The Nobel Laureate Meetings at Lindau - Conference Report

The 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting ends today, this year it was dedicated to chemistry. Each year, a truly unique conference is held in Lindau, a small tranquil island located on Lake Konstanz in Germany, where students and over 20 Nobel Laureates get together to discuss and exchange ideas about science and society. One of our students attended the Meeting in 2011.

A history with future
Initiated by the two physicians Gustav Parade and Franz Karl Hein from Lindau, the Nobel Laureate Meetings were set up as an attempt to free Germany from its isolation to the global scientific community after the 2nd World War and as a gesture of reconciliation to those Nobel Laureates who had fled from Germany during the war. They convinced Count Lennart Bernadotte of Wisborg, a descendant of the royal Swedish family and associate of the Nobel Prize Committee in Stockholm, to assume patronage of the scientific meeting. With his support, they managed to raise sufficient public interest and funds to host the first meeting in 1951. Renowned personalities such as Otto Hahn, Otto Warburg, Max Born, Paul Dirac and Werner Heisenberg were among the first Nobel Laureates to come to Lindau. The discussions held at Lindau were not only of scientific nature but also carried important political messages. Drafted by Otto Hahn and Max Born in Lindau and signed by over 50 Nobel Laureates world-wide, the Mainau Declaration was published in 1955 as the first uniform appeal from scientists against the use of nuclear weapons.
In 1954, for the first time, the founders decided to invite selected students to the meeting, providing them a unique opportunity to get taught and inspired by those whose groundbreaking discoveries had shaped the world of science and medicine. Over the years, the close interaction between students and Nobel Laureates has become the very core of the Lindau meetings.
As the meetings grew, they became more and more interdisciplinary, inviting students and Laureates in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry as well as economics. Each year in turn, the Lindau meetings are devoted specifically to one of these disciplines.

Reflecting on Lindau 2011
This year, I was among the fortunate students who got invited to the 61st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Physiology or Medicine, which was held from June 24th - July 1st. As a student of medicine and biomedical science, I was thrilled by the opportunity that lay in front of me but I was uncertain about my expectations from this conference. There is the fact that you are surrounded by 560 students from over 70 countries who are considered to be the best in their field of research, let alone 23 Nobel Laureates who have pretty much defined the way medicine has developed over the past decades.

Countess Bernadotte, Nobel Laureates and young Researchers

© Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Council

 

I had imagined that such a crowd could potentially create a very competitive atmosphere that puts pressure on the students to show themselves worthwhile. But the following days would prove me somewhat wrong, when my mindset completely changed to 'relax and get inspired'.
The conference days start with Nobel lectures in the morning, followed by group discussions in the afternoon, where the magic happens, where students can meet individual Laureates outside the purview of the media, organizers and chaperones and ask them anything that comes to their minds. Various discussion panels on global health issues (i.e. sustainable health care, infectious diseases, population growth etc.) were held in between, inviting prominent guests such as Bill Gates (representing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Unni Karunakara (president of Doctors without Borders) and Hans Rosling (GapMinder Foundation) to name a few. This was complemented by an exciting social program that provided plenty of opportunity to mingle with students from different countries and research areas and, of course, to bask in the glow of the Laureates' wisdom and knowledge. As naïve as this may sound, I was holding some hope that the magnitude of the Laureates' contributions, their work ethic and their recognized genius would rub off on me in these early stages of my professional scientific life. Above all, I wanted to pick the Laureates' brains about 'how' they approach and go about doing science. I soon realized that getting a uniform answer to my questions from the Laureates was a hopeless endeavor. But as much as their personalities and views about scientific practice differ, all Laureates shared a tremendous passion for science and retained an almost childish curiosity even at their respected ages. Most of them were very modest about receiving the Nobel Prize (and numerous other awards). As Sir Martin Evans (Medicine or Physiology 2007) pointed out during his talk: "The true award lies in finding the answer to the questions that fascinate you. Science awards are mere epiphenomena that might pop up along the way."

