From December 8 to 10 the first workshop of the Polish-French associated laboratory, within the framework of International Associated Laboratories (LIA - Laboratoire International Associé) was held in the premises of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Paris. The laboratory (whose acronym is MirTANGO) is a joint undertaking by the Department of Medical Biotechnology at the JU Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology and the Cell Recognition and Glycobiology team of the CNRS Centre for Molecular Biophysics in Orleans. The Laboratory coordinators are Prof. Józef Dulak and Prof. Claudine Kieda.

The main topic of the workshop, entitled MicroRNAs: mediators of differentiation and biomarkers of diseases was the role of microRNA molecules in the regulation of gene expression in physiological and pathological processes. The Committee consists of Prof. Claudine Kieda, Prof. Józef Dulak (the heads), Prof. Alicja Józkowicz, Prof. Jean-Claude Michalski, Dr Catherine Grillon, Dr Agnieszka Łoboda, and Ms Joanna Uchto.

Nearly 60 scientists participated in the workshop. They included guests from Poland: Prof. Maciej Żylicz (President of the Foundation for Polish Science), Prof. Wojciech Froncisz (Dean of the JU Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology), Prof. Kazimierz Strzałka (head of the Małopolska Centre for Biotechnology, where part of the premises of the Laboratory will be located), Prof. Krzysztof Selmaj (Medical University of Lodz), Prof. Krystian Jażdżewski (Medical University of Warsaw), and Prof. Zofia Szweykowska-Kulińska (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań).

The opening lecture was given by Prof. Alain Tedgui (PARCC, INSERM, Paris). Other French participants included: Prof. Jean-Claude Michalski (INSB CNRS, Paris), Dr Annick Harel-Bellan (CNRS CEA, Saclay), Prof. Chantal Pichon (CNRS, Orleans), Dr Michel Cohen-Tannoudji (Pasteur Institute, Paris), Dr Norbert Latruffe (Université de Bourgogne, Dijon), Dr Mathias Mericskay (Universite Paris 6), and other scholars.

More than 20 lectures on topics related to microRNA were delivered during the three-day workshop.  The poster session consisted of 24 papers presented by students and doctoral students from Poland and France. It was possible to hold the conference in the premises of the Polish Academy of Sciences Scientific Centre in Paris thanks to its head, Prof. Zbigniew Kuźnicki, and its staff.

The main objective of LIA MirTANGO is to carry out joint research on cancer growth mechanisms and to search for new treatment methods in this field, based on modern experimental therapies. The foundation of the laboratory has crowned more than 10 years of collaboration between the two teams, which has resulted in several joint research projects, three doctoral degrees, more than a dozen MSc theses, collaborative conferences and workshops, new research models, and publications in prestigious international journals.

The new rooms of the Małopolska Centre for Biotechnology will be used by the associated laboratory.

The Paris workshop was an implementation of the associated laboratory agreement, which envisages a series of scientific meetings for Polish and French research groups. Another workshop is planned to take place in Poland in 2014.

Translated from the Polish text by Joanna Uchto

Photos: Witold Nowak