EUROPEAN POLYSACCHARIDE NETWORK OF EXCELLENCE
FIRST CIRCULAR
EPNOE 2015
1st International EPNOE Junior Scientists Meeting
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES IN POLYSACCHARIDE
RESEARCH
Wageningen (The Netherlands)
19-20 January 2015
Scope of the meeting
Polysaccharide research has seen a rapid development in the recent years and the aim of the meeting
is to stir these progresses with new creative impulse, with basic science and applied focuses. It
provides junior scientists a platform for discussing their personal visions of what might be the
future perspectives in polysaccharide research along with an opportunity to present results of their
work in close discussion with fellow young researchers and senior scientists. Thus, the call for
abstracts is explicitly addressed to PhD students, Post-Doctoral scientists and junior Assistant
Professor (or equivalent) at the very beginning of their scientific career. The ideas gather in the
meeting will be compiled and distributed within the scientific community at large (academia and
industry) by EPNOE (www.epnoe.eu). This will lead to new research topics for fundamental
understanding and innovation.
1st EPNOE Junior Scientists Meeting 2015 is co-organized by
Materials Forming Center (CEMEF) of Mines ParisTech,
Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research, University of Maribor, and
Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Topics and Scientific Program
All polysaccharide related topics with a high degree of novelty and innovation are within
the focus of the meeting including but not limited to:
-
Isolation and production of polysaccharides: exploration of novel bioresources (e.g.,
algae, fungi, bacteria, new crops and plants, waste products), improved techniques
for obtaining polysaccharides of superior quality, biotechnological processes for
polysaccharide production
-
Chemical and enzymatic functionalization of polysaccharides: novel techniques
(polysaccharide solvents, derivatization reactions, greener processes) for
homogeneous/heterogeneous derivatization of polysaccharides, novel types of
polysaccharide derivatives, enzymatic catalysis and advanced chemical modification
of polysaccharide based materials
-
Preparation of polysaccharide based materials: innovative processes for shaping of
polysaccharides (e.g., into fibers, films, membranes), “non-classical” polysaccharide
shapes (e.g., nm-/µm-sized particles, hydrogels, aerogels), composites of
polysaccharides blended with other organic/inorganic materials, polysaccharides is
functional surface modifications
-
Polysaccharides in advanced applications: innovative applications of
polysaccharides, polysaccharide derivatives, or polysaccharide based materials, e.g.,
in health, food, biotechnology, materials engineering, consumer products,
agriculture, environment, and other areas in which they can demonstrate beneficial
effects over non-polysaccharide based materials
-
Biorefinery of polysaccharide biomass: degradation of polysaccharides into sugar
monomers and platform chemicals, conversion of polysaccharides into energy or
fuels
Registration and fees
All information for registering and proposing oral or poster communications is posted on
the EPNOE website (www.epnoe.eu).
Fees
The attendance is free of charge for all scientists working in a research center, university, or
company member affiliated with EPNOE. For all other participants, the registration fee is
200 € (to be paid by bank transfer; see web site).
Abstract submission
Junior scientists (as defined in the scope) are welcome to submit abstracts (max. 300 words)
to sylvie.massol@mines-paristech.fr until the 10th of December 2014. Submissions will be
reviewed and you will be notified of the decision around the 5th of January 2015. The
abstract should also contain 2-3 phrases (not counting for the word limitation) in which the
applicant describes her/his opinion on current hot-topics and future perspectives in the area
of polysaccharide research.
Types of presentations
The meeting will feature oral presentations that should contain (i) a presentation of
scientific results (15 min) and (ii) the junior scientist opinion on how polysaccharide
research can, will, should, or should not advance in the following years (5 min). In addition,
abstracts that were not accepted for oral presentations will be considered for presentations
as a poster.
Chairpersons
Local Organizing Committee
Suse Botelho da Silva (The Netherlands)
Martin Gericke (Germany)
Jordi Girones (France)
Rupert Kargel (Slovenia)
Zdenka Persin (Slovenia)
Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research
Carmen Boeriu (The Netherlands)
Suse Botelho da Silva (The Netherlands)
Cemef – Mines ParisTech/CNRS/Armines
Sylvie Massol (France)
Patrick Navard (France)
Meeting Venue & Accomodation
Wageningen is a beautiful historic town in The Netherlands, distant around 80 km from
Amsterdam. Wageningen is also recognized as the City of Life Sciences. It is the central city
in Food Valley, a cluster concentrated around Wageningen University and Research Center
(WUR), comprising many institutes, companies and state-of-the-art facilities. More than
8000 students study at WUR and together with professors and researchers help to create an
international and friendly atmosphere.
The meeting will take place in the Wageningen UR Food and Biobased Research, which is a
place for applied research on sustainable innovations in healthy food, fresh food chains, and
biobased products.
Wageningen offers many possibilities of accommodation. Hotels and bed & breakfasts can
be found in Wageningen and in Ede, which is a nearby city. The most known is The World
Hotel, famous because the capitulation was signed there, establishing the end of WW II. A
recent addition is the four-star Hotel de Wageningsche Berg, built on the wooded area
between the Utrecht Ridge and the Lower Rhine, one of the most beautiful locations in The
Netherlands. A good cost-benefit option is the Hof van Wageningen, a three-star hotel in the
city centre of Wageningen.
Important dates
 10th of December 2014:
Deadline for submitting abstracts
Contacts
general issues:
abstract submission:
local organization:
Martin Gericke
Sylvie Massol
Suse Botelho da Silva
(martin.gericke@uni-jena.de)
(sylvie.massol@mines-paristech.fr)
(suse.botelhodasilva@wur.nl)