Last June, I spent 5 days in Crete, Greece, at the FEBS Advanced Course titled the 5th International Conference on the Long and the Short of Non-Coding RNAs. There I was able to learn about many exciting advances in non-coding (nc) RNA biology that are happening at the moment, including the exploration of ncRNAs as potential therapeutics.

I first heard about this conference two years ago when I was doing my masters project. My supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Lasse Sommer Kristensen, and others from the lab, had recently returned from the conference. They were sharing how good of an experience they had had with many good speakers, interesting talks, and lots of networking. Therefore, when I was encouraged to register and to apply for the FEBS Youth Travel Fund (YTF) grant this year, I was determined to give it a try. However, as a newly started PhD student I felt like my chances of getting the grant were very low, so I ended up applying but without any expectations. A month later, I received an email informing me that I had been selected for the grant. I felt very surprised and fortunate to have been selected and to be given the opportunity to share my work in a short talk. To be able to attend this conference and to give a presentation was a huge privilege for me.

During the conference, I got a greater insight into the field of ncRNAs research, and the latest developed methods and technologies used for studying them. The speakers were very talented, and they shared some outstanding research. To me, the most exciting topic covered was about RNA in space. This was about how RNA molecules can be detected in tissues sections at single-cell level, using spatial transcriptomics techniques. Since my PhD project focuses on long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in childhood brain cancer, I also found the talk about the lncRNA MALAT1 in lung cancer very interesting and relevant for my own research. However, I also enjoyed learning about other types of ncRNAs such piwi-interacting RNAs and circular RNAs. I especially enjoyed the poster sessions where I came across some impressive research projects and engaged in some valuable discussions that inspired me for future experiments and studies to include in my own project. Throughout the course I felt like networking was very accessible and I got to meet many new people. I appreciated the opportunity to share experiences with others, such as challenges during the PhD, changing research environments, and foreseen our futures.

On the last day of the conference, I got to present my short talk titled: “Genome-wide profiling of lncRNAs revealed their important role in the transitioning among neoplastic subpopulations in childhood ependymoma”. In the beginning, I was very nervous about having to give my first talk. However, I experienced a really friendly and relaxed environment along with great support from the other YTF awardees. Because of that, I felt more relaxed during my presentation, and it was overall a really good experience. I was sincerely grateful for the interest in my research and for the constructive feedback I received afterwards.

Attending this conference was an incredible learning experience for me. I feel that I now have a more global but deeper understanding of my research field. I returned home with lots of motivation and new perspectives and ideas for my project. Moreover, I gained more experience in presenting my research and I strengthened my communicative skills. I met experts within the field from all over the world and I increased my network within the research field.

I am exceptionally grateful to have received the FEBS YTF grant which made it possible for me to attend this advanced course. This was a great opportunity and experience for me, and I think it is important for young researchers to be able to engage in events like these to improve their research careers. I am also very thankful to my supervisor for recognizing my potential and supporting me as a PhD student. I hope that I will be able to attend this conference again next time.

Top photo of Stine Mary Vissing presenting at the 5th International Conference on the Long and the Short of Non-Coding RNAs.