'Science awards are mere epiphenomena that might pop up along the way.' 

- Sir Martin Evans -

The invaluable discussions with the Laureates and students further shaped my understanding of what it means to be a scientist, what my place in society can be, and how it feels to be part of a global community of researchers sharing a passion for science. Moreover, I have now become a part of the history of the meetings myself, and it is this shared narrative that I will now retell to my peers and to future students. For pictures, videos and information on how you can attend the meetings visit http://www.lindau-nobel.org/ and http://lindau.nature.com/.

By Ha Thi Hoang, Alumni MD-MSc Student in Medical Neurosciences

this article originally appeared September 2011 in Volume 4 Issue 3, CNS Stimulation

From Clay Tablets to eReaders: How Digitalization Changed Scientific Publishing

Creating knowledge is a researcher's primary goal, with publications being the vehicle for dissemination. However, manuscripts are no invention of modern times. The earliest evidence  of written records comes from clay tablets in Mesopotamia, and didn't change much until Johannes Gutenberg's revolutionary printing press in1450. This new technique brought us a huge step closer to mass-produced scientific publishing as we know it today. In 1665, the first scientific journal was founded: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Big titles of today, i.e. Nature and Science, only started in the 19^th century [1].

In the very beginning, scholarly publishing was rather an expensive investment than a source of money, however, more recently publishers' business models were based on subscriptions and fees to finance processing, printing and shipping of their paper-based products [2,3].
The current process of scientific publishing works by selling access to journals that feature articles that have been submitted by authors for free and have been reviewed by peers for free as well. In contrast, open access journals and platforms, such as PLoS (Public Library of Science), levy a publication fee from authors, but make their articles available to everyone.

via Wikipedia

The Rise of Open Access
Despite an increasing variety of open access online journals classical publisher-controlled academic journals are not in decline. The (hotly debated) impact factor of a published paper still determines a good part of the reputation of scientists, tempting many to still prefer established classical journals over new open-access channels argues Michael Eisen, geneticist at Berkeley and one of the PLoS' founders [3]. However, nowadays several open-access titles are already high ranked, like Translational Psychiatry or PLoS One Medicine, rendering these concerns increasingly obsolete.
Only since 2008, when the NIH implemented open access rules in its funding policy [4], has the general attitude of the scientific community towards alternative journals changed. Consequently, the online journal PLoS One avoided producing classical print publications altogether and therefore rejection or delay in publication of articles due to space limitation of their (print) issue. The online only open access journal selects manuscripts only for their scientific quality, possibly ending the cherry-picking by the journal and subsequent delay of otherwise accepted work. Such a simple, but fundamental change in publishing policy has dramatically shortened the time until novel research enters public knowledge [3,5].
This is very important as only free access to research conclusions allows objectively informed and thus truly democratic processes. The control of knowledge via pay walls by very few publishing companies has inevitably led to formation of resistance: see an article on page 11 detailing the rise of data piracy in academic publishing.

Even Hotter Than Off The Presses
Another new approach to disseminate research independently from the publisher companies is provided by platforms like arXiv.org. They allow researchers to publish their work as preprints and have it critically reviewed by colleagues long before being submitted to classical scientific journals, a route of publishing common for mathematicians and physicists [6]. A similar approach was taken by the Registered Reports of the Journal of European Psychology Students, which allows publishing the work before any data was collected. Based on the scientific quality of the proposal, but independently of the results to be achieved, the submissions might be accepted to peer-review and publication afterwards [1].

DIGITALIZATION PERMITS FREE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE

Digitalization also changed the medium of publication from printed journal "papers", over to PDF files to alternative formats like ReadCube. Also, not only do publication databases enable fast searches for relevant literature, but newly established scientific social networks (like ResearchGate, Academia.edu or Mendeley by Elsevier) allow easy access to individual researchers and their work. Nowadays, this often includes "non-traditional" formats such as blogs or podcasts [7,3].
New technologies and digital tools have also influenced the kind of published data itself: Original studies can now easily include raw experimental data as supplemental files or freely available databases for other researchers to inspect. Web-based journals also allow easy embedding of various multimedia files as realized in the Journal of Visualized Experiments, a methodology-oriented online journal which publishes video files with accompanying manuscripts. Digital tools have generally sped up the generation of data and graphics, but made the publishing process prone to manipulation of images and data, thus contributing to the “irreproducibility crisis” [8].
In summary, digitalization made our primary goal of creation and distribution of knowledge faster, more flexible and versatile.

