BREAKthrough

BREAKthrough Annual Meeting 2025 held in Amsterdam

accelwpadmin — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:12:51 +0000

This year’s annual meeting for the EU-funded BREAKthrough MSCA Doctoral Network was held at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. The purpose of the meeting was to share updates on their research, encourage teamwork, and increase participants’ knowledge about each others projects.

The meeting started with DC presentations, in which each candidate presented their research progress over the last one year. This was followed by a talk by Professor Nathaniel Martin (Leiden University). The talk was about naturally occurring antibiotics being great starting points but not often the end point. Molecules can be adjusted for better potency, spectrum, and resistance to resistance through rational changes and in silico design. The keynote speech linked basic chemistry to translational strategy, showing how design thinking and discovery work together.

The program also included Dr. Scott Hayes from IXA Tech Transfer (VU Amsterdam), who led a hands-on Grant Proposal Writing workshop that helped DCs write open competition XS proposals in formats that reviewers would like.

Towards the end of the meeting, there was a social event where the group went to Micropia – ARTIS, the world’s first museum dedicated to microbes. There, they saw live cultures, interactive microscopy, and displays about biofilms, fermentation, bioluminescence, antibiotic resistance, and microbial ecosystems. The experience linked lab work to public involvement and social importance, showing how microbiology is the basis for health, sustainability, and new ideas.

BREAKthrough Doctoral Candidates engage the public at European Researchers’ Night 2025

accelwpadmin — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:01 +0000

Two of our BREAKthrough Doctoral Candidates (DCs) brought their research into the public spotlight during the European Researchers’ Night 2025, taking part in events in Brussels, Belgium, and Milan, Italy.

In Brussels, Saloni Sahu joined the “Meet today’s Marie Curie” pitching session at the WiseNight event. She presented her research project and engaged visitors in discussions and a quiz on antibiotic resistance, as well as interactive conversations on how bacteria survive and respond to stress. The activities highlighted both the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of fundamental microbiology research in addressing it. The lively exchanges with visitors underlined how direct dialogue between researchers and the public can help demystify science and spark curiosity in younger audiences.

In Milan, Gabriela Golda represented BREAKthrough during La Notte Europea delle Ricercatrici e dei Ricercatori (NER) at Piazza Mercanti. Throughout the evening, she presented her research and led hands-on activities designed for learners of all ages, from kindergarten pupils to university students. Visitors could test their knowledge in the “Antibiotic Hero” quiz and participate in an interactive game that illustrated how antibiotic resistance spreads and how zebrafish models are used to evaluate the safety of new medicines.

Both events provided valuable opportunities to connect with local research communities and members of the public, demonstrating the relevance of BREAKthrough’s work on antibiotic resistance and microbial stress responses to everyday life. The participation of Saloni and Gabriela also showcased the central role of MSCA DCs in science outreach, communicating complex topics in accessible, engaging ways.

The BREAKthrough consortium warmly thanks the organisers of WiseNight in Brussels and the Co.Science project and partners in Milan, as well as all the visitors who took the time to ask questions, take part in activities and explore the world of microbiology together with the project’s young researchers.

Conference Highlights 2024: Presentations from Our PhD Candidates

pcharlesworth — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 13:43:24 +0000

This year, our PhD candidates attended and presented their research at several renowned conferences worldwide. Here’s an overview of their contributions:

Debanjana Maity – University of Queensland
Debanjana presented a poster on her research at the IMB Student Symposium 2024, held in July at the Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland. Her presented research focuses on outer membrane protein assembly and peptidoglycan remodeling, contributing to the understanding of bacterial cell structure and function. She earned the runner-up prize for best poster.

Theresa Strohhammer – University of Milan
Theresa attended Cortona Prokarioti 2024, organized by the Società Italiana di Microbiologia Generale e Biotecnologie Microbiche (S.I.M.G.B.M.) in Cortona, Tuscany. She presented a talk on Peptidoglycan Remodeling under Envelope Stress: Deciphering the Interplay between DpaA and ActS, offering insights into how bacterial cell walls respond under stress conditions.

Pierre Charlesworth – University of Milan
Pierre presented a poster in June at the Bacterial Cell Surfaces Gordon Research Conference (GRC) at the University of Southern Maine, USA, an important international event on bacterial cell surface research. In his presented work he characterized mutants that restore novobiocin resistance in Escherichia coli strains exporting LPS by a six-protein Lpt machinery lacking LptC.

