World-renowned mRNA researchers will speak at a conference hosted by the University of Szeged in Hungary on November 7 and 8, 2024. The international event was announced to both the scientific community and the general public at a press conference held on September 12 at the Rector's Building of the University of Szeged. One of the conference’s keynote speakers, Nobel laureate Professor Katalin Karikó, also participated via video call.
The international mRNA conference to be held at the University of Szeged on November 7 and 8, 2024, is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In 2022, the Foundation’s prestigious prize was awarded to University of Szeged professor Katalin Karikó, along with her research partners Drew Weissman, Özlem Türeci, and Uğur Şahin. Karikó and Weissman were subsequently honored with the Nobel Prize in 2023.
Katalin Karikó, Nobel Prize-winning professor from the University of Szeged, joined the press conference online from her home.
“The Novo Nordisk Foundation, which had primarily supported researchers in Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark – for most of its 100-year history, began expanding its reach to the rest of the world a few years ago,” said Katalin Karikó at a press conference at the Rector’s Office of the University of Szeged on September 12. Professor Karikó also explained how Szeged was chosen as the venue for the conference: “After us, in 2023, the prize was awarded to British researchers, with the related conference held in London. This led the Novo Nordisk Foundation to realize that it would be better to hold such events not in Denmark, but in the country where the awardee’s institution operates. Consequently, in 2024, the Foundation chose the University of Szeged, as I had received the award as a professor from this university.” The Nobel laureate professor also noted that the University of Szeged was granted a prize of 1,125,000 Danish kroner (approximately HUF 60 million), which will be used to build an animal research facility and fund further research.
The November mRNA conference was announced to the public at a University of Szeged press conference.
“We are eagerly anticipating the conference to be held here in two months. As a molecular biologist, I understand that the mRNA technology developed by Professor Karikó and her colleagues represents the cutting edge of biomedical research. The talks at the November event will showcase the incredible potential of mRNA technology, not only for vaccines but for a wide range of biomedical applications,” said Prof. Dr. Márta Széll, Vice Rector for Strategic Planning at the University of Szeged. “We are delighted to have two days of presentations by the world’s leading researchers here in Szeged. This will be immensely inspiring for colleagues who are conducting research at the University of Szeged in fields related to the theme of this conference," she added.
From left to right, University Chancellor Dr. Judit Fendler and Prof. Dr. Márta Széll, Vice Rector for Strategic Planning at the University of Szeged
The Vice Rector highlighted that the funds provided by Katalin Karikó, originating from the prizes she has received, are being used partly to improve infrastructure and partly to finance research by young scientists in Szeged. She added that the Nobel laureate from the University of Szeged is actively contributing to advancing the work of university researchers focused on areas such as pharmaceutical development or the treatment of specific neurological disorders using mRNA-based regenerative medicine.
Prof. Dr. Attila Gácser (right), head of the Institute of Biology at the University of Szeged, is one of the professional organizers of the international conference.
Prof. Dr. Attila Gácser, head of the Institute of Biology at the University of Szeged, is one of the professional organizers of the mRNA conference to be held in Szeged. At the press conference, he expressed how fortunate he is to regularly consult with Katalin Karikó, who provides valuable guidance for his research. “mRNA technology is like the Swiss army knife of medical science, with a wide range of applications. Currently, it’s primarily used to combat infections and tumors, but we’re also aiming to develop therapies that, for example, stimulate the immune system. The conference in November should appeal to a wide range of researchers, including physicians, biologists, pharmacists, and anyone involved in healthcare,” Prof. Gácser remarked at the press conference. It is also important to note that, in the context of mRNA-based technology, researchers are not only exploring what these molecules can do within the body, but also how to deliver them most effectively. Another critical area of research involves identifying the optimal ‘packaging material’ to avoid triggering an immune response.
Dr. Judit Fendler, Chancellor of the University of Szeged, concluded the press conference by expressing her hope that the university will prove to be a worthy host and that the event will stand out as a first-rate professional conference.
All relevant information about the mRNA conference in Szeged, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, is available on the regularly updated conference website. It is a great honor for the University of Szeged and the Hungarian research community that Katalin Karikó, her Nobel laureate American research partner Drew Weissman, and Uğur Şahin, CEO of BioNTech (Professor Karikó’s former workplace in Germany), will come to Szeged to give talks at the international conference. They will be joined by 13 other prominent mRNA researchers from the UK, the USA, France, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Switzerland, and from universities across Hungary, to report on the latest breakthroughs in the field.
In addition to speaking at the press conference, Katalin Karikó answered questions from journalists. Her insights on the mRNA conference in Szeged and the latest research on messenger RNA will be featured in upcoming articles.
Written by: Imre Vida-Szűcs
Photos: István Sahin-Tóth
