In the second week of April, School of Engineering Lecturer Dr Katherine Dunn chaired the international research meeting Nucleic Acids in MEdicine (NAME) 2019 in the University’s recently refurbished Murchison House. Funded by the Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering to promote engagement with European research in the context of Engineering at the Life Sciences Interface, NAME 2019 provided an opportunity for researchers to meet and explore possibilities for collaboration.
Approximately 40 people were involved, with specialities as diverse as engineering, clinical medicine, computer science, biology and nanotechnology, among others. Participants were drawn from Scotland, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and Italy, and three came from industry. Four Scottish universities were represented – Edinburgh, Heriot Watt, Strathclyde and Glasgow.
NAME 2019 was opened by the Head of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, Professor Conchúr Ó Brádaigh, and presentations were given to showcase the University’s world-leading facilities. This included a range of laboratories and services in the Schools of Engineering and Biology, plus the Edinburgh Genome Foundry, which is leading the way in automated assembly of large DNA constructs, and the Scottish Microelectronics Centre, which provides extensive cleanroom facilities for fabrication of devices and systems at the microscale or even smaller.
Briefings were also provided on the subject of ESRIC, a national imaging facility based in Edinburgh, and opportunities for research funding in the UK and Europe, including projects that link academia and industry. Six research talks were given, including seminars by internationally-renowned experts, which were open to the wider university community.
One day of the meeting was dedicated to brainstorming conversations, with a view to generating new ideas for collaborative work. Several potential projects were identified, and the attendees expressed interest in forming an international consortium based on themes of mutual interest. Participants also shared best practice on funding applications and made useful contacts.
Specific action points were identified, and the meeting will be followed up with further discussions as the researchers work towards the submission of joint proposals for funding. The SRPe award also provides sufficient resources for the meeting chair Dr Katherine Dunn to visit some of the potential collaborators abroad, and these visits will take place before the end of July. Katherine will be providing a report to the funders SRPe in August, and will be attending the SRPe Inaugural Annual Conference in November.
In feedback provided after the meeting, one of the participants described NAME 2019 as ‘A very well-organised meeting allowing inclusive networking and establishing potential research contacts between all participants and fostering international collaborations.’
