Preliminary programme

Day 1: Organotypic Retina Cultures – Foundations & Setup

Morning Session: Basics & Methodology

• 9-9.15: Welcome and event organization (H.L.)
• Lecture session 1: Introduction to Organotypic Retina Cultures
• 9.15-10.00: History, basics, and key applications 1/2 (B.A-G.)
• 10.00-10.45: History, basics, and key applications 2/2 (B.A-G.)
• Lecture session 2: Experimental Setup & Best Practices
• 11.00-11.45: Dissection, media composition, and maintaining tissue viability in rodents (C.H.)
• 11.45-12:30: Dissection, media composition, and maintaining tissue viability in larger retinas (TBD)

LUNCH BREAK 12.30-13.30

Afternoon Session:

• 13.30-14.30: KEYNOTE lecture #1 + QA (Ocular drug delivery, A.U.)
• 14.30-15.00 Selected abstract flash talks (1-10)

COFFEE BREAK 15.00-15.30

Evening Session: Scientific Publishing in Retinal Research

• Lecture session 3: Writing & Publishing High-Impact Research
• 15.30-16.15 Choosing the right journal, structuring a manuscript, and responding to reviewers
• Workshop 1: Manuscript Abstract & Figure Preparation
• 16.15-17.00: Participants can receive feedback on pre-submitted materials

17.00- POSTER SESSION 1  & GET-TOGETHER  & EVENING SOCIAL

Day 2: Applications in Disease Modeling & Drug Testing

Morning Session: Disease Models & Translational Research

• Lecture session 4: Disease models, Organotypic Cultures and Therapeutic aspects
• 9.00-9.45: Inherited retinal degenerations (F.P-D.)
• 9.45-10.30: Age-related macular degeneration (TBD)

10.30-10.40 break

• 10.40-11.25: Diabetic retinopathy (TBD)
• 11.25-12.10: Glaucoma (TBD)

LUNCH BREAK 12.10-13.00

• 13.00-13.30: Selected abstract flash talks (11-20)

Afternoon Session: Tutorial session 1

• 13.30-15.30: Demo/tutorial Session: Virtual set up of explants. Discussion of all things that go wrong, points of extra care, common pitfalls and troubleshooting etc.

COFFEE BREAK 15.30-16.00

Evening Session: Grant Writing & Funding Strategies

• Lecture session 5: Writing Competitive Grant Applications
• 16.00-16.45: Structuring proposals for funding agencies (e.g., ERC, NIH, Marie Curie)
• Workshop 2: Developing a Winning Grant Proposal
• 16.45-17.30: Participants can get feedback on presubmitted research proposals

17:30- POSTER SESSION 2 with SNACKS

Day 3: Organotypic Retina Cultures in testing advanced therapy and drug delivery aspects

Morning Session: Gene Therapy Strategies for Retinal Diseases

• Lecture session 6: Gene therapy and RNA approaches
• 9.00-9.45: Testing AAV vectors, CRISPR-based approaches, and alternative gene-editing tools (Y.C.)
• 9.45-10.20: RNA interference, RNA therapeutics (M.B.)

Break 10.20-10.30

Late morning/Afternoon Session: Ocular drug delivery

• 10.30-11.30: KEYNOTE lecture #2 + QA (“Biochemistry at the Core of Retina Research: Past, Present, and Future”, K.P.)

LUNCH BREAK 11.30-12.30

• Lecture session 7: Assessing Drug Delivery Aspects in Organotypic Cultures
• 12:30-13:15: Lecture 1 about drug delivery aspects
• 13.15-14.00: Lecture 2 about drug delivery aspects

Evening Session: Industry & Venture Science in Retinal Research

• Lecture session 8: Transitioning to Industry & Startups
• 14:00-14.45: Industry roles for retinal researchers, biotech innovation, and venture science (J.P. & G.K.)

COFFEE BREAK 14:45-15:15

• 15.15-16.00: Spinning off from academia and start ups (T.T., F.V.)
• 16.00-16.30: How to attract angel investors or venture capital

16.30-18.00: FREE TIME

18:00-late: LAKE KALLAVESI CRUISE & TEAM BUILDING

Day 4: End-point assays + functional testing in living retinas

Morning Session:

• Lecture session 9: Conventional end-point assays in organotypic retina cultures
• 9-9.45: Histology/IHC staining and & microscope: challenges and common pitfalls
• 9:45-10:30: Apoptosis and other sensitive cell death assays

Break 10:30-10:40

• 10:40-11:25 Assays with homogenates: Immunoblots, qPCR, ELISA etc.
• 11:25-12:10 Preparation for omics (RNA-seq, proteomics etc.)

LUNCH BREAK 12.10-13.00

Afternoon Session:

• Lectures session 10: Electrophysiology / Functional Analysis
• 13.00-13.45: Ex vivo electroretinogram
• 13:45-14:30: Multielecrode array

COFFEE BREAK 14.30-15.00

• 15:00-15:45 Single-cell recordings from photoreceptors
• 15:45-16:30 Single-cell recordings from retinal ganglion cells
• 16.30-17.00: Selected abstracts flash talks (21-30)

Evening Session: Choosing the Right Postdoc & Career Paths

• 17:00-18:00 Panel Discussion: Surviving & Thriving in a Postdoc Position
  • Insights from PIs
  • The job market: Academia vs. Industry
  • Key considerations, networking, and career trajectory planning

18.00 - POSTER SESSION 3, SNACKS

Day 5: The Retina as a Model for Neuroscience Applications

Morning Session:

• 9.00-9:50.00 Keynote lecture 3: "Critical Factors for Success in Retinal Research: A Personal Perspective" (M.Ue)

Bio brake 9:50-10:00

• Lectures Session 11: The Retina as an Accessible Model for neuroscience and CNS Research
• 10-10.45: Synaptic transmission
• 10:45-11:10 Complex neuronal circuits 1 / 2

LUNCH BREAK 11.10-12:00

• 12:00-12:20 Complex neuronal circuits 2 / 2
• 12.20-13.05 Synaptic plasticity

Bio brake 13:05-13:15

Afternoon Session:

• Demo/tutorial Session based on video material:
• 13.15-14.00: Neuronal Activity Recording in Organotypic Retina Cultures
  • ERGs, multi-electrode arrays (MEAs), patch clamping

COFFEE BREAK 14.00-14.30

• 14.30-15.30 Group discussion: Relevance compared to in vivo, challenges and pitfalls
• 15.30-16.00: Event conclusion and future