[1] http://bit.ly/2pkm4GY
[2] http://bit.ly/2qv8wNo
[3] http://bit.ly/2q5YZuK
[4] http://bit.ly/2r5lVZA
[5] http://tcrn.ch/2qLVmIA
[6] http://bit.ly/2pQuV6w
[7] http://bit.ly/2pR8Jah
[8] http://go.nature.com/2qNHzAh

by Bettina Schmerl, PhD Student AG Shoichet
this article originally appeared June 2017 in CNS Volume 10, Issue 2, Digital Health and Big Data

NEW ISSUE OUT NOW!

Big data (and big changes!) on the horizon! 

Welcome to our June edition of the newsletter, celebrating and critiquing the digitalization of (neuro)science. And it’s everywhere- both on (page 15 and 17), in (page 13), and around you (page 3). For some, digitalization may be a saving grace for medicine (pages 9 and 13), while to others, the physical and societal cons (pages 8 and 16, respectively) outweigh the pros. We also get to the burning questions on everyone’s mind: Can I fall in love with a robot (page 5)? Will machine learning steal my job (page 14)? And how much time is TOO much time online (page 18)?

One thing you have likely notice is our new look, made possible by the good people at Charité’s internal design service. We are excited to work with them, and help the newsletter reach a whole new audience. 

Finally, the CNS newsletter is spreading outside of Berlin! This issue, please welcome new contributor Alena Deuerlein, an MSc student from Goethe University Frankfurt, as well as Apoorva Madipakkam, now based at the Univeristy of Lübeck. A big thanks as well to the newest member of our editorial team, Silvina Romero Suárez. All of this brought to you by the wonderful world of digital communication and networking.

Happy reading!

Helge Hasselmann & Constance Holman, co-editors-in-chief

The ABCs of Brain Foods - How to Eat Smart

Planning a picnic during the long weekend, but not sure what to put in picnic basket? Here is a list of healthy foods with lots of benefits for your brain.

A: Amino acids:
Your body cannot synthesise all of the 20 amino acids. Nine of them can only be obtained through food, including tryptophan and phenylalanine. These two amino acids, along with tyrosine, are the biosynthetic precursors for the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The amino acids glutamate and aspartate are themselves neurotransmitters as well. However, they are not taken up into the brain from the diet. Regular meals containing aspartate and glutamate have no effect on the levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain. The brain is only affected when glutamate is administered alone in extremely large doses [1]. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and legumes are rich in protein and thus, amino acids.

B: B complex vitamins
A typical component of dietary supplements for the brain are vitamin B complexes, which include Vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid. Vitamin B6 is a cofactor in the production of cysteine and vitamin B12 is a cofactor needed in folic acid metabolism. Folate promotes the regeneration of methionine from homocysteine. They all work by reducing levels of homocysteine and their deficiency leads to hyperhomocysteinemia. This can lead to DNA damage, increase the generation of reactive oxygen species, contribute to excitotoxicity and cause mitochondrial dysfunction which may lead to apoptosis [2]. Further, vitamin B12 deficiency and high levels of homocysteine double your risk for brain atrophy and cognitive decline [3, 4]. Taking vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid can reduce brain atrophy and improve brain function [5]. Vitamin B6 can be found in dairy products, meat and fish, but also in cabbage, beans, whole meal products, nuts, yeast, avocados and bananas. Foods with high folate content are dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, avocado, liver, asparagus, brussel sprouts, nuts, beans, dairy products and eggs. Animal products are the best source of vitamin B12; you find it especially in liver, but also in eggs and dairy products. For vegans it is difficult to get enough B12. A recent study suggests that dried purple laver (Nori) could be a good source of B12 for vegans and vegetarians [6].

