Edit

Plasticity in developing systems: time, space, and environment – Course and Conference Office

EMBO Practical Course

Plasticity in developing systems: time, space, and environment

Overview
Speakers
Programme
Practical information
Sponsors
Media kit

Course Overview

Studying organisms in their original context and environment is one of the current grand challenges in the life sciences and a central goal of modern Developmental Biology. The interactions between organisms, and their chemical, physical and biotic environments have important consequences at the level of form, physiology and behaviour. To gain an understanding and uncover mechanistic links between these interconnected and dynamic processes, novel, interdisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge technologies are needed. The aim of this course is to expose and introduce graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to fundamental questions and challenges related to the study of how the dynamic interplay between organisms and their changing environment impacts developmental processes and evolutionary novelty. The participating students will benefit from a well-balanced curriculum with lectures and hands-on practicals. We invite external keynote speakers each day of the course, covering different topics related to how environmental factors control development, physiology, and behaviours, and emphasising developmental plasticity, timing, and metabolism. Each afternoon, EMBL groups will run lab practicals in a wide range of organisms (i.e., bacterial colonies+Dictyostelium, algae, plants, Nematostella, worms, flies, vertebrates). Most experiments will be centered around the common theme of ‘Organisms interacting with their environment’.

Audience

This course is intended for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with a STEM background. We aim to balance the number of participants with hands-on experience and theoretical background.

Modules

Studying collective behaviors of soil-derived Dictyostelium and Bacilli species
Metabolic control of developmental timing in mouse and medaka embryos
Studying the role of behaviour in development of Nematostella vectensis
4D imaging of development
Single-cell sorting of diatom symbiosis from the natural environment
Molecular dissection of brain pioneer cell morphogenesis in C. Elegans
Phenotypic plasticity of the planarian flatworms
Exploring animal development and evolution with synthetic biology in Drosophila Melanogaster
Imaging of cellular bases of root formation in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana using a SPIM microscope
Biophysical properties of embryonic tissues in zebrafish

Learning outcomes

The course will provide:

1 ) an introduction to modern developmental biology questions covering a broad spectrum of developing systems

2) hands-on experiments and data analysis in a variety of model and non-model organisms.

Please see EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for testing and other requirements to attend this on-site course.

Keynote speakers

Susana Coelho

Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Germany

Scott Gilbert

Swarthmore College

USA

Alexander Jones

University of Cambridge

Antónia Monteiro

National University of Singapore

Singapore

Manu Prakash

Stanford University

USA

Jonathan Rodenfels

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

Germany

Kristin Tessmar

Germany

Trainers

Lab	People
Aulehla	Sapna Chhabra – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Simon Knoblich – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Crocker	Lautaro Gandara – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Nikolaus Vlachopoulos – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Greb	Pascal Hunziker – Heidelberg University, Germany Kiara Kaeufer – Heidelberg University, Germany Jiao Zhao – Heidelberg University, Germany
Ikmi	Florian Gabler – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Levin Riedel – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Petridou	Cristina Pallares Cartes – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Camilla Autorino – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Laura Rustarazo-Calvo – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Magdalena Schindler – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Prevedel/Zimmermann	Samuel Davis – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Rory Power – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Rapti	Francesca Caroti – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Laura Sabou – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
van Gestel	Mireia Garriga-Canut – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Andrea Zanon – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Vincent	Kevin Moog – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Thomas Beavis – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Moritz Winker – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Soraya Zwahlen – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
Vu	Kristina Mirkes – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Ana Mellado Fuentes – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Amrutha Palavalli – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Gaurav Vaidya – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
DB unit / Microscopy support	Matt Benton

Scientific organisers

Alexander Aulehla

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Aissam Ikmi

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Nicoletta Petridou

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Alessandra Reversi

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Course organiser

Swetlana Krez

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Nathalie Sneider

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Programme

Got something to say? Tweet it! #EMBOPlasticity

Some speakers may need to join virtually to give their lecture or Q&A, and the programme is subject to change.

