The workshop ‘Integrative methods in Structural Biology to enhance high impact research in health and disease’ was organised by the University of Oxford and the Institute Pasteur Montevideo in collaboration with Instruct.

The event was funded as a British Council initiative to encourage international research collaboration between Uruguay and the UK. The “Researcher Links” programme, now funded under the Latin America Science & Innovation Fund, provides opportunities for early career researchers from the UK and Uruguay to interact, to learn from each other and to explore opportunities for building long-lasting research collaborations.

The workshop provided a unique opportunity for sharing research expertise and networking between structural biologists in Uruguay and the UK. We believe the workshop will have a lasting effect in implementing collaborations between both communities with implications to the access of state of the art research infrastructure not only for scientists from Uruguay but from the region. Future visits and events are already being planned for the near future as well as long term collaboration framed in a signed Memorandum of Understanding.

During the workshops all participants had the opportunity to present their research in the form of a poster, in addition the expert panel selected abstracts for short oral presentations. The workshop programme focused on building up links for future collaborations with participants selected on the basis of their research potential and ability to build longer term links.

This first day included two sessions allowing for scientists from Europe and South America to present current advances on protein science and structural biology. Focus was given to targets of relevance for health and food security in the UK and Uruguay. Immediate health threats, be them infectious or non- communicable, as well as animal and plant health with incidence in food security were addressed.

Future strategies for the development of new drugs and vaccines, where Structural Biology can contribute with novel opportunities were discussed and hopefully will be the basis of future scientific collaborations. A session on emerging technologies in Integrative Structural Biology aimed at discussing technologies that are changing the structural biology landscape, with emphasis on high resolution cryo-electron microscopy. Access to these emerging technologies to scientists from South America was extensively discussed.

The last 2 days extended a practical approach to the training activities, the teaching facilities at Institute Pasteur Montevideo constituted an excellent platform for training in data processing and structural analyses, using cryo-EM data and quantitative fitting of crystallographic structures into EM-derived electron density maps. A teaching room with 25 dedicated computers (with NFS connection to central servers), allowed for one UK attendee to share problem-solving sessions with one Uruguayan participant, enhancing interactions. The workshop encouraged students to bring in their own experimental data.

Workshop Programme

Day 1: 16th February, 2016 - “Structural Biology and Health: Current Challenges”

This first day will include two sessions allowing for scientists from Europe and South America to present current advances on protein science and structural biology. Focus will be given to targets of relevance for health and food security in the UK and Uruguay.

Immediate health threats, be them infectious or non-communicable, as well as animal and plant health with incidence in food security, will be major issues to be addressed.

Future strategies for the development of new drugs and vaccines, where Structural Biology can contribute with novel opportunities shall be matter of discussion.

Session 1 Chairs: Alejandro Buschiazzo and Jose Maria Carazo

Session 2 - Chairs: Rodolfo Rasia and David Stuart

Day 2: 17th February, 2016

Session 3 “Emerging Technologies in Integrative Structural Biology” - Chairs: Chuck Farah and Alberto Podjarny

This session is aimed at discussing about technologies that are changing the structural biology landscape, with emphasis on high resolution cryo-electron microscopy. The integration of several complementary techniques into a 'hybrid methods' approach is allowing for a revolutionary way of imaging cells, bridging the gap between large macromolecular complex and assemblies at the cellular scale, all the way to atomistic detail of single molecular components.

Session 4 “The joint activities and impact of UK-Uruguay integration in Structural Biology” - Chairs: Claudia Alen Amaro and Alejandro Buschiazzo

This session will look into the future towards specific potential collaborations. Break-out sessions in smaller groups will allow for participants to discuss focused on concrete questions to be proposed by the chairs. This session will close with the signing of a MOU for future integration activities between Instruct and Uruguay, and will be followed by the second and last poster session.

Days 3 and 4: Hands-on Sessions “Single Particle cryo-EM and 3D reconstruction” - Tutors: Jose Maria Carazo, Josue Gomez Blanco, Rodrigo Portugal

The teaching facilities at IP Montevideo constitute an excellent platform for training in data processing and structural analyses, using cryo-EM data and quantitative fitting of crystallographic structures into EM-derived electron density maps. A teaching room with 25 dedicated computers (with NFS connection to central servers), will allow for one UK/European attendee to share problem-solving sessions with one Uruguayan/South American, enhancing interactions. The workshop will encourage students to bring in their own experimental data, but this will not be limiting: with the spirit of a kick-off meeting, people with no data will be provided with tutorial data to follow training sessions.

Day 3: 18th February, 2016 – Cryo-EM data processing

Day 4: 19th February, 2016 – Quantitative fitting of atomic models into EM density map envelopes : tools, approaches, influence of EM data resolution