Brainfoods by Claudia Willmes

C: Calcium
This is one of the most important messengers in neurons. Indeed, only a few neuronal functions are immune to the influence of calcium! A transient rise in cytoplasmic calcium concentration allows activation of a large number of Ca²⁺-binding proteins that start signalling cascades. As calcium participates in the transmission of the depolarizing signal and contributes to synaptic activity, calcium deficiency impairs many neurological functions. Milk and dairy products as well as green vegetables, sesame seeds and nuts are an excellent source of calcium.

C: Chromium
Chromium is a trace mineral found in many nutritional supplements, especially in weight-loss and muscle-building pills. The use of chromium-containing dietary supplements is controversial, owing to the absence of any verified biological beneficial effect on healthy people [7]. However, eating some chromium should not hurt. Food sources of chromium are broccoli, grapes, whole-wheat products and potatoes.

F: Fat
Many people avoid eating fat because they are afraid of gaining weight, but never underestimate their necessity for a functioning brain! Fatty acids are structural components of myelin. Both prenatal and postnatal fatty acid deficiency in rodents reduces the amount and alters the composition of myelin [8]. Avocado, olives and coconut oil are an excellent source of essential fatty acids. Very often, omega 3 fatty acids are found in dietary supplements. There are two main omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The latter shields against age-related mental decline and improves both learning and memory in older adults [9]. People with low DHA levels actually have smaller brains and exhibit more cognitive impairment than those with adequate levels [10]! The best sources of omega-3 are animal products: cold-water fish such as salmon, as well as dairy products from animals on a grass-fed diet. Plants only contain the fatty acid precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), of which a tiny amount eventually gets converted to EPA and DHA in the body. If you are vegan, eat pumpkin seeds, walnuts, soy beans and seaweed.

G: Glucose
This is the second important addition in neuro-drinks and the brain's primary energy source. Blood glucose levels influence mood and attention span. Glucose administration also improves performance in cognitively demanding tasks [11]. The brain cannot store glucose and needs a steady supply, but this does not mean you should constantly be sipping soda! To ensure a constant glucose supply to your brain, eat food with high fiber carbohydrates such as carrots, beets, potatoes or dark fiber-rich whole wheat bread.

I: Iodine
The body cannot produce iodine, so it is an essential part of your diet. This trace element is required for producing thyroid hormones [12] which, in turn are required for brain development. Iodine deficiency in utero or during early postnatal development results in impaired cognitive and motor development [12]. Pregnancy, smoking and increased alcohol intake are risk factors for iodine deficiency. Great sources for iodine are saltwater fish and seafood, milk and dairy products, and, of course, iodized salt.

I: Iron
Iron is an important mineral for neurodevelopment and neuronal function. It plays a fundamental role in neurotransmitter synthesis, myelination and ensures oxygenation and energy production in the brain. Iron deficiency appears to alter the metabolism of the monoamines dopamine and norepinephrine [13] and decreased iron intake is associated with reduced myelination [14]. Iron deficiency is linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and abnormal development of cognitive functions. Iron deficiency is particularly common in women and is associated with depression [15]. Rich sources of dietary iron include red meat, fish, legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, leafy vegetables and whole-grain products.

M: Magnesium
Magnesium is often listed as a supplement in brain-boosting drugs or drinks. It is involved in all the major metabolic pathways such as oxidation-reduction and ionic regulation. It also blocks the NMDA receptor, thereby preventing glutamate excitotoxicity. In magnesium deficiency, NMDA receptors become hyperexcitable, leading to excessive intracellular calcium. This can cause production of toxic reactive oxygen species and eventually lead to neuronal cell death. People with low magnesium are more susceptible to migraine attacks [16]. Parkinson's patients have low magnesium levels in the brain and rats with chronic low magnesium rapidly lose dopaminergic neurons [16]. Supplementary magnesium may thus be beneficial to prevent Parkinson's disease. Increased magnesium intake can also lead to improvement in patients with mania and depression [16]. The exact benefit of magnesium supplementation however is not yet definitive. Although whole grains contain magnesium, phytic acid in grains can inhibit its absorption. Therefore, the best sources of magnesium are dairy products, beans, leafy green veggies, and nuts.

