Boost the Careers of Early-Stage Researchers

Boosting the careers of early-stage researchers at leading research-intensive universities of S&T occurs along highly competitive and selective mechanisms. Nurturing talent for careers in science is a primary concern and interest of the institutions (institutional perspective). In chapter two, we present five tools to boost the scientific careers of early-stage researchers within universities, i.e. research-based education, research master programmes, doctoral schools, guidance to postdoctoral researchers and tenure track.\ua0Most early-stage researchers move to careers outside universities (both research and nonresearch careers). That is why we address intersectoral mobility in chapter three and present\ua0dual career paths, business start-up support and permeability programmes as tools to boost\ua0the careers of researchers who will contribute to business and industry, public services, notfor-profit organisations and society at large (societal perspective). We also address recruitment of talent from outside academia (back) into our institutions.Transmission of transversal skills to early-stage researchers is essential to increase their employability and to make them attractive on the labour market (individual perspective). Since\ua0universities cannot predict which early-stage researcher will have what kind of career, both generic scientific skills and skills to increase employability are to be strengthened in parallel as\ua0described in chapter four.In chapter five, we introduce metrics as a well-established and indispensable tool in the recruitment, performance assessment and career development of early-stage researchers. We thereby differentiate between common HR metrics and next-generation metrics. The tricky question, of course, is how to safeguard the career perspectives of early-stage researchers while taking into account the reality of the wide-spread usage of some conventional andcontroversial metrics, such as publication in high impact journals.In chapter six, we address guidance and support measures for early-stage researchers.\ua0Universities need to offer career development tools, equal opportunities and family-friendly\ua0environment and infrastructure and support staff.While the chapters two to six contain our descriptions of the issues and present our findings\ua0on the tools, the final chapter seven contains concrete (hands-on) recommendations to department heads, HR professionals, university leaders and policy-makers and funders

Functional diversification of Argonautes in nematodes:an expanding universe

In the last decade, many diverse RNAi (RNA interference) pathways have been discovered that mediate gene silencing at epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The diversity of RNAi pathways is inherently linked to the evolution of Ago (Argonaute) proteins, the central protein component of RISCs (RNA-induced silencing complexes). An increasing number of diverse Agos have been identified in different species. The functions of most of these proteins are not yet known, but they are generally assumed to play roles in development, genome stability and/or protection against viruses. Recent research in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has expanded the breadth of RNAi functions to include transgenerational epigenetic memory and, possibly, environmental sensing. These functions are inherently linked to the production of secondary siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) that bind to members of a clade of WAGOs (worm-specific Agos). In the present article, we review briefly what is known about the evolution and function of Ago proteins in eukaryotes, including the expansion of WAGOs in nematodes. We postulate that the rapid evolution of WAGOs enables the exceptional functional plasticity of nematodes, including their capacity for parasitism

REVOLUTA regulates meristem initiation at lateral positions

While the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is indirectly responsible for the initiation of all above-ground postembryonic organs, in most plants the vast majority of these organs are directly initiated by lateral meristems. In Arabidopsis thaliana , the lateral meristems include flower meristems (FMs), which form on the flanks of the SAM, and lateral shoot meristems (LSMs), which develop in leaf axils. While significant progress has been made on the molecular genetic basis of SAM initiation during embryo development, relatively little is known about the initiation of meristems at lateral positions. Here we have characterized the phenotypic consequences and genetic interactions of mutations in the REVOLUTA ( REV ) gene, with an emphasis on the role of REV in lateral meristem initiation. Our observations indicate that REV is required for initiation of both LSMs and FMs, and likely acts in the same pathway as, and upstream of, known meristem regulators. We identified the REV gene and found it encodes a predicted homeodomain leucine zipper transcription factor that also contains a START sterol-lipid binding domain. REV is the same as the IFL gene. REV was expressed at the earliest stages of LSM and FM formation. Within the inflorescence shoot meristem, REV expression appeared to predict 3 5 incipient flower primordia on the flanks of the SAM, and REV expression at stage 1 and stage 2 matched that of WUS and STM , respectively. We propose that REV acts at lateral positions to activate the expression of known meristem regulators.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75526/1/j.1365-313X.2001.00959.x.pd

AGO1 and AGO2 Act Redundantly in miR408-Mediated Plantacyanin Regulation

Background: In Arabidopsis, AGO1 and AGO2 associate with small RNAs that exhibit a Uridine and an Adenosine at their 59 end, respectively. Because most plant miRNAs have a 59U, AGO1 plays many essential roles in miRNA-mediated regulation of development and stress responses. In contrast, AGO2 has only been implicated in antibacterial defense in association with miR393*, which has a 59A. AGO2 also participates in antiviral defense in association with viral siRNAs. Principal Findings: This study reveals that miR408, which has a 59A, regulates its target Plantacyanin through either AGO1 or AGO2. Indeed, neither ago1 nor ago2 single mutations abolish miR408-mediated regulation of Plantacyanin. Only an ago1 ago2 double mutant appears compromised in miR408-mediated regulation of Plantacyanin, suggesting that AGO1 and AGO2 have redundant roles in this regulation. Moreover, the nature of the 59 nucleotide of miR408 does not appear essential for its regulatory role because both a wildtype 59A-MIR408 and a mutant 59U-MIR408 gene complement a mir408 mutant. Conclusions/Significance: These results suggest that miR408 associates with both AGO1 and AGO2 based on criteria that differ from the 59 end rule, reminiscent of miR390-AGO7 and miR165/166-AGO10 associations, which are not based on the nature of the 59 nucleotide