BioGеNext Conference

07/05/2026

It’s a pleasure and honor for us to introduce Dr. Ben Kleinstiver (Center for Genomic Medicine & Department of Pathology, Mass General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, USA) as an invited speaker at BioGENext Conference 2026. His lab focuses on expanding the capabilities of the CRISPR toolbox to improve genome-editing precision.

Interesting fact: he started his bachelor's degree in both biology and architecture. But at some point, Kleinstiver had to pick one direction. However, by choosing biology, he actually fed two birds with one scone by dedicating his research focus to studying and “building” proteins with adjusted properties as well as establishing assays to change DNA sequences in the genomes of living cells.

Recently, the Kleinstiver lab established a cutting-edge approach that allows for genome editing in an immune-evasive manner. The system, termed INSTALL (Integration through Nucleus-synthesized Template Addition of Large Lengths), overcomes traditional challenges by reducing cellular immune intolerance while enabling efficient, large-scale DNA integration.

Two years ago, Ben Kleinstiver opened the BioGENext Conference 2024 program with a keynote lecture entitled “Engineered Genome Editing Technologies Towards Therapeutics.” This year, we welcome him back as a speaker to present his recent findings in the engineering of genomes with large serine recombinases.

To help you get familiar with the research of the Kleinstiver lab, we have listed some of their topic-related papers below:
☑️Tou, C.J., Xie, K., Ferreira da Silva, J., … Kleinstiver, B.P. Immune evasive DNA donors and recombinases license kilobase-scale writing. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10241-z
☑️Silverstein, R.A., … Kleinstiver, B.P. Custom CRISPR-Cas9 PAM variants via scalable engineering and machine learning. Nature. 2025 Jul;643(8071):539-550. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09021-y
☑️Alves, C.R.R., Das, S., Krishnan, V…. Kleinstiver, B.P. Treatment of a severe vascular disease using a bespoke CRISPR–Cas9 base editor in mice. Nat. Biomed. Eng (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-025-01499-1

21/04/2026

We’re excited to unveil our first keynote speaker for the upcoming BioGENext Conference 2026!
Dr. Prof. Michael Nishimura (Loyola University Chicago) is a prominent figure in the cancer immunology field. In the spotlight of his study is the genetic engineering of T cells to target tumors. He obtained his PhD in Cancer Immunology from University of Maryland Baltimore County and got a postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology, where his main scientific career path comes from – the study of the T-cell receptors (TCR).

In tumor immunology, the TCR is the primary mechanism by which the adaptive immune system identifies and attacks tumor cells. Mechanistically, the binding of a TCR to a compatible major histocompatibility complex (MHC) triggers T-cell activation and proliferation, leading to the destruction of tumors.

Dr. Nishimura was among the first to clone and characterize TCR genes that recognize human tumor antigens and use them to engineer T cells.

The Nishimura lab investigates the relationship between TCR genetics and T-cell function, as well as the interactions between TCRs, tumor cells, and viral antigens. Their research encompasses both fundamental studies and a "bench-to-bedside" approach. Dr Nishimura and his colleagues developed an impressive method for engineering T cells from any patient to express TCR genes isolated from tumor-reactive T-cell clones. Notably, these genetically modified T cells are capable of recognizing tumors both in vitro and in vivo.

Thus, TCR therapy makes it possible to use a patient's own T cells, specifically reprogrammed to target their malignancies.
Thorough research conducted by Nishimura’s group has led to three clinical trials and 28 patients treated with gene modified T cells.
Dr. Nishimura joins us at the BioGENext Conference 2026 as a keynote speaker, preparing an insightful lecture on the development of CAR-T/TCR-based therapeutic approaches to treat cancer patients!

👉 Register now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of biomedical research: https://biogenext.org/

We encourage you to read some of his papers to be primed for the upcoming lecture:
1. Wu Y, Tian L, Pugel A, Alimohammadi R, Cheng Q, Cui W, Nishimura MI, Ball LE, Lin CW, Mehrotra S, Kraft AS, Yu XZ. Targeting PIM2 improves antitumor immunity through promoting effector function and persistence of CD8 T cells. J Clin Invest. 2026 Jan 27;136(6):e192928.
doi: 10.1172/JCI192928
2. Barisic S, Brahmbhatt EM, Cherkasova E, Spear TT, Savani U, Pierre S, Scurti GM, Chen L, Igboko M, Nadal R, Zeng G, Parry G, Stroncek DF, Highfill S, Dalheim AV, Reger R, Nishimura MI, Childs RW. Regression of renal cell carcinoma by T cell receptor-engineered T cells targeting a human endogenous retrovirus. J Immunother Cancer. 2024 Sep 11;12(9):e009147.
doi: 10.1136/jitc-2024-009147
3. Quinn S, Lenart N, Dronzek V, Scurti GM, Hossain NM, Nishimura MI. Genetic Modification of T Cells for the Immunotherapy of Cancer. Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Mar 16;10(3):457.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines10030457
Stay tuned! More speakers are coming soon!

01/04/2026

Do you remember how it felt at the BioGENext Conference 2024?
How we were inspired by powerful scientific talks, engaging workshops, and the unique moment of seeing the biotechnology community gathered under one roof. We were so inspired that we made a promise to come back with the next conference in 2026.

That’s why we’re so excited to get the ball rolling again: Registration and Abstract Submissions for BioGENext 2026 are officially open!

This year, we are preparing even more:
- new speakers,
- new discussions,
- new opportunities to collaborate.

