On May 7, 2021, the IPB will host its annual Leibniz Plant Biochemistry Symposium. The theme of the symposium, that will take place online this year, will be Plant Cell Walls.

We are looking forward to presentations by the following invited speakers: 

• Jenny Mortimer, University of Adelaide, AU
• Simon Turner, University of Manchester, UK 
• Staffan Persson, University of Copenhagen, DK
• Antonio Molina, Plant Biotechnology and Genomics Center, CBGP, UPM-INIA, Madrid, ES
• Olivier Hamant, Laboratory of Plant Reproduction and Development RDP, Lyon, FR
• Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso, University of Leeds, UK
• Anja Geitmann, McGill University, Montreal, CA

Please check the IPB website for detailed information.

Participation is free of charge. Recorded talks will be made available to registered participants for 72h following the Symposium.

The Leibniz Research School PlantBioChem at Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IBP) organizes the following workshops:

• Introduction to OMICS (Part I) with Gerd Balcke, Micha Devi
  on Fri, March 26, 1 pm – 3 pm
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and MetFamily software tool (Part II) with Gerd Balcke, Micha Devi
  date tba
• Introduction to and Common Questions in Quantitative PCR (qPCR) with Dr. Selma Gago Zachert (MLU)
  on Fri, April 23, 2021
  1 pm – ca. 3.30 pm
  https://events.ipb-halle.de/e/QPCR2021 (registration open)

Remember that you can also always check here: https://events.ipb-halle.de/category/6/ for upcoming workshops that might be of interest to you.

The Research Training Group 2155 “ProMoAge – Protein Modification: A Key Mechanism for Ageing” can continue its work for another four years. The DFG is funding the second phase with approximately 5.5 million euros. The GRK is managed by the Medical Faculty of the MLU together with the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.

Read more (in German)

The Senate of the German Research Foundation (DFG) decided on Friday to establish the new Research Training Group “Beyond Amphiphilicity: Self-Organization of Soft Matter Via Multiple Noncovalent Interactions (GRK 2670)” at MLU. In the first funding phase until 2025, about 4.5 million euros will be available for the doctoral program.

(from MLU press release No 157/2020 from November 9, 2020)

Research Training Group “Beyond Amphiphilicity: Self-Organization of Soft Matter Via Multiple Noncovalent Interactions (GRK 2670)” spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Dariush Hinderberger (funding 2021-2025) (link)

Amphiphilicity is a well-established qualitative concept contributing to the understanding of self-assembly processes of molecules composed of two inherently incompatible units (hydrophilic and hydrophobic) in aqueous systems. Polyphilic molecules are more complex molecules, from small molecules to macromolecules, that have interaction patterns with at least two types of interactions, one of them based on amphiphilicity. Self-assembled soft matter systems attain their complexity through noncovalent interaction patterns of their molecular constituents with their environment, solvents, biomolecules, membranes, and surfaces.

This lecture is about the prevalence of mental health illness in general and academic populations, about signs and symptoms and the science underlying the causes and treatments of mental illnesses, with an emphasis on depression and anxiety.

Our speaker will be Wendy Marie Ingram, PhD. She is a scientist, mental health advocate, consultant and speaker. She is a Founder and CEO at Dragonfly Mental Health, a Global Consortium for Academic Mental Health, established in 2019.

The talk will cover the following topics:

• the prevalence of mental health illness in general and academic populations
• an overview of signs and symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings
• the science underlying the causes and treatments of mental illnesses, with an emphasis on depression and anxiety
• what to do and when to get help