Training and Transfer of
Knowledge Activities
Training
General. The network as a whole undertakes to provide a minimum of 480 person-months of Early Stage (ESR) and Experienced Researchers (ER) whose appointment is financed by European Community. More specifically, it is foreseen to deliver 288 person/months of ESR and 192 person/months of ER training. The ultimate objective of the project is to train the ESR and ER such that they will be able to compete succesvully for respectively 'postdoc' and tenured positions in the EU-member states and thus contribute significantly to the strenghtening of EU-based research. For this purpose an individual career development plan will be drafted for each trainee. At the start of their contract, the trainees will be informed on the research training opportunities within the network by their supervisor. The supervisor and trainee will together draft the most favorable plan for the trainee. The supervisor will be responsible for monitoring, the progress of the execution of the career development plan.

Training of ER. The network will enable ER with different background (e.g. molecular biology, immunology) to participate in a multidisciplinary setting where they will not only be exposed to a state of the art scientific environment, but will also have the opportunity to develop management and organisatorial skills. In the first year the ER will participate in the ongoing research of the group in which they are employed, studying disease model(s) and immune deficient mice already present in the laboratory. Ideally the trainees will contribute to the ongoing research program their individual expertise while at the same time being exposed to complementary sciences. We intend to execute the program at the highest possible level and therefore will recruit talented ER giving them the opportunity to implement their monodisciplinary expertise in the biomedical field. The ER will have regular contact with each other via e-mail and the IMDEMI Website and the supervisors of the platforms and will be heavily involved in the scientific management of the project. In all except one laboratory the employment of the ER will start either a year before (with one year overlap) or at the same time as the employment of the ESR. Therefore the ERs will provide top quality expertise for the ESRs within the different research groups.

Training of ESR. From the beginning the ESR will get support from the ER. In addition the IMDEMI website will provide a direct discussion forum for ESR and ER for the large variety of technical and scientific issues relevant for the project. On one hand the ESRs will be trained in mouse molecular genetics by participating in the generation of the mouse models in collaboration with and with strong support from the central mouse platform. On the other hand the ESRs will be trained in fundamental immunology by participating in the in vivo analysis of the different genetically modified mouse models mainly performed within the research groups they are employed. This will guarantee exposure of the early stage trainees to different technologies and topics of research within the program, not only through the projected annual meetings but also by enabling them to participate in different areas of research within the project taking advantage of the availability of a large variety of expertise and implemented technology within the participating institutes.

The Network wide Rotary training and research system. Each trainee will spend at least two working visits in one of the other participants' labs as part of their training and even more if required for the optimal execution of the project. ESR will be encouraged to execute parts of their research in groups other than their respective host institute. Topics such as embryonic stem cell culturing and gene targeting by homologous recombination, complex BAC engineering, controlling a bacterial infection model, cellular immunology techniques, serological and/or histological analysis of specific organ damage, use of micro-satellites for genotyping, particular phenotypic analyses, basic and advanced mouse breeding strategies, determining efficiencies of Cre- mediated deletions in selected cell populations are idealy suited to be trained and performed during short-term (2-6 months) visits of individual ESR and ER at one of the participating laboratories mentioned.

