BM1408 - A collaborative European network of C. elegans early-stage researchers and young principal investigators (GENiE)

The main objective of this Action is to promote the use of C. elegans for basic ‘blue-skies’ research and as a model for human disease, drug development and pre-clinical trials, through the establishment of a network of young C. elegans researchers acting as leading scientists and the creation of a centralised communications platform across Europe. The nematode C. elegans has been instrumental in the discovery of conserved principles of fundamental biological processes, leading to novel therapies for a broad range of human diseases. During the last decade, Europe has seen a dramatic increase in the number of laboratories using this model (80 new groups in 18 COST countries) but the community remains fragmented.
This COST network is established to build capacity by uniting young European researchers working across three key fields essential to human health: organismal development, neurobiology and lifespan. GENiE (Group of C. elegans New Investigators in Europe) will enhance and speed up state-of-the art European research by promoting interactions and collaborations across Europe, and competitivity with US labs. GENiE will position Europe at the centre of a scientific excellence network dedicated to the discovery of biological principles, the basis of therapeutic treatments of the future.