Keyword: Institute of Biomedicine

Discoveries made when biology meets computational sciences are revolutionising the landscape of life sciences and healthcare. Computational biology and bioinformatics are driving this transformation, helping researchers analyse vast amounts of biological data. European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB) is Europe’s main event in computational biology and bioinformatics this year, bringing 600–800 experts to Turku, Finland, on 16–20 September 2024.

At the joint Academic Day of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University on 22 March 2024, Antti Hakanen, the Docent of Clinical Microbiology at the University of Turku and the Chief of Department at Tyks Laboratories of the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland, was presented with the Docent of the Year recognition.

SYS-LIFE postdoctoral research programme invites applications for 22 postdoctoral researcher positions at the University of Turku, Finland, for a fixed-term period of three years. The first call for applications opened on 5 December and closes on 31 January 2023.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), also known as the squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, is the most common form of metastatic skin cancer. The incidence of cSCC is increasing worldwide with millions of new cases diagnosed each year. The prognosis of metastatic cSCC is poor as there are currently no effective targeted treatments available. New study conducted at the University of Turku, Finland, shows that plixorafenib, a new drug developed for treating melanoma and lung cancer, can also stop the progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

A research group from the University of Turku and Turku Bioscience Centre together with Misvik Biology Ltd in Finland have developed a new method for studying how cancer cells function in softer and stiffer tissue environments. This insight challenges the existing paradigm, opening up new possibilities for research in cancer biology and tissue engineering.

Combined effort of six European universities, the ENVISION_2027 Erasmus+ project had its final meeting in Turku on 30 May–1 June. The project focused on digital education in bioscience studies, addressing both the current need of transitioning from conventional classroom teaching into digital remote teaching, as well as improving the current status of online teaching and e-learning course modules across Europe.

The first Turku Imaging Day will take place in Turku on October 3rd. The day will bring together the imaging community of Turku's universities, which may be unexpectedly large. "Almost 100% of researchers in life sciences use imaging in their work," says Research Manager Pasi Kankaanpää of the Turku Faculty of Medicine.

Registration to BioCity Symposium is open until 11 August 2023. BioCity Symposium is one of the most important meetings in Turku region for researchers working in the fields of bio- and molecular medicine. This year the event is arranged with title Sculpting tissues – Cells, matrix and forces.