Dr. Emanuele Buratti, ICGEB Scientific Coordinator interacted with various Peruvian scientific institutions on his mission to the historic ICGEB Member State in February 2025.
10-13 February 2025: During a visit to the National University Toribio Rodriguez de Mendoza de Amazonas (UNTRM), Peru, a delegation comprising Dr. Emanuele Buratti, ICGEB Scientific Coordinator and Head of the Molecular Pathology Lab, Dr. Sixto Enrique Sánchez Calderón, President of the National Council of Science, Technology and Technology Innovation (Concytec) Peru and Dr. Cristina Guerra Giraldez, ICGEB Appointed Governor and Liaison Officer for Peru explored new opportunities for collaboration in research, biomanufacturing and technology transfer between ICGEB and the member state.
On the occasion, Dr. Buratti held a conference on the role of RNA in neurodegenerative diseases. The lecture aimed to deepen knowledge on the incidence of mutations that alter the process of splicing of messenger pre-RNA in the development of various human diseases. Dr. Buratti shared his research on the role of RNA-binding proteins in neurodegenerative diseases, such as frontotemporal dementia and Niemann-Pick C disease. He also presented his studies on pre-RNAm pulse and the identification of key proteins, such as TDP-43, associated with amiotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In recognition of Dr. Buratti’s professional, academic and research career and his commitment to health in the field of neurological diseases, UNTRM awarded him an Honorary Distinction as Visiting Lecturer.
An agreement was signed to promote training in medical, plant, animal and environmental biotechnology, and the delegation, including Ms. Raffaella Agosti, Personal Assistant to the ICGEB Director-General, also took the opportunity to tour the labs.
Dr. Guerra Giraldez presented on the participation of Peru as a Member State of the ICGEB, to spread scientific knowledge, international collaboration and funding in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering.
Earlier in the week, the delegation visited Dr. Carlos Cáceres, Vice Rector for Research of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), with presentations on funding opportunities, including those offered by ICGEB.
A great addition to the programme was the intervention of ICGEB Alumna Dr. Carla Vanessa Sarabia Vega (PhD fellow at ICGEB Trieste, 2016 – 2020), currently Virology Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale – INSERM, France.
