Jean-Marie Lehn

UDS - Strasbourg, France

How do you look back on the DYNANO project?

 

The DYNANO Initial Training Network has greatly contributed to bringing to a wide range of research groups and young scientists expertise in the rapidly growing interdisciplinary field of constitutional dynamic chemistry (CDC).

It has strongly participated in the acquisition of new basic knowledge as well as in the development of technological applications, stressing especially the implementation of CDC in a broad area of nanoscience and materials science.

One may expect that as a major outcome, this novel area of chemistry will be actively pursued in emerging research groups and that it will be further strengthened by a continuing support of the European Commission so as to consolidate and expand the expertise acquired.

Mihai Barboiu

IEM, CNRS - Montpellier, France

From your coordinator’s point of view, how do you look back on the DYNANO project?

 The DYNANO network was and will be a nice adventure. It brings together highly talented young scientists and experienced researchers representing different scientific categories: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Medicine and Engineering.

I consider DYNANO a big success. (...) 

The overall themes of the DYNANO project are related to the self-organization end selection as a driving force for life and evolution; the evolution of physical and chemical complex dynamic structures and the development of novel systems and technologies in the service of society.

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Claudiu Supuran

Florence University - Florence, Italy

Claudiu, you are associate Professor, you're also a researcher with your team at the university and you are now Editor in Chief of the Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry after being for a few years Associate Editor. What lead you from science to edition?

I was interested in editorial work quite early in my career. (...) In 2012, I was nominated EiC to Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents (EOTP), and in 2015 to Current Enzyme Inhibition. The first two journals are published by Taylor & Francis in Oxford, and their impact factor increased since I am EiC. I think the work as editor is important as it gives me a rather broad view of what is "hot" in our field. In addition EOTP also deals with patents and most of the scientists publishing there are from the big pharmaceutical companies. Thus, this is also relevant to my own research.

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Antonio Villalobo

IBM - Madrid, SPAIN

You have been a researcher for about 40 years, can you name the scientific achievement that you are so far the most "proud of" or happy about?

For a scientist the achievement that may be the most relevant is always the one that it may come from the next experiment. In any event, I feel particularly happy about my contributions on the role of calmodulin on systems implicated in the control of cell proliferation such as the epidermal growth factor receptor and related receptors and other signaling proteins.

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Eugen Gheorghiu

ICB - Bucharest, Romania

DYNANO is now in its final year: have the research-industry collaborations reached your expectations?

First, the project was smoothly and efficiently managed by Mihai, and Yes, I learned a lot from Nino and Theodor, and I am definitely looking forward to starting working jointly at new, perhaps even larger European projects.

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Teodor Aastrup

Attana AB – Stockholm, SWEDEN

 

The new field of systems chemistry studies molecular networks: chemists can now investigate how interactions between members propagate through networks, allowing complex behaviors to emerge. Has this new field changed the way you work and consider chemistry?

I constantly try to apply new knowledge in my daily work. I also believe that all influence affect people indirectly, so to conclude I expect that I have changed my way of working both consciously and unconsciously thanks to the network."

Olof Ramström

KTH – Stockholm, SWEDEN

DYNANO brings together Research labs, an SME and two big companies. How do you view research-industry collaboration within the framework of the project?

I am very positive to research-industry collaboration since industry partners often have a different, pragmatic starting point on how to tackle challenges. I have had the pleasure of working with the SME during the project, and have only good experiences from the collaboration."

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Jesús JIMENEZ-BARBERO

CSIC-CIB – Madrid, SPAIN

You have organized the DYNANO's Network and workshop on 30 September – 4 October 2013 in Madrid. Could you tell us your feeling, feedback.. ?

Well, that was a joint effort, with Lola Solís and Javier Cañada especially, with our research groups, and with all ERs and ESRs from Madrid area... We also enjoyed a spectacular support from the speakers and attendees. Very professional people... Yes, it was a wonderful period. I will always remember that week as something very close to my heart.

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Nino GAETA

GVS S.P.A – ITALY

What is the added-value of an EU project such as DYNANO compared with other partnerships on the same topic you may be involved in?

The most important point for us is that in a truly interdisciplinary and international project, like DYNANO is, GVS SPA can count for two years on the work of an high level scientist (i.e., ER) that can work synergistically within DYNANO well qualified partnership...

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Dolores SOLIS

Instituto de Química-Física "Rocasolano"- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) – Madrid, SPAIN

What do you think is the most satisfying part of this project?

I think that Marie Curie ITNs, in general, are a superb initiative for providing high-quality interdisciplinary and intersectoral training to young researchers, while at the same time serving for establishing new connections between research groups around Europe. A really brilliant idea...

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Nicolas GIUSEPPONE

Institut Charles Sadron (ICS). Strasbourg, FRANCE.

We'd like to catch a glimpse of your daily activities. What is a typical day (or week) for you?

Well, this varies enormously from day to day and month to month; I share my time between several quite different activities. First, a lot of my time, is spent planning the research proper which includes raising funds ...

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    Edit BUZAS

      Semmelweis University (SE) –Budapest, HUNGARY

DYNANO brings together Research labs, an SME and two big

  companies. How do you view research-industry collaboration

  within the framework of the project?

