G O V E R N M E N T
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S O C I E T Y
New systems biology institute in Ottawa
biology: the development of novel technology and the application of systems biology to the study of human diseases. A main goal of the institute is the quantitative measurement of biomolecules,
EuPO: European proteomics organizations unite
dom. Additional countries are welcome to join at any time. Although EuPO is not an official member of the global HUPO, Corthals says that the organization may join HUPO in the future. “I think it’s an obvious evolution that there will be interactions between us and HUPO,” he says. EuPO’s next step is to decide on its short-term and long-term aims and objectives. Corthals says that the steering committee, which consists of him, Friedrich Lottspeich, and Jean-Charles Sanchez, is circulating ideas among EuPO members. Comments will be discussed at EuPO’s next meeting, which will coincide with the Spanish Society of Proteomics (SEProt) conference at the University of Córdoba (Spain) in February 2005. Although the EuPO committee members have not disclosed details about the proposed objectives, they say that the organization is likely to fund exchange programs and scientific meetings. EuPO will also have a website,
EDWARD J. CUHACI AND ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS
cules, you will be able to generate the necessary information to build model systems,” he says. Academic, government, and industry Currently, the institute is housed at minds are teaming up to form a new both the NRC and the University of research institute, tentatively called the Ottawa, but this Ottawa Institute of is a temporary Systems Biology. arrangement. Daniel Figeys, the Figeys says that institute’s chief sciultimately, the entific officer, says institute will be that the principal inlocated entirely vestigators (PIs) will on the Univerinclude scientists sity of Ottawa from the National campus on the Research Council top floor of a (NRC) and the Uninew building versity of Ottawa that will be School of Medicine completed in (both in Canada). 2006. In the Scientists from meantime, the industry will also PIs will hold come to the institute regular meetperiodically to colings to keep inlaborate with the formed about PIs. “We think if you one another’s bring those three research. Figeys partners together, it A new home. The Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology will be housed on one floor of a new building is also recruitshould be faster to on the University of Ottawa campus. ing for 5 new PI move discoveries positions, which from research into will bring the total to ~15–20 PIs once including genes, proteins, carbohyindustry,” says Figeys. the institute is at full capacity. drates, and lipids. “As you obtain quanAccording to Figeys, the institute —Katie Cottingham titative information on the biomolewill focus on two aspects of systems
Just hours before the welcome party for the 6th Siena Meeting in late August, representatives from 12 European proteomics societies gathered to discuss the formation of a continent-wide proteomics organization. According to Garry Corthals of the Geneva University Hospital (Switzerland), the concept was an easy sell. “It was amazing how short the discussions were, not how long,” he says. In fact, the hardest part was deciding on a name for the new organization. Simply called the European Proteomics Organisation (EuPO), the group intends to help the national proteomics societies run more efficiently and have a larger voice when communicating with politicians, the public, and other researchers across the continent. The founding countries are Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United King-
which is expected to be ready for public viewing after the SEProt meeting. But funding activities and sustaining a web presence require money, and Corthals admits that this is one of EuPO’s initial challenges. “This is very much an area of contention in the sense that we don’t want to take money away from the national organizations,” he says. Funding sources may be reluctant to give money to both a national proteomics group and EuPO, so EuPO may approach different entities for financing, he adds. The inaugural EuPO meeting was a success, according to Corthals, who reports that all the attendees were very excited about the new organization. Denis Hochstrasser, also of the Geneva University Hospital and a participant in EuPO’s founding, says, “Proteomics has been very strong in Europe for a long time. I think it’s good that people get together in a federative mode.” —Katie Cottingham
Journal of Proteome Research • Vol. 3, No. 6, 2004
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