The second TBFVnet regional seminar was held at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Trieste, Italy on 26-28 March 2023. The TBFVnet project, led by the Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) in Brno, brings together researchers from the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Science (SAS) in Bratislava, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), and the ICGEB in Trieste, Italy (www.icgeb.org). In addition, researchers from associated laboratories from Sweden, Slovenia, Russia and Moldova are part of the enlarged area of interest of TBFVnet.
The Workshop was attended by members of the network with additional experts to provide updates on the progress of the project and to learn about novel developments in research, diagnostics and surveillance. Organised by Alessandro Marcello and Tea Carletti (ICGEB Trieste, Italy), and by Åshild K. Andressen (NIPH), approximately 40 participants attended the two-day meeting, including members of the network, collaborators and invited speakers from the Italian Regional University Health Authority (ASUITS), the Italian Higher Institute of Health (ISS), and experts from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Umeå University, Sweden, and the University of Cambridge, UK.
Bringing together collective expertise, sessions focused on diagnostics and surveillance of Flaviviruses and the importance of reference laboratories for the diagnosis of emerging and re-emerging viral infections. Other topics discussed included Tick-borne encephalitis in domestic animals, vaccine development, infectivity and resistance mechanisms. Among the techniques presented were ex vivo imaging and tools for nanoscale characterisation.
The effect of host genetic background on the clinical course of TBE and identification of novel biomarkers, i.e. biological molecules found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that are a sign of, in this case, brain damage were presented by Daniel Ruzek, VRI. The interplay between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, and the antiviral response to TBEV infection was presented, as well as a screening for host-directed antiviral therapy targeting proteostasis.
The Regional seminar provided an opportunity for each partner to present their particular expertise in a series of brief, video interviews, which are being launched to communicate the aspects of the project to the broader public.
Link to the Video interviews with TBFVnet partners on YouTube.