Network wide central training and education activities. We will organize annual meetings for all participants to be hosted by one of the participant's institutes.
- During these meetings the trainees will present their scientific results and progress towards the objectives of the program.
- Special seminars will be organized to provide a free flow of information to others in the participating institutes.
- The supervisors and their colleagues within the respective host institutes will provide expert seminars during the annual meetings.
- Further, we will invite eminent scientists active in immunology research for specialized tutorials to be held at our annual meetings.
- During these annual meetings workhops and courses (2-3 days) will be organized on specific topics. The projected subjects are:
  • New developments in the technology of genetic modification of mice. A joined meeting with the Annual workshop on Innovative Mouse Models, June 16-17, 2005 in Leiden, The Netherlands with the invited speakers Andras Nagy (Toronto), Christopher Contag (Stanford) and Allan Bradley (Cambridge). Workshop website: http://workshop.nki.nl
  • Genotyping of genetically modified mice. Joined meeting with the International Meeting 'Biology of the Immune defence' organised in the GBF Institute in Braunschweig, Germany (Werner Müller) on Tuesday November 1, 2005. Invited speakers come from all over Europe and from Israel.
  • Mouse models for immunological diseases, organized by Ari Waisman at the Clinic of the Medical School of the University of Mainz, May 26, 2006.
  • Cellular Immunology course. Organized by Oxford University (Fiona Powrie) in March 20-22, 2007.
  • 4th Workshop on Innovative Mouse Models, June 21-22, 2007 in Leiden, The Netherlands. Keynote speakers: Neal Copeland, Wolfgang Wurst, Jost Seibler. Workshop website: http://workshop.nki.nl
  • Visit to the large pharmaceutic company Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, 28 May 2008. Organized by Sjef Verbeek for all research fellows.
  • 'Frontiers in allergy and autoimmunity', organized by Ari Waisman at the Clinic of the Medical School of the University of Mainz, 30 –31 May 2008.
  • Workshop on Mouse models for functional genomics in immunology, organized by Werner Müller in Braunschweig, 23 September 2008.
  • Immune deficient animals: Mouse models of immunological diseases, organized by Sjef Verbeek and Ari Waisman with keynote speaker Jeffrey Ravetch. Hosted by IMBA, Vienna on 11-12 May 2009.
  • Ethical issues related to the project .

Local training (overview of local PhD programs). The early stage trainees will be enabled to participate in the masters/Ph.D. programs existing in the respective research institutes. - All participating academic institutes provide special courses to improve writing, presentation, management skills and to optimize career development. Since we consider these aspects essential for researchers we will strongly encourage the trainees to participate in such courses as required depending on the previous e ducation of the trainees. - The individual appointed scientists will be allocated to one of the participating institutes where she/he will receive the individual training connected to the execution of the project. Due to the involvement of multiple partners in most tasks all scientists will receive additional training in areas of research related but distinct to their own work. We estimate that the ratio between the individual and network-wide training will be 70:30.
Phenotypic analysis of previously generated genetically modified mouse models already present within the laboratories of the different participants of the network and studies with disease models directly related to the new genetically modified mice that will be generated will be initiated directly from the beginning:
1. LUMC, Sjef Verbeek en Moh Daha: Analysis of the phenotype of constitutive FcgRI and FcgRIII and conditional FcgRII KO mice in a large variety of functional assays and disease model. Establishment of mouse models of glomerulonephritis (anti-GBM nephritis) and tubulo-interstitial inflammation (unilateral urether obstruction, renal transplantation). PhD program and courses
2. JGUM, Ari Waisman: Analysis of genetically modified mice with defined impaired B cell function in bacterial infections and in disease models, e.g. EAE, SLE and diabetes. PhD program and courses
3. Imperial, Marina Botto: Assessment of renal pathology in mice deficient in factor H or in other complement component already available in the host laboratory. Establishment of new models of experimental glomerulonephritis and/or tubular injury. PhD program and courses
4. HZI (former GBF), Werner Müller: Exploiting the already generated conditional IL-10 and conditional IL-10 receptor mutant mice within the disease models provided in the network like Helicobacter infection (Fiona Powrie), EAE (Ari Waisman) and arthritis (Jürgen Roes). PhD program and courses
5. UniK, Manolis Pasparakis: Establishment of mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease (IL-10 knockout mice, dextran sulfate induced colitis), EAE and atherosclerosis (ApoE-/- mice). PhD program and courses
6. UCL, Jürgen Roes: Role of myeloid cells and their effector mechanisms in arthritis and EAE. Role of TGF-b mediated homeostasis in the prevention of arthritis and EAE. PhD program and courses
7. UniOx, Fiona Powrie: Immune regulation in the intestine. Continued in vivo analyses of the roles of CD4+ T cells and cytokines in exacerbation or suppression of bacterially triggered intestinal inflammation. Incorporation of the conditional IL-10 and IL-10R KO mice that are already available into these studies. PhD program and courses
8. IMBA, Josef Penninger: Control of immunotolerance and T cell activation. Continued biochemical and genetic analysis of cbl-b, card11, and adap null mice. PhD program and courses

