Composed of more than thousand of proteins, the cytoskeleton is the supporting framework for cells interconnecting the nuclear matrix to the plasma membrane. Present in every animal or plant cell, this highly dynamic structure contributes to many cellular functions, including locomotion, cell division, membrane traffic, signalling and modelling of the chromatin. Playing an essential role in the compartmentalisation of the eucaryotic cell cytoplasm, the cytoskeleton controls cell and tissue plasticity during biological processes like development, wound repair or activation of the immune response. It is therefore not surprising that mutations in genes encoding cytoskeletal proteins cause a large panel of diseases including neurological disorders, immune deficiencies, skin disorders, deafness or muscle dysfunction. In addition, alterations of the cytoskeleton contribute to loss of cell-cell or cell-matrix adhesions and to uncontrolled movement of tumour cells. Cytoskeleton research, a fast moving area, is therefore far-reaching and not reserved to specialists in this field, but also of high interest for other scientists. Progress in cytoskeleton research in the European area can only be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach.

From the 27 - 31 August, over 150 participants from 12 European countries, Israel, Russia, the USA, Australia and Japan (please see also list of participants) came together in the Cultural Center of Neumünster Abbey located in the historical heart of Luxembourg-City, to exchange information and ideas in the cytoskeleton research field. Reflected by a large number of registrations, the attraction of the topics of this workshop to scientists highlighted the importance of cytoskeleton research in the European Research Area.

This international workshop was a joined affair of three scientific organisations that financed the event : the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS, http://www.febs.unibe.ch), the European Science Foundation (ESF, http://www.esf.org) and the National Research Fund of Luxembourg (FNR, http://www.fnr.lu), and was organised with the help of the European Cytoskeleton Forum, within a series of international meetings initiated in 1981 (please see scientific committee, http://www.weizmann.ac.il/eurocyto/home.html). The workshop was also the first scientific event to be held in Luxembourg in the context of the participation of the National Research Fund to the Functional Genomics Program of the European Science Foundation (http://www.functionalgenomics.org.uk).

Aiming at stimulating communication and scientific exchange, the workshop brought together young scientists and their experienced colleagues. From the opening lecture of the workshop that was given by Eric KARSENTI, coordinator of the cell biology and biophysics program at the EMBL Heidelberg, to the end of the meeting on Wednesday 31st, there were 20 invited speakers coming from Europe, Israel, the USA, and Japan who spoke at the 10 sessions (please see workshop program and abstracts). Young authors of the most attractive poster abstracts were selected to give 21 oral presentations alongside the senior scientists who introduced the session topics.

Sessions covered hot spot areas of cytoskeleton research and aimed at breaking boundaries between subjects and scientists approaching the cytoskeleton from different angles of view. A particular emphasis was given to integrative, interdisciplinary aspects of cytoskeleton research bringing together molecular cell biologists, biochemists, physicists and medical researchers.

Three poster sessions (please see abstracts) were held in the evening or afternoon at the Alvisse Park Hotel where all the participants were accommodated, stimulating animated discussions around the 103 posters that were exposed and accessible throughout the meeting. The two best-presented posters were awarded prices (Marjo DE GRAAUW : Phosphotyrosine Proteomics of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; David MOSS : Microtubule Array Rearrangement during Epithelial Cell Apoptosis, School of Medical Sciences, Bristol, UK).

Social interactions were further favoured through an excursion to the Moselle, the wine area of Luxembourg. Poster prices were awarded before the gala dinner that took place in a wine cellar in Wormeldange.

To conclude, the presentations and discussions held during the workshop demonstrated the far-reaching implications of cytoskeleton biology in many research areas and the societal importance of cytoskeleton-associated diseases. Breaking boundaries in the cytoskeleton research field will allow further development of innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to unravel the biological and biophysical properties of the cytoskeleton systems.


Evelyne FRIEDERICH
André STEINMETZ
Local organisers, CRP-Santé