On 16 December 2022, the University of Portsmouth hosted the South Coast RNA Networking meeting.
The annual conference is attended by researchers from across the South Coast with an interest in RNA biology.
The South Coast RNA Networking Meeting is an exciting opportunity for researchers to share information about their research projects and experiences with new technologies, learn what’s new in the field, and develop new and existing collaborations with other researchers.
Attendees included:
- University of Southampton
- University of Surrey
- University of Sussex
- University College London
- King’s College London
- University of Exeter
- University of Cambridge
Attendees were invited to present either an oral presentation or poster. This year, presentations came from a range of researchers, including PhD students, PostDocs and Group Leaders.
Talks and posters
Talks and posters showed a wide range of topics, including:
- Assessment of RNA splicing variants associated with disease and the use of models to aid diagnostics
- The role of RNA modifications in a variety of diseases
- How many long non-coding RNAs may be neither long nor non-coding
The award for the best poster went to PhD student Sadie Hallett from King’s College London. This was awarded for her work on cell stress-related RNA binding proteins in cancer. The best poster award also went to PostDoc Dr Aaron Goff from University of Sussex for his work on RNA expression pathways in Tuberculosis (TB) infection.
Awards for the best speaker went to PhD student Federica Capraro from King’s College London for her work on the role of RNA binding proteins in breast cancer. This award also went to PostDoc Dr Valentina Miano from the University of Cambridge for her work on the role of RNA modifying enzymes in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).
The best Christmas jumper award was also announced. This was awarded to Prof Rachel Simmonds from the University of Surrey, for her impressive multicoloured lighting.
The South Coast RNA Network Meeting was supported by the University of Portsmouth Health and Wellbeing and Future and Emerging Technologies research themes.
Additional support was provided by five biotechnology companies, who also sent representatives to the event: Avantor, New England Biolabs, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, PCR Biosystems, and Qiagen.