Research Infrastructures in Structural Biology and Framework Programme

Research Infrastructures in Structural Biology and Framework Programme 7 The role of NMR Lucia Banci CERM, Florence, Italy banci@cerm. unifi. it

Workshop organized by the RI Division of EC, Brussels, 16 th March 2005 Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Biomedical Sciences in FP 7 Needs for supporting existing research infrastructures at the EU -level • A need for improved coordination at EU level: the case of bio-repositories • The support to facilities for Protein Structure determination. Status and future needs • Infrastructures in Genomics and Proteomics • Mapping existing infrastructures in Biomedical Sciences Needs for new research infrastructures at EU-level • Needs for new infrastructures as analysed by the ESFRI - “Biology and Medical Sciences” • The access to information from molecular biology and genome research • The future of imaging facilities in Europe • New developments for Ion and X-Ray radiation therapy research facilities • Clinical research: A need for constructing a new European infrastructure?

Funding from EC to Bio. NMR RI (1994 -2005) FP 3 Limited Transnational access funded to the individual Infrastructures (RI) FP 4 Transnational access funded to each RI which formed a cluster • Concerted Action involving other EU NMR laboratories • RTD’s FP 5 Transnational access funded to each RI which formed a cluster • Cluster formalization through ICN common access protocol • RTD’s FP 6 Transnational access funding has been approved and available to the community from end of the year • “Design study” project under negotiation

Future Needs for existing Bio. NMR RI • More funds for instruments: – keep the instrumentation updated EC could support about 20% depreciation cost/year – acquire new equipment to comply User’s needs • Reestablish access for European researchers: – Remote Access should be promoted Increased support for technical staff • Support for technological/methodological advancement of the Infrastructures “Design studies” are an excellent instrument for forefront advancement of RI

The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) • ESFRI started in 2002 as an initiative of the Governments of the EU states • it brings together the representatives of: - 25 EU Member States - 7 Associated Countries - European Commission ESFRI activities: • set up thematic working groups • act as incubator of Research Infrastructures Projects • prepare a roadmap for Research Infrastructures of pan-European interest in the next 10 -20 years (http: //cordis. lu/esfri/)

ESFRI Biological and Medical Sciences (BMS) Physical Sciences and Engineering (PSE) Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) The BMS Steering Group has proposed the following Infrastructures to be established in FP 7 • Advanced infrastructure for brain and whole body imaging • Bio-informatics infrastructure for Europe • European network of advanced clinical research centers • European network of bio-banks and genomic resources • High security laboratories for emerging diseases and threats to public health • Infrastructure for functional analysis of a whole mammalian genome • Model testing facilities for biomedical research • Integrated Structural Biology Infrastructure for Europe

Future Scientific Needs Integrated Structural Biology Infrastructure for Europe Bioinformatics Clinical records HT Expression Module Prioritization Module Structural Biology Chemical Biology Biomedical Applications

COORDINATION ACTION Focusing NMR on the machinery of Life - NMR-Life Main goals: 1. foster cross-fertilization between the four different scientific areas of this project, mainly through the common vertical aspects; 2. contribute to the development and dissemination of common good practices and methodological approaches; 3. foster the transfer of knowledge among different research teams, thereby enhancing the spreading of innovative methods and tools; 4. implement a common reference point for the European NMR community in the internet, by maintaining a common virtual laboratory; 5. jointly identify bottlenecks and possible breakthroughs in the field of biological NMR.

COORDINATION ACTION Focusing NMR on the machinery of Life - NMR-Life The Partners: Partners 1. Center for Magnetic Resonance Florence (CERM) - I. Bertini 2. European molecular biology laboratory (EMBL) - M. Sattler 3. Utrecht University (RUUTR) - R. Boelens 4. Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University (BMRZ) - H. Schwalbe 5. Forschungsinstitut fur molekulare pharmakologie (FMP) - H. Oschkinat 6. Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris (ENS) - G. Bodenhausen 7. Københavns Universitet (UKBH) - F. Poulsen 8. Masaryk University (P F MU) - V. Sklenar 9. University of Cambridge (UCAM) - E. Laue 10. University of Oxford (UOXF) - I. Campbell

COORDINATION ACTION Focusing NMR on the machinery of Life - NMR-Life Estimated relative need for coordination activities of scientific areas as a function of the methodological aspects considered: * Average; ** High; *** Very high. Sample production and preparation NMR methods High-molecular -weight systems Software tools Protein-protein interactions ** *** Protein. DNA/RNA interactions ** ** *** Protein-ligand interactions * *** Membrane and immobilized proteins *** *** **

Forum for European Structural Proteomics (FESP) www. ec-fesp. org Supported by EC as Specific Supported Action (SSA) Lucia Banci, Centro Risonanze Magnetiche, University of Florence, Italy Wolfgang Baumeister, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany Udo Heinemann, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin Germany Gunter Schneider, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Sweden Joel Sussman, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel - Coordinator

Goals • Assess Structural Genomics/Proteomics projects already in action at national, European, and global level. • Assess existing Infrastructures (synchrotrons, NMR, EM, Protein Production, Bioinformatics) with respect to the needs for Structural Genomics/Proteomics in Europe, and comparison with the status in the rest of the world • Develop strategic plans for an European policy in Structural Genomics/ Proteomics

Outcomes • A database will be established and it will serve as a complete register of the Structural Genomics/Proteomics projects worldwide • A position paper which includes -- assessment of Structural Genomics/Proteomics Infrastructures and activities in Europe and worldwide -- a strategic road map to guide future directions of SG and SP initiatives in EU

To achieve these goals the active contribution of the entire SG/SP community is needed and sought for Contributions will be collected from: v Interactions with the Infrastructures involved in SG/SP activities v installation of a web site www. ec-fesp. org collecting contributions to the debate v targeted workshops For the debate aimed at the identification of new strategic areas and directions to be addressed in future projects