Day 1 – Monday 24 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
08:40	Bus from ISG Hotel to EMBL Operon entrance	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:00 – 09:30	Welcome, house notes and safety instructions	Large Operon
09:30 – 10:30	Networking activity	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Introduction to practical 1 Jordi van Gestel – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Large Operon
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Field trip to collect samples	Depart Operon Foyer
14:00 – 17:00	Practical 1: Studying collective behaviors of soil-derived Dictyostelium and Bacilli species Jordi van Gestel and members of his lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
17:00 – 18:00	Keynote Lecture 1: Environment and the origins of complex behaviour in biological systems Manu Prakash – Stanford University, USA	Large Operon
16:00 – 19:00	Networking: Meet the speaker with Manu Prakash – Stanford University, USA	Operon Foyer
19:00 – 20:00	Dinner	EMBL Canteen
20:00 – 22:00	Poster session 1	Operon Foyer
22:00	Departure to ISG Hotel and end of Day 1	ATC entrance

Day 2 – Tuesday 25 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from ISG to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Courtyard A(
09:35 – 10:30	Keynote Lecture 2: The developmental biology of holobionts Scott Gilbert – Swarthmore College, USA	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Networking: Meet the speaker Scott Gilbert – Swarthmore College, USA	Operon Foyer
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 2 Flora Vincent – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Courtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 2: Single-cell sorting of diatom symbiosis from the natural environment Flora Vincent and members of her lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner	EMBL Canteen
19:00 – 21:00	Poster session 2	Operon Foyer
21:00	Departure to ISG Hotel and end of Day 2	ATC entrance

Day 3 – Wednesday 26 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Large Operon
09:35 – 10:30	Keynote Lecture 3: Evolution of a mechanism of plasticity in eyespot wing patterns Antonia Monteiro – National University of Singapore, Singapore	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Networking: Meet the speaker with Antonia Monteiro – National University of Singapore, Singapore	Large Operon
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 3 Justin Crocker – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Courtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 3: Exploring animal development and evolution with synthetic biology in Drosophila Melanogaster Justin Crocker and members of his lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner	EMBL Canteen
19:00	Continued networking	Operon Foyer
19:45	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 4	ATC entrance

Day 4 – Thursday 27 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Large Operon
09:35 – 10:30	Keynote Lecture 4: The effect of variation in light in the biological processes Kristin Tessmar – Max Perutz Labs Vienna, Austria	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Networking: Meet the speaker with Kristin Tessmar – Max Perutz Labs Vienna, Austria	Large Operon
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 4 Hanh Vu – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Large Operon
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 4: Phenotypic plasticity of the planarian flatworms Hanh Vu and members of her lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 21:00	Round Table discussion: Responsible conduct of research	ATC Rooftop Lounge
21:00	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 4	ATC entrance

Day 5 – Friday 28 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
08:40	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:00 – 09:05	Overview of the day	Courtyard Room A & B
09:05 – 10:00	Introduction to practical 5 Nicoletta Petridou – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Courtyard Room A & B
10:00 – 12:00	Practical 5 part 1: Biophysical properties of embryonic tissues in Zebrafish Nicoletta Petridou and members of her lab – EMBL Heidelberg	Training Lab B
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 18:00	Practical 5 part 2: Biophysical properties of embryonic tissues in Zebrafish Nicoletta Petridou and members of her lab – EMBL Heidelberg	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 21:00	Data analysis practical 5	Computer Training Lab
21:00	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 5	ATC entrance

Day 6 – Saturday 29 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from ISG to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Large Operon
09:35 – 10:30	Keynote Lecture 5: The energetic cost of early development in their environment Jonathan Rodenfels – Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Networking: Meet the speaker with Jonathan Rodenfels – Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany	Operon Foyer
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 6 Alexander Aulehla – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Aissam Ikmi – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Courtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 6: Metabolic control of developmental timing Alexander Aulehla and members of his lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Aissam Ikmi and members of his lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner	EMBL Canteen
19:00 – 19:45	Continued networking	Operon Foyer
19:45	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 6	ATC entrance