Research
The project is based on one main technology platform, the central mouse platform, that serves as a centre for the generation of the mouse models, surrounded by eight research groups focusing on the phenotypic analysis and application of the newly generated genetically modified mice in human disease models. The following four laboratories form together the mouse technology platform:
- Werner Müller, Helmholtzzentrum (former GBF), Braunschweig, Gerrmany
- Josef Penninger, IMBA GmbH, Vienna, Austria
- Manolis Pasparakis, University of Cologne, Germany
- Sjef Verbeek, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
Collaboration and exchange of tools and materials between these four centres guarantees an effective use of all resources. Leiden Genome Technology Center (LGTC) and GBF provide mouse BAC and YAC libraries for the construction of the different targeting vectors. All appointed researchers are involved in the generation of a particular genetically modified mouse model on the basis of the research objectives and priorities of the participating research group in which they are employed. The whole process from DNA to mouse is conducted by the group leaders of the laboratories of the mouse platform. A soon as a newly generated genetically modified mouse model becomes available a basic analysis of the phenotype will be performed designed for that particular genotype and a suitable breeding program initiated e.g. breeding with Cre expressing mice other (genetically modified) mouse strains etc. Upon phenotypic characterization the mice will a used in as many as possible disease models established in the laboratories of the participants.

Taken together two main tasks will be executed in the project:
- Generation of new mouse models
- Phenotypic analysis and application in disease models of the newly generated mouse strains

After completing the construction of the required targeting vectors/ transgene constructs, - the initial step in generating new mice - the actual gene targeting as well as the final generation of the transgenic and KO mice will be performed in the embryonic stem cell- and embryo manipulation facilities within the four mouse centres. Subsequently the appointed researchers do not only use the newly generated models within their own research but provide the mice also to all other participants of the network for other specific research objectives. The appointed researchers will intensively collaborate with other participants and participating institutes to optimally utilize the broad variety of techniques for the phenotypic analyses of the immune system of the mouse present within the network together with many different mouse models of (human) immunological diseases. The analysis of the phenotype and the application in disease models is conducted by the leader of each participating group. With the newly generated mouse models a breeding program will be conducted and established. All generated mouse strains will be subject of a central breeding and cryo-preservation program of the SPF facilities of the mouse platform. For the generation of cell lineage specific KO mice the mice with floxed target genes have to be crossed with the appropriate cell type specific Cre transgenic mice. For some disease models back crossing of the KO on a susceptible strain is required (e.g. LDL receptor KO for atherosclerosis). Because of redundancy double KO are sometimes required to analyse the biological role of a particular gene. In conclusion, an extensive carefully controlled breeding program is a prerequisite for a successful research program with genetically modified mouse models.

Ethical issues
Genetically modified mice are the basis of the proposed research in the IMDEMI RTN. And therefore ethical issues are associated with the project. All participants agree with the European Commission that reviewing ethical issues will serve two important functions, first to ensure that the EU can be confident that it is not funding any research that is ethically unsound and secondly to continually raise awareness amongst researchers of ethical issues that may be raised by their research and enable them to adequately address these. Within IMDEMI all research activities will respect fundamental ethical principles and will include national legislation, relevant EU legislation and standards, international conventions and declarations, opinion of the European Group on Ethics and Protection of Animals (e.g. 99/167/EC: Council Decision of 25/1/99 and EC Directive 86/609). National and local Committees that pay notice to the 3R's, (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement) and that judge all ethical aspects of the intended experiments, will have to give their explicit approval before any experiment will start.

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