NanoCarb has successfully held its first Network Meeting at the CNR Research Area in Milan from the 14th to the 17th May 2019. Part of the event was held together with the European Training Networks (ETNs) GLYCOVAX.
From the 14th to the 16th May 2019, both ETNs have organised a series of common lectures for their Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) (see programme below). GLYCOVAX and NanoCarb ESRs have attended lectures on vaccine formulation and nanomedicine from high-profile academic lecturers, but also from leading pharmaceutical companies such as GSK Vaccines, Midatech Pharma Spain and Ludger Ltd. Workshop summaries will follow in the next few days.
The NanoCarb ESRs had two sessions where they had an open discussions with the Glycovax ESR on the challenges on doing a PhD. The session was managed by our trainers Dr Daniel Spencer from Ludger Ltd and Helen Williamson from Horizons Unleashed. As the GLYCOVAX training programme is coming to an end and NanoCarb has recently started, these meetings were the occasion for NanoCarb ESRs to learn from the experience of their peers in GLYCOVAX.
On the 16th and 17th May, NanoCarb ESRs had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the NanoCarb consortium and to get in touch with organisations where they will carry out secondments.
Workshops in Nanovaccines:
| Time | Activity | Speaker(s) |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Introduction on vaccines and nanotechnology | Prof Luigi Lay, University of Milan Dr Laura Polito, Italian National Research Council |
| 09:30 – 10:15 | Vaccine formulation: an overview | Dr Francesco Berti, GSK Vaccines |
| 10:15 – 11:00 | Discovery of new generation of adjuvants and delivery of adjuvanted vaccines | Barbara Christiane Baudner, GSK Vaccines |
| 11:30 – 12:15 | Synthetic multivalent ligands for biomacromolecule targeting | Prof Francesco Sansone, University of Parma |
| 12:15 – 13:00 | OMV and Carriers | Dr Francesca Micoli, GSK Vaccines |
Workshops in Nanomedicine:
| Time | Activity | Speaker(s) |
| 09:00 – 09:45 | Cancer treatment: hurdles and hopes from a clinician’s perspective | Dr Luca Toschi, Humanitas Cancer Center |
| 09:45 – 10:30 | Cancer nanotechnology: hopes and challenges | Dr Zeljka Kreptic, University of Salford Manchester |
| 11:00 – 11:20 | Gold glyconanoparticles: smallest particles in biomedical use for targeted delivery to tumour and disease sites | Dr Africa Barrientos, Midatech Pharma Spain |
| 11:20 – 11:40 | Lost in translation, nanoparticle characterization in biological fluid | Dr Marco Monopoli, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland |
| 11:40 – 12:00 | In vitro – in vivo implementation of the preclinical studies in nanomedicine | Dr Paolo Bigini, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research |
| 12:00 – 12:20 | Biological activity of glycans | Dr Daniel Spencer, Ludger Ltd |
| 12:20 – 12:50 | The market of drugs: light and shadow | Silvio Garattini, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research |
| 12:50 – 13:00 | Closing remarks | Prof Luigi Lay, University of Milan |