V: Vitamin C:
This is an important antioxidant, serving as an electron donor in biological reactions. The brain has higher concentrations of Vitamin C compared to other organs [17]. It participates in neuronal maturation and myelin formation and supplies electrons for dopamine-β-hydroxylase, catalyzes the formation of norepinephrine from dopamine and is involved in presynaptic re-uptake of glutamate. Thus, it modulates the cholinergic, catecholinergic, and glutamergic systems [17]. Studies show that vitamin C levels are low in patients with dementia while research with animal models show that vitamin C supplementation can reduce cognitive decline [18]. Foods rich in vitamin C are citrus fruits, berries, bell peppers and sea buckthorn.

V: Vitamin D:
Although it's difficult to obtain from food, one thing you should definitely not get too little of is vitamin D. The best food source by far is cod liver oil (yuck!). Luckily, vitamin D is created when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D has profound effects on the brain during all stages of life. Continuing to get adequate vitamin D throughout adult life can ward off cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease [19, 20].

W: Water:
Obviously the most important thing for your brain is water. It helps the blood flow and consequently the oxygen supply of the brain. Thus, our advice: Try to drink 2 liters of water per day.

Z: Zinc:
The organ containing the highest amount of zinc is the brain, especially the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Zinc acts as an antagonist of the NMDA receptor, induces BDNF gene expression and is a cofactor in the conversion of homocysteine to cysteine. Early postnatal zinc deficiency impairs neurogenesis, leading to learning and memory deficits persisting into adulthood [21]. Studies with rodent depression models and clinical studies have demonstrated the benefit of zinc supplementation in antidepressant therapy [22]. In animal models of depression, zinc treatment has antidepressant-like effects and dietary zinc insufficiency induces depressive behaviors [23].  Even though zinc has been associated with many psychological disorders, the nature of this relationship remains unclear. Seafood, beef, lamb, "variety meats" such as liver or brain, and some cheeses such as Emmental, Edam and Gouda are excellent sources of zinc. Plants provide us with zinc as well, but with lower bioavailability. Vegetarians and vegans should consume seeds, nuts, spinach, cocoa and beans to get enough zinc.

Our advice: Add these smart foods to your shopping list and go out for a picnic in the sun!

[1] Fernstrom, J Am Diet Assoc, 1994
[2] Kronenberg, Curr Mol Med, 2009
[3] de Jager, Neurobiol Aging, 2014
[4] Tangney et al, Neurology, 2011
[5] Douaud et al, PNAS, 2013
[6] Watanabe et al, Nutrients, 2014
[7] EFSA Panel, EFSA Journal, 2014
[8] Salvati et al, Dev Neurosci, 2000
[9] Yurko-Mauro et al, Alzheimers, 2010
[10] Tan et al, Neurology, 2012
[11] Brandt et al, Behav Neurosci, 2013
[12] Delange, Proc Nutr Soc, 2000
[13] Burhans et al, Nutr Neurosci, 2005
[14] Todorich et al, Glia, 2009
[15] Lozoff et al, Semin Pediatr Neurol, 2006
[16] de Baaij et al, Physiol rev, 2015
 [17] Normann Hansen et al, Nutrients, 2014
[18] Harrison et al, Nutrients, 2014
[19] Lee et al, J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 2009
[20] Anastasiou et al, J Alzheimers Dis, 2014
[21] Chowanadisai, J Neurochem, 2005
[22] Nowak et al, Pharmacol Rep, 2005
[23] Swardfager et al, Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2013

by Claudia Willmes, PhD Student AG Eickholt / AG Schmitz
This article originally appeared 2015 in CNS Volume 8, Issue 3, Food for Thought.