2024/04/18

CIC bioGUNE hosts the 4th annual meeting of the international GLYTUNES consortium

This week, from April 16th to 18th, CIC bioGUNE has hosted the 4th annual meeting of the GLYTUNES consortium, bringing together experts in glycoscience and biomedical research under the theme "Synthesis and Drug Design."

GLYTUNES is an innovative platform that aims to translate knowledge about the interaction between Siglecs and glycoconjugates into new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, providing advanced training for the next generation of researchers in the field.

This week, from April 16th to 18th, the CIC bioGUNE – member of BRTA - had the honor of hosting the fourth annual meeting of the GLYTUNES consortium. Under the theme "Synthesis and Drug Design: Chemo-enzymatic, organic and bioorthogonal chemistry and drug design," the event brought together experts in the field of glycoscience and biomedical research.

The event is part of the GLYTUNES consortium, a multidisciplinary training network funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program. GLYTUNES represents an innovative platform for understanding and exploiting the interaction between Siglecs and glycoconjugates, combining chemical, biological, biophysical, and immunological research strategies to translate this knowledge into new diagnostic and therapeutic tools against immune and infectious diseases.

The GLYTUNES consortium brings together scientists from academia and industry and offers doctoral research projects for fourteen Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs). These projects span from fundamental to translational science and aim to unravel the mechanisms governing the recognition of glycoconjugates by Siglecs, immune surface receptors that adhere to sialic acid, aiding in cellular communication and immune system regulation.

GLYTUNES' multidisciplinary and glycomics biotechnology approach will provide a new generation of highly trained ESRs, equipped with technical and transferable skills necessary for successful careers in an expanding field that supports innovative technological development in various disciplines. GLYTUNES timely and relevantly addresses the EU research council's key priorities and EU policies on innovative methodological, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches to treating human diseases and improving human health.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version