Dr Patrick Pausch, research professor and group leader at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC)-European Molecular Biology Laboratory Partnership Institute (EMBL PI), has received a substantial European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) Installation Grant (IG). According to Dr Pausch, the installation grant scheme is invaluable for young scientists establishing their laboratories.
Gives access to EMBO
“I already established my laboratory last year. As a result, it is more of an afterburner, assisting me in taking my research to the next level. Despite its modest size – 50,000-60,000 € per year – the grant provides full integration into the EMBO network”, says Dr P. Pausch.
According to him, the EMBO IG scheme comes with a long list of benefits beyond direct financial funding. For instance, additional support for networking, soft skill workshops (e.g. lab management), conferences, seminary talks, mentoring and access to EMBL core facilities is provided on an on-top and on-demand basis. In addition, publication fees for EMBO journals are waived, and EMBO will even fund manuscript editing services and grant writing support.
“More importantly, which was also a great motivation for me, the grantees become members of the EMBO Young Investigator Network and have the opportunity to elect an EMBO fellow as their mentor. Access to the EMBO network is invaluable for young scientists establishing their laboratories in Europe,” the scientist claims.
More freedom for research and visibility
Dr P. Pausch states that as a leader of a research team, the grant allows for freedom and opportunities for him and his team, and also brings new research, researchers, and directions to the university. Additionally, international assignments increase visibility, and the IG program enhances the research environment. The grant application process took over half a year, requiring submission of a scientific proposal, curriculum vitae, as well as reference and institutional support letters. The whole process was concluded by an EMBO panel interview.
The grant-winning project “Mobile genetic elements as a source of new genome editing technologies” describes the different research directions at the Dr Pausch laboratory. It investigates the genetic content of mobile genetic elements, such as bacterial viruses and plasmids, to explore their diversity with a focus on the identification of novel biochemical capacities, which may be useful in a biotechnological context.
“Our research is mainly basic research; however, if taken out of the research context and implemented in a biotechnological environment, systems such as CRISPR-Cas directly impact our society. From food production to pharmaceutical and medical applications, biotechnology is everywhere in our current society and will likely play an even larger role in the future”, says the leader of the Pausch laboratory.
From Berkeley to Vilnius to form a new institute
“Choosing to join VU was in line with my personal career goals and research direction, and the opportunity to establish my research group in a new research centre alongside five other group leaders was a major factor in my decision. It's a rare opportunity, as new institutes are not formed every other day”, says Dr P. Pausch.
The Pausch laboratory includes Dr Rokas Grigaitis, graduate students Monika Jasnauskaitė, Rimvydė Čepaitė and Sharvika Khochare, as well as Master and undergraduate students, currently Daria Ponomariova, Aistė Židonytė and Kristina Kazlauskaitė.
Dr P. Pausch joined VU Life Sciences Centre in 2021 to establish his group at the LSC-EMBL partnership for genome editing technologies. Under his leadership, the group develops molecular tools for human health and biotechnology applications. Previously, he was a postdoctoral scholar in a group of Chemistry Nobel Laureate Dr Jennifer Doudna at the University of California, Berkeley.
The EMBO Installation Grants support group leaders establishing laboratories in widening counties to locally strengthen the life sciences environment. Recipients are also integrated into the EMBO Young Investigator Network.
Installation Grantees become part of an international network of more than 600 current and former EMBO Young Investigators, Installation Grantees and Global Investigators. EMBO is a professional, non-profit organization of more than 1,800 life scientists. Its goal is to promote research in life science and enable international exchange between scientists.
Photo: Justinas Auškelis (VU)