Day 7 – Sunday 30 July 2023

Free Day

Day 8 – Monday 31 July 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Large Operon
09:35 – 10:30	Keynote Lecture 6: The life cycle and reproduction of brown algae Susana Coehlo, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Networking: Meet the speaker with Susana Coehlo, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen	Large Operon
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 7 Georgia Rapti – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Courtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 7: Molecular dissection of brain pioneer cell morphogenesis in C. Elegans Georgia Rapti and members of her lab – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner	EMBL Canteen
19:00 – 19:45	Continued networking	Operon Foyer
19:45	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 8	ATC entrance

Day 9 – Tuesday 1 August 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Computer Training Lab
09:35 – 10:30	Data Analysis Practical 6, 7	Computer Training Lab
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Data Analysis Practical 6, 7	Computer Training Lab
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 8 Robert Prevedel – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Courtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 8: 4D imaging of development Robert Prevedel and Timo Zimmermann – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 21:00	Round Table discussion: Responsible conduct of research	ATC Rooftop Lounge
21:00	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 9	ATC entrance

Day 10 – Wednesday 2 August 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Large Operon
09:35 – 10:30	Keynote Lecture 7: Plant development and physiology Alexander Jones – University of Cambridge, UK	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Networking: Meet the speaker with Alexander Jones – University of Cambridge, UK	Large Operon
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00	Introduction to practical 9 Thomas Greb – Centre for Organismal Studies, Uni Heidelberg, Heidelberg	Courtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 18:00	Practical 9: Plant development and physiology Thomas Greb and member of his lab – Centre for Organismal Studies, Uni Heidelberg, Heidelberg	Training Lab B
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 21:00	Group activity: Data analysis of practicals 9	Computer Training Lab
21:00	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 10	ATC entrance

Day 11 – Thursday 3 August 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Courtyard Room A & B
09:35 – 10:30	Follow up on the field trip samples	Courtyard Room A & B
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break	Courtyard Room A & B
11:00 – 12:00	Time to prepare the presentation	Courtyard Room A & B
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00 – 15:00	Time to prepare the presentations	Courtyard Room A & B
15:00 – 15:30	Coffee Break	Courtyard Room A & B
15:30 – 17:30	Presentations by the participants	Large Operon
18:00 – 22:00	BBQ and Party	Operon Foyer and Terrace
22:00	Departure to ISG Hotel, end of Day 11	ATC entrance

Day 12 – Friday 4 August 2023

Time (Europe/Berlin)	Speaker	Location
09:15	Bus from the ISG Hotel to EMBL	ISG Hotel bus stop
09:30 – 09:35	Overview of the day	Large Operon
09:35 – 10:30	Final remarks	Large Operon
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break	Operon Foyer
11:00 – 12:00	Closing: wrap up and feedback session	Large Operon
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch	EMBL Canteen
13:00	Departure	ATC entrance

Practical information

Registration fees and motivation letter

The course is limited to 20 participants. For selection purposes, please note that your application will not be considered without a letter of motivation.

Registration

Registration fees include admission, course materials, COVID-19 safety measures, meals and coffee breaks. This EMBO course includes accommodation and transportation to and from the ISG Hotel to the venue.

Academia	€500
PhD Student	€500
Industry	€1200

A letter to support your visa application will be issued, on request, once payment of the registration fee is confirmed. We recommend that you book your visa appointment as soon as possible, to avoid any delay with your visa application.

Confirmation and payment

The registration fee should be paid only after acceptance to the course. The results will be announced approximately 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.

Motivation letter submission

After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your motivation letter. Click on the link provided and enter your motivation letter in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your motivation letter by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering.

Instructions

Include your relevant skills, experience and qualifications showing why you would be suitable for the course.
Explain why you would like to attend, including what you can contribute and how you think you will benefit from the course.

