SAVICA 2021 offered insights into advances in the fight against COVID-19

SAVICA 2021, an international scientific symposium was organized at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, DC, USA. Symposium program followed the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Lecturers from the most respected US universities shared their original approaches in the fight against COVID-19. Strive by researchers worldwide to develop vaccines and therapeutic candidates against COVID-19 disease offers great promises with several potential drugs in the late clinical trials. For decades, research efforts and cooperation of Slovenian and American researchers have contributed to the exchange of experience and results, promotion of education and scientific excellence. The current pandemic teaches us about the importance of basic research and results of scientific work that could not be predicted in advance. Such unanticipated benefits of basic research can and have led to disease control with completely new approaches.

View symposium poster: here
View a stream of SAVICA 2021 on YouTube: here
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington Facebook at: link
Address by Dr. Stanislav Raščan, State Secretary of Foreign Affairs: link
More information at events webpage: link

1. 11. 2021

Collaboration with Prof. Sugimoto results in a cover story JACS paper

G-quadruplex DNA structures have been shown to play important regulatory roles in gene expression in cells. The various topologies of G-quadruplexes can provide specific interaction with ligands and thus control gene expression. In international collaborative team headed by Professor Naoki Sugimoto, FIBER, Konan University, Japan, we developed a quantitative study of topology-dependent replication, which shows promise to facilitate the design of new drugs capable of controlling the topology-dependent regulation of gene expression. Aromatic ligands that bind to and stabilize G-quadruplexes to regulate DNA replication have therapeutic potential for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Link to cover: Journal of the American Chemical Society | Vol 143, No 40

Link to publication: Chemical Modulation of DNA Replication along G-Quadruplex Based on Topology-Dependent Ligand Binding

15. 10. 2021