Members of the Sussex RNA Research Centre

The Sussex RNA Research Centre was formally opened at the Sussex RNA Impact Day, which was held at the AMEX stadium on Monday 17 March. The Sussex RNA Research Centre developed from the Sussex RNA Research Group, set up in September 2019. The main objective of the Sussex RNA Impact Day was to facilitate discussion and interactions between researchers working in the general area of RNA Biology (which includes RNA therapeutics) and encourage researchers to think more about the potential Impact of their work in terms of Industry and therapeutics whilst providing career advice for junior researchers.

The event was attended by 40 researchers working in RNA Biology and showcased a wide variety of interdisciplinary research, ranging from microbial infection to cancer therapies highlighting the strong translational impact of RNA research. The event featured talks by three invited speakers; Dr Hannah Burgess (University of Surrey), Prof Tobias von der Haar (University of Kent) and Dr Choe Moss (Associate Director for R&D Strategic Operations (UK & Canada) at Moderna, Bristol, UK). Their talks were followed by a Q&A session on collaborating with and working in Industry.

The event was highly successful, with the “Industry” session being particularly commended by participants. Feedback showed that 100% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that “the oral presentations were interesting”, the “Industry session was useful” and “they would be interested to come along to a similar meeting next year”. Participants also commented favourably on “the wide range of RNA research at Sussex” and “Great talks with a wide range of topics”. The talk from Moderna was particularly well received, with many researchers, from junior to senior, appreciating the practical information provided on initiating industrial collaborations and industrial career paths.

The meeting was sponsored by the BBSRC, the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Events Fund, the Biochemical Society and the RNA Society (RNA Salon grant).