Please note:

The limit of 2000 characters refers to manually typed text and excludes spaces. If an error occurs try using a different web browser (preferably Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).
If you copy-paste the text into the form, hidden formatting might still be included which may cause the text to exceed the 2,000 character limit resulting in an error message. We recommend you clear all formatting before pasting in the text.
If you have special symbols in your text, make sure you are using Unicode characters, otherwise these will not be recognised.

For detailed instructions, please watch our video on how to submit a course motivation letter.

Further details

For further information about registration and motivation letter submission please refer to the FAQ page.

Financial assistance

Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of both registration fee waivers and travel grants. Availability is limited to participants attending on-site EMBL Courses and virtual or on-site EMBO Practical Courses in Heidelberg, and will be indicated during the motivation letter submission process.

Your place in the course is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.

Registration fee waiver

The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course.

Travel grant

The travel grant will cover the cost of travel (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa, and/or registration fees*) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:

– up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course within Europe.

– up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course from outside Europe.

– up to €500 for any participant travelling to an EMBO Practical Course.

– up to €1000 for any participant working in Chile, India, Singapore or Taiwan travelling to an EMBO Practical Course.

– up to €700 for any participant working in Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, and Turkey travelling to an EMBO Practical Course.

*Registration fees are only covered for EMBO Practical Courses

The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.

Childcare grant (EMBO Practical Courses only)

For EMBO Practical Course participants with children, there is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants or speakers when participating at a course. Eligible costs include fees for a babysitter or child-care facility, travel costs for a caregiver, or travel costs for taking the child to the meeting etc. Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers. A maximum amount of €500 can be awarded per participant applying for an EMBO childcare grant.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds travel grant

Applies to selected courses only. Availability will be indicated during the motivation letter submission process.

This grant covers costs related to your attendance at the course (registration, travel and accommodation costs). The grant is restricted to PhD students and postdocs who conduct basic biomedical research.

Whether you are eligible to apply for a travel grant, depends on when you received your university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, A-Levels, High School Diploma, Final State Examination):

– for PhD and MD students, as well as graduates, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 11 years ago at the time of the envisaged course

– for postdocs, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 13 years ago at the time of the envisaged course

Application

You may apply for financial assistance when submitting your motivation letter for courses. In your application, you will be asked to answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.

For the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Travel Grant, there is a pre-application question during the motivation letter submission process, and if selected you will be requested to complete a standard form and documentation consisting of your travel expense estimation.

Selection

The scientific organisers will select the recipients of all financial assistance during the motivation letter selection process. Results will be announced approximately 6-8 weeks before the event start date, however for some events this may be delayed. Selection results do not impact your admission to the course. Selection is based on scientific merit, your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support, and the impact this event will have on your career.

Reimbursement

Costs will be reimbursed after the meeting only once a reimbursement form and original receipts (from travel costs) have been received.

Further details

See our list of external funding opportunities and for further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.

Accommodation and shuttles

Hotel

Accommodation has been pre-booked for you at the ISG Ho te l for the default dates of Sunday 23 July to 4 August (12 nights). Please note that the course registration fee includes coverage of accommodation costs in twin rooms, including breakfasts, for your stay at the ISG. In case you would like to have a single room, please let us know and please note that you will be required to pay an additional cost of 24€ per night. This should be paid by you directly to the ISG during your stay. Any additional nights need to be booked and paid for by you. We recommend that all course participants stay at the ISG Hotel which is the dedicated hotel for the course.

Local transport

Shuttle buses will go from the ISG Hotel to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings. A bus schedule and location of the bus stops will be made available prior to the meeting.

Further details

Address: EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

For further information on getting to EMBL Heidelberg visit our Travel Information page.

For enquiries about accommodation and local transportation please refer to the FAQ page .

Event software

The EMBL eCampus learning platform will be used to collaborate, communicate and network with all of the course participants. All participants will receive information on how to join shortly before the course. We recommend using Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox browsers for eCampus.

Additional information

Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions, COVID-19 safety policy and travelling to EMBL on our Information for Participants page.

COVID-19 related questions

COVID-19 information for on-site events at EMBL Heidelberg can be found in our COVID-19 FAQs.