Seminar on Matrix proteins

Time

13:00-13:10

Jan Eirik Ellingsen

Welcome

13:10-13:45

Colin Robinson/Leeds

Crystal initiation and growth: role of matrix proteins

13:45-14:20

Jiří Vondrášek/Praque

Disordered protein ameloblastin as the one to many functions hub

14:20-15:00

Jan Prochazka/Prague

Bidirectional role of Ameloblastin in biomineralization

15:00-15:40

Axel Spahr/Sydney

Clinical Implications and limitations of matrix proteins

15:40-16:00

Discussion and closing remarks

 Colin Robinson, Emeritus Professor of the Dental Institute at Leeds University. Professor Robinson was previoudly the head of the Department of Oral Biology, Dean for pre-clinical studies and Research Director at the Dental Institute in Leeds, responsible for a complete reorganisation of research in the Institute. He is author/co-author of more than 300 publications in scientific journals. He has served on numerous national and international bodies including Secretary General and President of ORCA (European Organisation for Caries Research), President of the British Society for Dental Research as well as a number of national and international grant awarding bodies. Amongst his numerous prestigious appointments, he is a member of The Advisory Board to the Research Councils (MRC). Professor Robinson is an affiliate senior member of staff at the Forsyth Dental Centre Boston, US. He was also Chairman of the Association of Basic Science Teachers in Dentistry of which he is now an honorary life member.

Professor Robinson's long-standing research interests lie in the biochemistry of mineralised tissues, morphogenesis, morphostasis and pathology, comprising the initiation and growth of mineral phases, interaction with extracellular matrices and their chemical and physical characterisation. Work also includes oral soft connective tissues, salivary rheology and the interaction of oral biofilms with both natural and artificial substrates.

 Jiří Vondrášek is head of the Research Service Group, Bioinformatics  Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR, Czech Republic

He is lecturer at faculty of natural sciences, Charles University - Prague, vice president of the Czech Bioinformatics Association, Czech scientific representative at ELIXIR Interim Board and national coordinator of the European infrastructure for biological data - ELIXIR.

Primary main research interests covers structural bioinformatics, molecular simulations, computational chemistry, biophysics and cheminformatics, with a special focus on proteins, their structures, architectures, interactions, stabilities, processes of their folding/unfolding and evolutional pathways, in which a function emerged and how this was further optimized. Most of the methods used are combinations of molecular modeling, molecular simulations, computational chemistry, bioinformatics analysis and mathematical statistics to establish a robust methodological background suitable to provide solution of various structural biology and life science related problems.

 Jan Prochazka, Czech Centre of Phenogenomics (CCP) & Laboratory of Transgenic models of diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.

He is currently the head of CCP’s phenotyping Module and Bioimaging and Embryology Unit, and is a member of the Executive Board. He is responsible for rhe development and organization of Phenotyping Module and its pipelines. He is an active researcher in the field of craniofacial development and regeneration, and imaging technologies. He was involved in the discoveries of intraepitheliial migration as the major morphogenicmechanism of tooth development, providing new insight into epithelial dynamic. His current research is focussed on systematic phenotyping, developmental biology, tissue regeneration, molecular regulation of enamel mineralization process, and craniofacial development and organ morphogenesis

Axel Spahr is Head of Periodontics at the Sydney Dental Hospital and Head of the Discipline Periodontics at the University of Sydney. Spahr is the former Head of Periodontics at the University of Ulm in Germany and has worked at various international universities and research facilities. He has a further training in microbiology and molecular biology and extensive experience in basic science research, animal research and clinical research. Spahr’s research interest includes periodontal regeneration, bone regeneration, periodontitis and systemic diseases as well as antimicrobial therapy. He has lead large externally funded research projects and is collaborating with leading international research groups and companies in the field of periodontology, implantology and bone regeneration. He is author of numerous publications in international peer-reviewed dental and medical journals and has presented his work on professional conferences worldwide