Benjamin Davis – University of Ljubljana
Benjamin attended the XXVII EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC-ISMC 2024) in Rome, Italy, from September 1-5. This symposium on advancements in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery offered Benjamin valuable opportunities to engage with the latest research in his field.

Through these conferences, our PhD candidates had the chance to share their work internationally, receive feedback, and connect with experts in their research areas.

Highlights from the 2024 BREAKthrough MSCA Doctoral Network Meeting in Bled

pcharlesworth — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 15:52:55 +0000

The University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Pharmacy in Slovenia hosted the second annual meeting in the scenic town of Bled from October 21st to 23rd, 2024, organized as part of the EU-funded BREAKthrough MSCA Doctoral Network.

The aim of this gathering was to exchange results, foster collaboration and build knowledge among participants, with a focus on advancing their research and industry-related expertise.

A highlight of the annual meeting was the Research and Science communication workshops, offering practical insights and training opportunities in the dissemination of complex scientific ideas to the public. This equipped the DCs with essential skills for applying their research in real-world settings.

The first two days of the meeting was centred on each of the 11 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) sharing updates and discoveries from their individual research projects within BREAKthrough.

Day three focused on scientific training led by invited speaker Professor Yves Brun (Université de Montréal) who presented to the candidates on the topic of antimicrobial discovery by artificial intelligence-assisted high throughput microscopy. The meeting was concluded with the candidates traveling to Novartis pharmaceutical for a tour of their available facilities, and talks pertaining to molecular structure, stability, and biophysics.

The EU-funded BREAKthrough MSCA Doctoral Network’s meeting at Bled, hosted by the University of Ljubljana Faculty of pharmacy marks a crucial step in the project, aimed at taking the results obtained over the last 12 months, and optimising the trajectory of the project to ensure success. enhancing collaboration and fostering innovation across academic and industry sectors. The initiative ensures that the DCs receive the support and training necessary to successfully implement their individual projects and build collaboration with one another for efficacious research careers.

BREAKthrough Science Days 2024

pcharlesworth — Mon, 13 May 2024 14:21:12 +0000

From April 22^nd to 24^th, the Institute of Structural Biology (IBS) of the CNRS in Grenoble welcomed 9 BREAKthrough PhD candidates for a fascinating 3-day science event. The doctoral candidates converged at the institute’s cutting-edge facilities to engage in thought-provoking discussions across diverse scientific disciplines.

The events program included presentations covering advanced imaging techniques, protein modelling, high-throughput screening strategies, and critical discussions on research integrity and ethics. Here is a taste of just some of the presentations delivered during the event:

Image processing and analysis of Atomic Force Microscopy data.
CryoEM and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging presentations.
High throughput (HTS) and high content (HCS) screening strategies on purified targets or living cells.
AlphaFold and protein modelling.
Research integrity and ethics.
Quality and data management.

The presentations were all full of interesting and valuable information that, together with the breath-taking surroundings of the French Alps, gave the doctoral candidates fresh and inspiring perspectives on their ongoing research. Thank you to the team at IBS for hosting this excellent event!

Review Meeting successfully held online, 22 March 2024

accelwpadmin — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 08:29:51 +0000

On 22 March 2024, the BREAKthrough consortium convened with project advisor Stanka Miteva to provide updates on progress and discuss future plans. Following a warm welcome from project coordinator Jean-François Collet, an introductory session ensued where all BREAKthrough beneficiaries and associated partners introduced themselves. The consortium, comprising partners with diverse expertise from academic and industrial sectors, highlighted their roles both on an institutional level and as supervisors of the doctoral candidates (DCs).

The online review meeting served as an excellent platform to present project advancements and initial challenges, as well as to deliberate on forthcoming strategies and the overarching direction of the BREAKthrough project. Key presentations covered various project aspects, including:

Introductions:

Overview from the BREAKthrough coordinator
Presentation by each research team outlining their project contributions

Project Updates:

Presentation from the European Research Executive Agency (REA) detailing project expectations, supervisor roles, milestones, and dissemination strategies
Coordinator’s report on network status and progress

DCs Updates:

Individual presentations (5-10 minutes each) by doctoral candidates introducing themselves, their backgrounds, and their research projects, including planned research, training, and secondments
A private session with DCs focusing on discussions between the project advisor and researchers
The DCs’ presentations demonstrated their grasp of the project and their respective roles. The private session with the project advisor facilitated open discourse on recruitment, challenges, lessons learned, successful strategies, and DCs’ aspirations within the project.

