Bally Lab to the 8th ECV in Gdańsk
Written by Dario Conca
It was time for the second major conference of the year—the 8th European Congress of Virology (ECV). Our scientific group, consisting of Dario, Gosia, Lifeng, and Marta, along with many members of the Clinical Microbiology department at Umeå University, travelled to the charming city of Gdańsk in Poland. For four days, we immersed ourselves in a whirlwind of captivating scientific presentations, networking opportunities, and, during our limited free time, enjoyed the sights with Gosia as our knowledgeable local guide.
The conference kicked off with an afternoon session on Thursday, held in the exquisite concert hall of the Polish Baltic F. Chopin Philharmonic. The congress was inaugurated by the esteemed chairs, Krystyna Bienkowska-Szewczyk from the University of Gdańsk (Gosia’s PhD co-supervisor), and Thomas C. Mettenleiter from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute. Their remarks resonated with the excitement and satisfaction felt by the scientific community as we reunited in person after the tumultuous years of the pandemic. Stephen Pöhlman from Goettingen delivered the opening lecture on SARS-CoV-2 entry and the role of ACE2, antiviral strategies, and antibodies. Following that, an interactive session delved into the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research, fostering engaging discussions.
The subsequent two days were filled with inspiring talks from renowned group leaders and presentations from budding researchers from Europe and beyond, from South Africa to Australia to Asia. The conference comprehensively covered various pivotal aspects of virology and showcased cutting-edge research. Our lab found particular interest in sessions on glycovirology, chaired by our long-standing collaborator Tomas Bergström, as well as virus imaging and host-pathogen interactions. In the latter session, Lifeng delivered an exceptional talk titled “Recruitment of apolipoprotein E facilitates Herpes simplex virus 1 release”, summarizing his latest work, which is now available on bioRxiv. Each evening, the conference transitioned into poster sessions, providing an ideal environment to network and engage in discussions over fascinating science, all accompanied by a glass of wine or beer. Dario, Gosia, and Marta seized this opportunity to present their own work and exchange ideas with fellow participants.
The grand finale of the Saturday session unfolded at conference dinner, held on the 35th floor of the Olivia Star Tower. Against the breath-taking backdrop of Gdańsk and the Baltic Sea, participants relished the chance to socialize in a relaxed and informal setting and eventually showcase their dance moves.
As the conference drew to a close, the final day reserved some exciting news. Following an exceptional closing lecture by Ralf Bartenschlager from the University Hospital Heidelberg, Marta was honored with the Best Poster prize for her outstanding poster titled “Regulating the attachment, detachment, and diffusion of herpes simplex virus-1 at the cell surface – the role of cellular and viral carbohydrates,” which was based on the work of Yara and Lifeng (read their paper here).
All in all, the conference served as an invaluable platform for immersing ourselves in the forefront of virological research, fostering discussions on projects and potential collaborations. We were extremely happy to have the opportunity to share our research through posters and Lifeng’s talk, and receiving the poster prize was the icing on the cake, adding to our sense of accomplishment and gratification.
