scientists from centres within the Rhine-Ruhr area including Andrea Musacchio (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund), Philipp A. Lang (Department for Gastroenterology, University Hospital Düsseldorf) and Carsten Watzl (Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund).