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In mid-November 2021, four of the CORVOS ESRs travelled to Helsinki, Finland, to take part in a month-long clinical secondment, together with the two local ESRs.
Hosted by the team of Professor Seppo Meri, the students their own projects in parallel with clinical visits to the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) “Complement-relevant” wards, namely, the Pediatrics, Nephrology and Hematology clinics, where they could get in touch with patients undergoing complement targeting therapies, a deeper insight in the field, as well as HUSLAB where all the patient samples are analysed. In the New Children's Hospital, CORVOS gained fins as a "fish" in the virtual aquarium of the main lobby. Then, as many Complement diseases present kidney manifestations, it was interesting to see how Eculizumab (a powerful C5 inhibitor) is commonly used in daily practice. Moreover, on the World’s PNH day, a better understanding of how this and other drugs can be used was gained. The visits to the different HUS hospitals further developed our understanding on the Finnish national healthcare system, and the relevance of our research works to medical cares.
Powered by a strong lecture-based start, the students and their mentors presented their projects to each other. Later on, they could follow up their own ideas in the lab, supported by the postdocs and researchers from both the Meri and the Haapasalo groups. For example, the students performed experiments to further characterize anti-C1s, anti-C1INH and anti MASP-1 antibodies, developed at Semmelweis University, Budapest. More precisely, their application was tested in functional ELISAs and flow cytometry experiments. Besides that, in different projects, C1s-C1INH complex levels, SARS-CoV-2 S-protein and N-protein, amongst others, were measured in patient samples and healthy controls, just to name a few.
In the third week of this stay abroad, the students were invited to attend the online ICW 2021 Virtual Workshop in Villa Aikala (Finska läkaresällskapet) and in Billnäs bruk / Fiskars, with a full social program complementary to the virtual program, where, being in Finland, sauna was an unmistakable required activity.
Embedded with the seasonal Christmas spirit, there were many unmissable social activities in December, such as the Department’s Little Christmas Party ("what happens in the LCP stays in the LCP!!"), Christmas Lunches , concerts, and even a visit to the Christmas market and museums in Tallinn, Estonia!
Visiting Seppo Meri's Lab was unanimously one of the best experiences since CORVOS started. The smart and kind senior postdocs are just a sample of the wonderful principal investigator. In this stimulating environment, different perspectives of each ESR's project were enlightened, simultaneously with the possibility to learn basic complement research techniques, as well as fortifying bonds for future collaborations within the network.
All in all, Finland is really an amazing country with very welcoming people, that was worth experiencing at its fullest!!
As the first part of our CORVOS school, all ESRs participated in the teaching symposium held on the first day of the 28th International Complement Virtual Workshop (ICW). Furthermore, our ESRs represented CORVOS at the ICW and presented their research in oral presentations or poster sessions:
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ESR
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Name
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Poster/Talk
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Title of presentation/contribution
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AT-1
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Mariam
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Poster (A13)
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Complement C7: strong association with clusterin, but no indication for the presence of a modulating alternatively spliced C7-like protein
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AT-2
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Giulia
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Poster (A32)
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Complement opsonized HIV-1 increases TNTs formation in DCs
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DE-1
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Janti
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Poster (B44)
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Generation of monoclonal antibodies targeting murine C5aR2
|
|
DE-2
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Alejandro
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Poster (A67)
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The impact of MBL on the outcome of infection with representative mycobacterial strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
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SE-1
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Michal
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Poster (A46)
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Clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. are highly serum resistant despite efficient recognition by the complement system.
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IT-1
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Hang
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Poster (B83)
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Role of pentraxin 3 and interaction with complement in immune defense against Plasmodium falciparum
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NL-1
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Frerich
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Poster (B08)
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Differences in Complement Activation and Killing of
Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates |
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FR-1
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Julia
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Poster (A76)
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Identification of anti-C3bBb antibodies enhancing the formation of the
C3 convertase: a new mechanism of dysregulation of the complement in C3 glomerulopathy |
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FI-2
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Mikel
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Poster(A15)
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C4bp hijacking by Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein
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DK-1
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Maximilian
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Talk
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Development of an ELISA for characterization of mannose-binding lectin-associated serine protease 2 (MASP-2) in human plasma
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|
DK-2
|
Leon
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Poster (B34)
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Generation of anaphylatoxin receptor-targeted monoclonal antibodies
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NO-1
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Beatrice
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Poster (A62)
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Characterization of a novel anti-C1s clone inhibiting the classical complement pathway
|
|
NO-2
|
Pedro
|
Poster (A03)
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Vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and the combination thereof significantly inhibited two of nine inflammatory markers induced by E. coli but not by S. aureus – when incubated in human whole blood
|
|
HU-1
|
Lisa
|
Talk
|
Development of Immunoassays for Specific Classical and Lectin Pathway Activation Markers and Investigation of Complement Activation in
COVID-19 |
Carmen has just recently started and therefore she was actively participating in the conference. Besides improving presentation skills and learning about projects of other complementologists, there was also time for some networking beneficial for CORVOS students.
Hey everyone, I am Pedro, the ESR from Oslo, Norway, and I have spent the last two months in my first secondment in Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria.
Returning to where it all started, a different Austria from the eastern flatness of Vienna... surrounded by the mountains, but still drowned in bureaucracy. Halfway stop between Berlin and Rome, Innsbruck has always been a welcoming stop to rest in-between great trips. Thus, it felt nothing other than adequate to have this secondment, right in the middle of my PhD, in the very birthplace of CORVOS.
The Tiroler weather in the Summer oscillates between wet heavy rains and scorching sunny days. Arriving in the midst of dissipating health-imposed restrictions, Central Europe presents itself with a myriad of possibilities for a such awaited summer of 2021.
Coming from Norway, I found as many differences as similarities between the two regions. It's fun to notice in Norway they call the Lyngen Alps, the Sunnmøre Alps, etc, to any mountainous area emanating natural beauty, in contrast to Austria, where one can find Achensee, the "Fjord of the Alps". So, as both countries get to envy eachother's wonders, with Corvos, I have the chance to get a taste of both. While in Norway, the Summer Sun barely sets below the horizon, in Austria, it quickly disappears behind the mountainous high peaks that extend beyond eyesight.
I have to thank Marco and Verena, as well as Silke, Mariam and Professor Würzner for all the support establishing myself in a lab of a foreign land. In Oslo, I got acquainted with the double inhibition model by Professor Mollnes, where the complement system is targeted both at the C5 level, as well as upstream with CD14/TLR4. Now, in Innsbruck, I get to apply this strategy to a new model, by learning foundation skills of mycology and how to grow fungi in the lab.
For all these reasons, I cannot thank Corvos enough for the opportunity to grow both at a personal and professional level, surrounded with such a wonderful natural scenery of the Austrian Alps.
I am currently doing my research secondment in the lab of Prof. Seppo Meri in Helsinki. This has brought me the possibility to live in one of the most beautiful countries in Europe - Finland.
The first thing that I will always remember so deeply is the friendly nature of the Finnish people! Liisa, the administrative officer in the host lab, has been so supportive to all new students, and virtually to everyone. She was a huge help in organizing an accommodation in the city and also the travel to Helsinki, which allowed me to pre-settle months before. Once meeting her, one would be so impressed with her considerate and loving nature, her openness and generosity! With her, everything is very ordered.
In the first week I had a tea session with Prof. Meri and his two CORVOS students Jacob and Mikel, discussing our projects. The aim of my secondment is to investigate the interplay between long pentraxin 3 (PTX3), complement and malaria, starting with the binding tests of PTX3 and the different complement components (such as C1q - C9) to the various stages of malaria parasites, using immunofluorescence.
I was introduced to a lot of new people in the lab. It was an adventure to visit the different buildings of the Haartman-instituutti and the University of Helsinki, including one of the libraries just across the street, which contains a lot of interesting elements besides the architecture design itself.
We had a retreat to the Nuuksio National Park in October, which was a memorable experience. People from the Complement Group and Inflammation and Infections Group went into the nature for having a BBQ and enjoying sauna! The pit was located inside a tribal village house with real furs on the long benches and an open chimney in the center above the pit. It was an awesome experience.
In general, Finland is a country with everything that make you wonder. The randomly picked architectures on the street, the unlimited ultrafast data package showcasing its telecommunication technology, the music conservatories, the monumental post- Romantic composer Sibelius, whose work, Finlandia, which Prof. Meri had shared among the group during Christmas, the sport stadiums, the 24-hour supermarkets, and most importantly, the extremely friendly English-speaking Finnish people! Kids on the street were very adorable, and the adults looked so bright.
The year of 2020 concluded with the festive Christmas time in the city. The festival was still celebrated during the special time - "zoom Christmas". The Secret Treasure Christmas calendar in the kitchen of the lab reminded me that everything I saw during childhood about the snow, the cartoons of people, the animals, the trees, and the buildings, from the story books -they are real! A snowy Helsinki is the one that I will never forget.
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On June 19th, 2023 Lisa was the first of our excellent CORVOS students to defend her thesis. In the past three years, she developed immunoassays for the measurement of C1s/C1-INH complex and MASP-1/C1-INH complex in human serum and plasma. Finally, these assays were characterized and validated in cohorts of COVID-19 and sepsis patients. Both complexes were proven to be specific biomarkers for early classical and early lectin pathway activation. Lisa was supervised by Prof. Zoltán Prohászka, MD, PhD from the Doctoral School of Theoretical and Translational Medicine Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary and Prof. Reinhard Würzner, MD, PhD from the Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. In addition to her main studies in Budapest, Lisa spend 6 months at the Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria), did 1 month clinical training at the University Hospital in Helsinki (Finland), did 1 month of industrial entrepreneurship and 6 months industrial secondment at Hycult Biotech (The Netherlands). Congratulations, welcome to the Alumni club and all the best for your future.
Doctoral training prepares doctoral candidates for their future careers in a constantly changing society. In this context, MUI is a member of the Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System, or ORPHEUS, which aims to safeguard the PhD as a research degree by supporting graduate schools, faculties and departments, research students and their supervisors, through quality assurance mechanisms, advocation of best practices, professional development and training.
At this year’s ORPHEUS conference, which took place from the 13th to the 15th of April in Leuven (Belgium), alongside international keynote speakers and presenters selected from submitted abstracts, CORVOS Speaker Prof. Dr. Reinhard Würzner and CORVOS ESR Dr. Pedro Medeiros showcased how CORVOS has been successfully implemented in several European countries. At the annual meeting, opportunities and challenges associated with these contemporary elements of doctoral training and research activities were also discussed. There were namely workshops, panel discussions, presentations and poster sessions, meeting new colleagues and several networking possibilities.
On February the 27th 2023, four CORVOS ESRs began their industrial entrepreneurship secondment at SSI DIAGNOSTICA and AJvaccines. The ESRs (Alejandro, Frerich, Maximilian, and Michal), started at SSI Diagnostica in companionship with Professor Karen Angeliki Krogfelt. On the first day, they were introduced to a wide variety of basic knowledge of Legionella & Pneumococcus bacteria, their epidemiology and serotyping, associated diseases, and diagnostics led by Pernille L. Elverdal. Later that day, the Ph.D. candidates were introduced to the development of lateral flow tests by Ian C. Skovsted, one of the main business branches of SSI Diagnostica.
The next day, the ESRs applied the theory and developed and assembled their very own lateral flow assays. In the afternoon, they learned about Pneumococcal antigens and how SSI Diagnostica conducts research and diagnostics on Pneumococcus. Later that day, the students were introduced to the different bacterial identification methods and the new products that the company is developing for testing resistant bacteria, phenotyping, and serotyping them.
After an exciting day producing a range of their new products and learning about some specific pathogenic bacteria, the ESRs went to dinner with many of the SSI DIAGNOSTICA employees as well as the host, Professor Krogfelt. The students shared some common outlooks and perspectives regarding what to do after obtaining the Ph.D., and they got a lot of helpful feedback, as well as some input from people that have been in the industry for a long time. Another successful network opportunity within the scope of CORVOS.
