Young Career in Biophysics Passes by the EBSA Congresses
From Budapest to Dresden, by Lisbon 2013: Our Young Career in Biophysics Passes by the EBSA Congresses!

written by Anna Wypijewska del Nogal
Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Zwirki & Wigury 93, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland

"When two years ago, in August, 2011, I had the honor and pleasure to present the results of my research at the 8th European Biophysics (EBSA) Congress in Budapest, I still could not guess how many new paths would wait ahead of me and my career. This one, my first EBSA Congress, became a real, tangible milestone for my PhD studies on Decapping Scavenger (DcpS) enzyme hydrolyzing the 5’ mRNA cap structure (conducted at the Division of Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, under a supervision of Prof. Edward Darzynkiewicz and generously supported by Dr hab. Jacek Jemielity and Dr Elzbieta Bojarska). The participation in the EBSA Congress gave me not only the opportunity to extend my knowledge in biophysics, but also the chance to share my own experience and results with others, expanding my professional network and showing me the new ways of thinking and cooperating internationally.

A wonderful cooperation with Dr hab. Adina Milac (Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania) was initiated just after my talk, developing into a long-term friendship and flourishing in a new interdisciplinary publication (Wypijewska del Nogal et al. 2013, FEBS Journal).
 
Everybody planning to participate in the EBSA Congress should also consider its satellite meetings. They are organized conveniently near the main venue. These additional conferences and workshops are quite different from the main congress, attracting small groups of people interested in particular topics, such as fluorescence (e.g. Spectroscopy in the Biological Sciences of the XXI. Century - Intracellular Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Pecs, Hungary, 2011) or bionanotechnology (e.g. Bionanotechnology – Recent Advances, Sesimbra, Portugal, 2013). They facilitate linking many different views coming from high specialists, from juniors to seniors, in a unique environment and frame. A real ideas exchange-mixer! Few participants and nice localization outside a big metropolis affects very positively the atmosphere of the event, enhancing both scientific discussions and personal relations. Myself, I attended both mentioned satellite conferences with big enthusiasm, being always encouraged by the speakers and organizers to openly share my opinions with other participants. This granted me a collaboration with Prof. Alexander Demchenko (Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine), an expert on fluorescence spectroscopy and plenary lecturer at the conference in Pecs. Thanks to meeting him, I had a great chance to consult with him some points of my PhD thesis, and to be invited to his lecture course on fluorescence sensing at the Institute of Chemistry of Nice (University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France), the following year.

Also, I’m very grateful to EBSA for having granted me the EBSA bursaries, which helped me to take part in both congresses, in Budapest and also this year in Lisbon. Each young biophysicist should know that EBSA committee has proved to be very friendly and supportive for students and post docs, offering them not only the possibility of covering the congress fee, but even the accommodation (for students) and free participation in satellite meetings (for students and post docs). Nowadays, in the difficult financial times, this active support is worth of appreciation more than ever.

While witnessing how the science seeds planted in Lisbon are starting to grow up for the next few months and years, I already encourage you to visit the EBSA offer for the young scientists, looking forward to a new exciting edition of the congress, which will take place in Germany, in 2015. "

Anna Wypijewska del Nogal (left) and Adina Milac upon the 9th EBSA Congress in Lisbon, 2013.

Your career continues passing by EBSA! Take your chance in Dresden!