Profile
Niels Galjart is the Project Leader of the Collaborative Research Project ‘Role of multi zinc finger proteins CTCF and BORIS in the dynamic change of the nuclear architecture and chromatin function during cell cycle and differentiation’
1. You are a Project Leader in the EUROCORES Programme EuroDYNA, which focuses on nuclear architecture and chromatin function. Why did you become involved in this area of research?
Through my interest in a class of proteins called zinc finger proteins, and in particular a factor called CTCF.
2. Do you think cell biology research is getting the attention and respect that it deserves in Europe? Why or why not? If not, what needs to be done?
I think that attention and respect differ per country. The Netherlands being a trading nation, I think that science is not appreciated as much as it could be. Emphasis is nowadays very much on "valorisation".
3. What do you think are the main difficulties to overcome in this field? (What can be done on a European level to address the difficulties and move this field forwards?)
Basic sciences, including the field of "cell biology" faces two main problems; "upstream" there is the problem of funding, and "downstream" there is the problem of publishing.
4. What, in your opinion, is the added value of the EuroDYNA Programme to cell biology research in general and to you and your CRP members specifically? How do you think EuroDYNA differs from other collaborative projects?
Thanks to EuroDYNA, nine research programmes were funded that would otherwise maybe not have been funded. Therefore, European research in the area of nuclear dynamics and architecture has been stimulated. However, EuroDYNA is not huge and the impact is therefore modest however for my CRP it was crucial, without EuroDYNA I would not have been able to perform the (very nice) research I have carried out the in last three years. One aspect of EuroDYNA that I like a lot is the lack of bureaucratic burden compared to other research programmes. Another very important aspect is that the EUROCORES programmes are suggested by the scientists themselves (bottom-up approach). Finally, a great added value is the willingnes at ESF to stimulate discussion among scientists, by organizing conferences, workshops and brainstorm meetings. As a EuroDYNA member I benefit enormously from this valuable resource.
5. As an expert in your field, what do you think is the potential impact of the EuroDYNA Programme and its projects?
Chromatin research is of increased importance, not the least because of its relation to epigenetics, but a three year project period is too short.
6. How do you see the future of scientific collaboration?
Within the nine EuroDYNA research programmes most of the collaborators presumably knew each other already before EuroDYNA started. The question is: has EuroDYNA brought people from the nine CRPs together, has it stimulated inter-CRP-interactions? I think it has, certainly in our case, but with a limited number of other CRPs. The common meetings have provided a place for exchange of ideas and, very importantly, to get to know each other and trust each other.
