The MaNaCa consortium has recently published a series of training videos showing the preparation of samples and running of magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia experiments.

The first video shows how phantom samples are prepared. Phantom samples possess physiochemical features similar to human tissue and serve as test samples to perform real condition evaluation. Depending on its concentration, agarose gel may imitate either soft tissue (below 2 mg/mL) or hard tissue (above 4 mg/mL).

The second video shows how ex-vivo samples are prepared. Ex-vivo samples comprise of animal tissues together with magnetic nanohybrids, which are used to check the distribution and performance of the magnetic nanohybrids under realistic conditions prior to in-vitro studies.

The third video shows how a typical magnetic particle hyperthermia experiment is run on a liquid suspension containing magnetic nanohybrids.

In the final video, a real-time thermal mapping is shown for magnetic nanohybrids - prepared in the MaNaCa project - subjected to an alternating magnetic field. When the temperature rise exceeds 41 degrees centigrade, the systems are very promising as magnetic heat mediators in modern cancer treatments. Credit to N. Königstein, M. Felek, M. Spasova, and U. Wiedwald (University Duisburg-Essen).

Over the course of the winter of 2021, with continued travel restrictions across much of Europe, the MaNaCa consortium has run regular online seminars especially targeting the needs of their early-stage researchers.
 
The seminar series has provided a welcome opportunity for the young researchers to practise presenting their scientific work as well as to learn from their more experienced colleagues.
 
The table below provides an overview of the seminars that have taken place.

MaNaCa project coordinator, Dr. Aram Manukyan, participated in a Twinning Projects' online event organised by the H2020 ELICSIR project. During the event, Dr. Manukyan presented the activities of the MaNaCa project and also discussed with the other participants the challenges and opportunities in implementing H2020 Twinning projects during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the month of November, the MaNaCa partners have held a series of weekly online training seminars for the young researchers involved in the project.

The seminars covered the following topics:

• "Magnetic Particle Hyperthermia: Principles & Fundamentals", Prof. Makis Angelakeris, 12 November 2020
• "Hints and Tips in Magnetic Hyperthermia Measurements", Dr. Antonios Makridis, 19 November 2020
• "Magnetic Nanostructure Characterisation Technology and Applications", Dr Eirini Myrovali, 26 November 2020

The MaNaCa consortium has recently held a combined 2nd Training Workshop and 1st Summer School in Thessaloniki during 25-28 August 2020. The combined workshop and summer school was a hybrid event – with both on-site and web participation – which focused  on structural and magnetic characterization of magnetic nanohybrids and their application to cancer  therapy aiming to provide training in the basic principles of nanomagnetism and its biomedical applicability through 22 fundamental lectures, while offering the latest insights into up-to-date aspects of magnetically driven cancer therapies. A copy of the event’s book of abstracts is available here.

2nd Training Workshop
The workshop programme consisted of 22 tutorial lecture sessions given by experts in the fields divided in four sessions: a). Materials & Structure, b). Magnetism & Properties, c). Biomedical Constraints and d). Cancer Specific Aspects. A full copy of the event’s scientific programme is available here.
 
The workshop/summer school - with 78 participants from 11 countries - was held in English and addressed towards Greek and foreign graduates and PhD students, as well as to post-doc and young researchers (61 in total) working in the field of magnetic nanomaterials focusing on their biomedical applicability.

1st Summer School
The Summer School involved four Lab Courses that took place during the afternoons, which the students had the chance to follow:
 
Lab Course 01: Young researchers: Present & Publish
M. Farle, Germany: How to make a good scientific oral presentation
C. Bratsas & S. Zapounidou, Greece: How to avoid predatory journals and plan your publication strategy
A video recording of Lab Course 01 is available here.
 
Lab Course 02: Young researchers: Propose & Manage
G. Brandon, Luxembourg: H2020 MSCA Individual Fellowships for young researchers
A video recording of Lab Course 02 is available here.
 
Lab Course 03: Young researchers: Samples & Biomedicine
E. Myrovali & K. Kazeli, Greece: Hands on Samples for biomedical applications
A video recording of Lab Course 03 is available here.
 
Lab Course 04: Young researchers: Magnetic Hyperthermia
A.R. Tsiapla, N. Maniotis, A. Makridis, Greece: Hands on magnetic particle hyperthermia: Experiment & evaluation
A video recording of Lab Course 04 is available here.
 
Also, the Summer School included two flash presentation web-poster sessions for young researchers, where they had the chance to present their results while onsite participants hung printouts of their posters and discussed their results during the workshop breaks.
 
A video recording of the web-poster sessions is available here.

Originally, the MaNaCa project's 1st Training Workshop was foreseen to take place in person in Thessaloniki in early April 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown situation across Europe in Spring 2020, it was postponed until late August 2020 and, in its place, an online-only event was held during 27-28 July 2020.
 
The online training workshop included talks on the preparation and presentation of scientific publications, project management, and an introduction to Electronic Lab Notebooks.
 
Altogether 38 people participated in the workshop: 33 x early stage researchers, 5 x senior researchers, 58% female.

Copies of the workshop presentations can be downloaded from below:

1. Action Steps for a Sound Scientific Publication

The MaNaCa consortium would like to announce that its Training Workshop and Summer School has been rescheduled for 25-28 August 2020. The combined event will be hosted by consortium partner AUTH at the Centre of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation in Thessaloniki, Greece. It will be a hybrid event: in person for those people in Thessaloniki and online for those people participating remotely.

The event welcomes Greek and other European graduate and PhD students, as well as post-doc and young researchers working in the field of magnetic nanomaterials focused on their biomedical applicability. The registration fee for the combined event is 150 euros and will include an event kit, refreshments and meals.
 
For more information regarding this combined event and to register, please visit the MaNaCa Training Workshop and Summer School website here.

​The MaNaCa partners recently held a consortium meeting via Zoom.
 
The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the current status of deliverables as well as the reorganisation of summer schools, training workshops and international conference in light of the impact of the Covid-19 on staff exchanges.
 
Notably, the partners agreed to hold a rescheduled and combined Summer School + Training Workshop + Consortium meeting during 25-28 August 2020 in Thessaloniki. It will be a hybrid event: in person for those people in Thessaloniki and online for those people participating remotely.

The MaNaCa project would like to announce that its first training workshop will take place in Greece from 2-4 April 2020. The event will be hosted by consortium partner AUTH at the Centre of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation in Thessaloniki.

The event welcomes  Greek  and  other European  graduate  and  PhD  students,  as  well  as  to  post-doc  and young  researchers  working  on  the  field  of  magnetic  nanomaterials  focused  on their   biomedical   applicability.  The registration fee for the training workshop is 150 euros and will include a conference kit, refreshments, meals and excursions.

During the 3-day event, the programme will be comprised of both varied scientific sessions and social activities.  In the afternoon, two  hands-on  lab  courses  will  be offered, where students  will  follow  a  rigorous  protocol  for  sample  preparation  and  experimental/theoretical  evaluation  of  magnetic particle hyperthermia. In addition, students are encourage to participate in the poster session to receive feedback from experts regarding their research. 

For more information regarding this event and to register, please visit the MaNaCa Training Workshop website here.