On the last day at the company, the Ph.D. students visited the laboratories again and were introduced to the different working areas regarding Salmonella and E. coli, their epidemiology and serotyping, as well as the production line for some specific products for diagnosis of bacterial identification. Later that day, the students met the head of R&D, Karen Korsholm, to talk about new developments on their Luminex. Finally, the ESRs were introduced to the new legislation regarding IVDR, how much this impacts the product pipelines and what is needed to make a CE-certified kit. After those information-packed and engaging days at the company, the students decided to join Prof. Krogfelt at the Louisiana museum of modern arts for a get-together and some informal conversation about future perspectives in industry or academia.
The next day, the students visited another company, AJvaccines, where they met Sylvester Larsen and received an introduction to the production of the polio vaccine. AJvaccines being one of the last manufacturers of this crucial vaccine. They also got to know about the production of the BCG vaccine, the BCG culture for cancer treatment and the production of their tetanus vaccine. After this session, the students took a guided tour of the polio vaccine production facility. With this, the students said their goodbyes to the fantastic host Professor Krogfelt who made it possible to experience this opportunity and gain all of these new insights into the industrial processes.
As last year, our retreat to the beautiful Obergurgl could be held from 07th to 9th of January 2023 - this time without restrictions. Once again members of two PhD programmes of excellence, HOROS (Host response in opportunistic infections) and CORVOS (Complement regulation and variations in opportunistic infections) as well as local PhD candidates from the IIT (Infection, Immunology, and Transplantation, Innsbruck, Austria) program came together to enjoy scientific discussions and do networking to push their research projects forward. Renowned scientists from across Europe, including Jörg Köhl (Lübeck, Germany), Seppo Meri (Helsinki, Finland), Tom Eirik Mollnes (Oslo, Norway), Peter Garred (Copenhagen, Denmark), Zoltán Prohászka (Budapest, Hungary) Mohamend R. Daha (Leiden, Netherlands) representing CORVOS as well as Christian Karsten (Lübeck, Germany) and Mikkel-Ole Skjødt, both member of the HOROS advisory board, participated and inspired with their talks. Especially for our PhD candidates it was a perfect environment to prove their scientific and presentational skills in front of experts in the field of opportunistic infections and immunology in a relaxed and private atmosphere. Additionally, representatives of the CORVOS industrial partner Hycult Biotechnology (Uden, Netherlands), namely Loek Willems, Eirik Toonen, and the CEO & Owner Ronald de Niet as well as of the company Novartis (Schaftenau, Austria), Marco Grasse (former CORVOS Administrator) were present.
Besides a tight schedule, there was still time for networking and team building with PhD students and principal investigators. The majority of participants enjoyed skiing at the lovely nearby slopes or assisted one another in learning how to ski while some went hiking or sledding. Another highlight was ice-skating were we played the popular Hungarian “catch on ice” game. No matter the favorite sport, they were all ideal for interacting with other scientists.
Innsbruck has a long history of training PhD candidates in biomedicine. Initiatives to build an "international state of the art" in PhD education were started even two years before the Medical University of Innsbruck was founded in 2004. Last week, 20 years of effective PhD education in Innsbruck were celebrated!
Vice-Rector Bandtlow emphasized Georg Wick's exceptional achievement in convincing the relevant ministry to fund doctoral programs at Austrian institutions between 2003 and 2005 while serving as the President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). After all, the Medical Institution of Innsbruck was the first Austrian medical university to provide an FWF-funded Doctoral College, and the program's success ultimately helped universities to further establish organized doctorates.
The doctoral programs at the Medical University of Innsbruck that have been and are still being funded by the FWF and the EU are known by the acronyms MCBO, SPIN, HOROS, CORVOS, as well as CavX, IGDT+, and CBD. Some of these programs have been run in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck, hastening the internationalization of doctoral training.
Besides Bernhard Flucher whose PhD college MCBO was seen as a “role model” for other Austrian medical graduate colleges, Reinhard Würzner’s dedication to doctoral education by being the speaker of HOROS and the first EU doctoral college in the life sciences sector coordinated by an Austrian university, CORVOS, was particularly highlighted.
Foto: D. Bullock, MUI