The meeting concluded with a summary of discussions and outlined next steps for the project coordinator, partners, and DCs. Overall, the meeting was deemed successful, showcasing the consortium’s diverse expertise and specialties, and setting a promising trajectory for future achievements.

Progress update from all DCs held online

accelwpadmin — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 08:31:51 +0000

The latest progress in the BREAKthrough project were presented to the network during the BREAKthrough progress update held online on 5 March 2024. Attended by all Doctoral Candidates (DCs) and Principle Investigators (PIs), the meeting provided a platform for the DCs to present their ongoing projects and progress updates. Each presentation was limited to 5 minutes, followed by an additional 5 minutes for discussion.

Key agenda items included management updates, preparation for the Mid-term Check Meeting, updates on the next in-person project meeting and discussions regarding upcoming deliverables. The meeting provided insights into how the DCs have settled into the project and the work being undertaken within BREAKthrough.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

accelwpadmin — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:16:35 +0000

On Sunday, February 11, 2024, the world celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, recognising the invaluable contributions of females in STEM fields. As part of this global effort, the BREAKthrough EU project stands at the forefront of innovation. Our integrated multidisciplinary approach aims to combat Gram-negative bacteria by enhancing the permeability of their outer membrane, utilising existing antibiotics more effectively. On this significant day, we highlight the importance of diversity and inclusivity in scientific endeavors, empowering women and girls to drive transformative breakthroughs in research and development.

Open position at available at Naicons

accelwpadmin — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 10:09:31 +0000

A Doctoral Candidate (DC) will be recruited to perform research in antibacterial drug discovery within the framework of the DN Action Grant Agreement nr. 101072632, project BREAKthrough, Breaking the barrier – An integrated multidisciplinary approach to kill Gram-negative bacteria through existing antibiotics by making their outer membrane permeable (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01). The aim of the project is to train ESRs in an interdisciplinary and intersectoral environment with organic chemistry, computational chemists and specialists in high-throughput drug screening, zebrafish infection models, bacterial morphogenesis and molecular biology.

The selected candidate will be employed for three years at Naicons (Milan, Italy; www.naicons.com), where he/she will perform most of the research work aimed at identifying and characterizing novel antibacterial agents from microbial sources. He/she is expected to perform part of the research work at secondment institutions and to register for a PhD programme at the University of Milano, IT.

Read the full job description online: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/186717

Application deadline: February 29, 2024

Planned start date: May to June 2024

Introducing our BREAKthrough DCs

accelwpadmin — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:01:50 +0000

We wanted to take the opportunity to further introduce our BREAKthrough doctoral candidates to you.

Francesca Mosca is hosted at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and supervised by Dr. Jean-Pierre Simorre. She has a background in chemistry including organic, inorganic, analytical, physical chemistry and biochemistry and has a high interest in biological, medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. In BREAKthrough, her research project will focus on the Elucidation of Lpp L,D-transpeptidases structure to enable in silico design of inhibitors and design of an in vitro screening assay for new inhibitors.

I am very grateful to be part of the biomolecular NMR group at the Institute of Structural Biology in Grenoble. I received a warm welcome from kind and qualified people, and I am very thrilled to start this new journey, which involves collaboration with such a prestigious research network.

I am honored for the opportunity I have been given, so I hope to actively contribute to the BREAKthrough project and receive as much in terms of personal growth.

Paola Monguilod Brun is hosted at Naicons Srl under the supervision of Dr. Margherita Sosio. She has a background in Biotechnology, Biophysics and Quantitative Biotechnology. Her main academic interests primarily revolve around the field of drug design and discovery. Paola’s project in BREAKthrough is reassessing natural products for OM permeabilisation.

I am thrilled to be a part of the NAICONS team, working on the Breakthrough project. Surrounded by a group of incredibly talented scientists and wonderful individuals, I am eager to learn from their expertise and make meaningful contributions to this project.