These interactions with GVS Spa (Italy) and ATTANA (Sweden) were very fruitful for us. We learnt a lot from these interactions. Both joint H2020 research proposals have been submitted by us, and a joint manuscript is also in preparation with them. We hope that these interactions will be long lasting.

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Romina Catana Crasneanu

IEM

What is the best thing about taking a PostDoc in the framework of an ITN European Project?

Junjun Tan

University of Strasbourg

 

What is the best thing about taking a PostDoc in the framework of an ITN European Project? What is challenging?

The best thing is we are trained in the networks with a group of distinguished scientists from both Academia and Industry in interdisciplinary areas, which allows us to learn from different areas, create collaborations and inspire new ideas. The most challenging part is how I can integrate all the diversities and benefit most in the Network.

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Yan Zhang

IEM-Montpellier

Being inside a European project will it give you the idea to build one yourself? Will you apply again for European funding?

I'm impressed about the interdisciplinary and mobility requirements of the European projects. These are also exactly a young researcher need before moving on to an independent career. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to be inside one project, and I'll definitely apply again if I had the chance.

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Madalina Axinie

ICB - Bucharest

What is the best thing about taking a PhD in the framework of an ITN European Project? What is challenging?

For me it is not the first time, I am taking part in an ITN, so I know that meeting peoples from different fields will land to the establishment of new collaborations and solve many problems.

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Luca Unione

CSIC-CIB - Madrid

What did you learn from your participation to national/international events during your PhD?

The more important thing is that science is continuously in evolution, this means that is only in attending and sharing international scientific events that it is possible to follow recent successes.

Also, believe in your ideas. If you had the audacity to express them in an international framework, maybe there were not so stupid.

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Susanne Schneider

University of Strasbourg

What did you learn from your participation to national/international events during your PhD?

..." Science is a broad field and its applications are very diverse. It is good to see what other people are working on. One example that comes to my mind is the one of Attana in Stockholm, a relatively young company that develops biosensors. The idea of the company was based on recent research results and the innovators put in a lot of creativity and effort into their company. I found it very impressive and inspiring."

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Lars Jorgensen

Attana AB, Stockholm, SWEDEN

"What is the best thing about taking a ER position in the framework of an ITN European Project? What is challenging?

Networking! Without a doubt, networking is the best thing about this. It's a great combination of many new scientists and some very experienced ones and all of them seem passionate and curious. I think that the main challenge is actually keeping up with all the good options and suggestions in the network."

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Brian Timmer

KTH, Stockholm, SWEDEN

"Could you tell us something about your secondments and what you learnt there?

During my secondment I've visited Attana, which initially trained me in using their Quartz Crystal Microbalance biosensor. Later on we used the QCM biosensor to determine the affinity of the synthesized glyconanoplatforms to biologically relevant entities. This to me was very interesting as it finally expanded the scope of my research from just synthesizing the molecules to actually determining how they behave in these assays."

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Ioanna Kalograiaki

CSIC-IQFR, Madrid, SPAIN

"What is the best thing about taking a PhD in the framework of an ITN European Project? What is challenging?

Most importantly: the interdisciplinary approach. Having the opportunity to interact with top scientists of different fields, adopt new approaches, learn numerous techniques, enjoy the secondments in other laboratories and get trained by experts in innovative methods. It is also trivial that we are provided with the space needed to start building up our own network. "Obstacles are there to make the accomplishment of goals to look like a victory!"

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Xabier Osteikoetxea Veleze

Semmelweis University, Budapest, HUNGARY

What is the best thing about taking a PhD in the frameworkof an ITN European Project? What is challenging?

The best thing about an ITN European network is the amazing opportunity to interact with other scientists that are specialist in diverse fields; however it can sometimes be challenging harmonizing different approaches to solve problems.

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Valentina GARAVINI

University of Strasbourg, FRANCE

What did you learn from your last participation to the DYNANO's workshop on October 2013 in Madrid?

It was the third time we met the other young researchers involved in our network and their supervisors. We know each other quite well now and I think it was a very nice week for everybody. In addition, the workshop involved another Marie Curie ITN, Glycopharm, and we had the chance to meet other researchers....

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Erol LICSANDRU

CNRS-IEM, FRANCE

Do you have some advice to master students considering taking a PhD?

Always keep an open mind. Don't worry about the volume and difficulty of your work, these are your best years to learn- just do it.That was an incredible experience mainly in terms of meeting all the people who are part of the network and knowing a little bit about their projects and laboratories, which were briefly introduced by all the participants.

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Marta ABELAN FLOS

CBO, BELGIUM.

What did you learn from your participation to the DYNANO Network meeting on October 2012 in Montecatini Terme?

That was an incredible experience mainly in terms of meeting all the people who are part of the network and knowing a little bit about their projects and laboratories, which were briefly introduced by all the participants.

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Muhammet TANC

University of Florence, ITALY.

What do you expect from your Ph.D?

I expect to join different networks and meet other researchers and share their experiences from different universities and countries.

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Siliviya STATEVA

Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Alberto Sols (IIBM). Madrid, SPAIN.

We are very happy to introduce Silviya Stateva, our first DYNANO early stage researcher. She comes from Bulgaria and she has joined Prof. Antonio Villalobo's group at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols in Madrid to complete her PhD within the DYNANO training network.

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