👉 Register here: https://biogenext.org/
And save the key dates! Registering early helps us keep you in the loop about all updates about the conference, speakers, and everything we are preparing for you.

We would truly appreciate your support. Please share this post with your colleagues and community.

Can’t wait to catch up with everyone this October at BioGENext 2026!

03/03/2026

We are excited to announce that the next BioGENext Conference is planned for October 6–9, 2026!

As we begin shaping the program, partnerships, and innovation formats, we would truly value your input. .
The survey takes just 3–4 minutes.
🔗https://forms.gle/smiyA6Qceb9f7VJc7

BioGENext 2026 is officially in the works!

30/12/2025

As the year draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back at the incredible journey we’ve shared. What started as an idea has grown into something truly special, and it’s all thanks to our community.

The BioGENext Series is first and foremost an educational initiative, created to bring cutting-edge scientific knowledge directly to the Ukrainian biomedical and biotechnology research community. It’s about the "how-to": the practical workflows, the complex pipelines, and the real-world R&D that moves the needle in modern science.

We were proud to collaborate with outstanding academic and innovation spaces across Kyiv. From tech spaces to historic lecture halls, a huge thank you to:
Educational and Scientific Centre "Institute of Biology & Medicine", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
DHUB - defense engineering and prototyping platform, Кафедра біотехнології КАІ, Kyiv Aviation University
Факультет біотехнології і біотехніки, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
Національний університет "Києво-Могилянська академія"
Kyiv School of Economics
MacPaw Space

We were honored to host outstanding experts who generously shared their knowledge and experience:
Dr. Andrew Bassett, Head of the Cellular and Gene Editing Research Group at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Dr. Mykola Protopopov, Head of Computational Chemistry at Chemspace, Research Scientist at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.
Oleksandr Hubar, Head of the Biotechnology R&D Department at Pharmaceutical Corporation YURiA-PHARM
Dr. Maryna Korshevniuk, PhD Candidate in Single-Cell Multiomics and Personalized Medicine, UMCG (Netherlands), CEO & Founder of Apixmed, a personalized medicine solutions provider
Dr. Borys Olifirov, PhD, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, NAS of Ukraine
Prof. Janusz M. Bujnicki, Prof., Head of the Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Poland

We are deeply grateful to:
Our partners and host institutions for opening your doors and believing in our mission!
Our speakers for your generosity in sharing years of expertise in just a few hours!
Our participants for curiosity, questions, and engagement! You are the heart of BioGENext!

BioGENext continues to grow as a platform where science meets practice, where methods are discussed openly, and where a strong biomedical ecosystem can take shape. Even in challenging times, seeing this community come together to discuss science gives us immense hope.

We wish everyone a peaceful holiday season and a New Year filled with new ideas, strong collaborations, and scientific progress.
With gratitude,
The BioGENext Team

25/12/2025

This Christmas, the BioGENext team extends our warmest wishes to colleagues, partners, and the wider scientific community.

We thank you for your collaboration and shared commitment to advancing science and innovation. May the year ahead bring continued progress, impactful research, and new opportunities for cooperation.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a New Year filled with exciting discoveries, meaningful connections, and shared scientific progress!

19/12/2025

The past few days have been challenging for many of us who experienced power outages at home, but they also reminded us how precious light and warmth truly are both around us and within us. That is why we’re happy to share the warm, inspiring atmosphere of our final BioGENext Series lecture of 2025. We hope it sparked new ideas and fresh inspiration for your research.

You can watch this and all previous BioGENext lectures on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/

Thank you for being with us!

03/12/2025

02/12/2025

Last week, the BioGENext community had the opportunity to hear an exceptional lecture from Prof. Janusz M. Bujnicki (IIMCB, Warsaw), who offered a deep and structured overview of one of the most challenging frontiers in modern molecular biology: predicting and modeling RNA 3D structure and dynamics.

While RNA is often referred to as “the molecule of the 21st century,” its structural complexity remains far more difficult to predict than protein structures. Unlike DNA, RNA folds into intricate 3D conformations driven by stacking, non-canonical base pairs, metal ion coordination, and a vast landscape of alternative stable structures. This complexity is amplified by more than 170 known chemical modifications that fine-tune RNA folding and function.

Prof. Bujnicki presented cutting-edge computational strategies developed in his laboratory:
🔹 SimRNA (Folding Simulation): This method uses a coarse-grain representation and a Monte Carlo approach to explore the conformational landscape and find the lowest energy 3D fold. It has been shown to successfully recapitulate the folding funnels of RNA molecules.
🔹 RNA molecules require metal ions to neutralize the negative charge on the backbone and stabilize complex 3D structures, often bridging helices together. Prof. Bujnicki shared insights into how ions influence the formation of higher-order structures.
🔹 RNA is composed of over 170 different types of chemically modified nucleotides. These post-transcriptional modificat have profound effects on RNA behavior. Modifications can either block existing interactio) or promote new one). The Bujnicki lab has developed approaches to model the structural and functional consequences of these modifications, shedding light on their roles in cellular processes and disease mechanisms.

Beyond these methods, Prof. Bujnicki highlighted an ambitious international initiative: The Human RNome Project Consortium.
A global scientific effort that aims to move beyond the human genome to map every RNA molecule in the human body — including its sequence, structure, dynamics, and all chemical modifications. This project has the potential to transform our understanding of RNA biology, with implications for medicine, biotechnology, therapeutics, and even molecular data storage.

We are grateful to Prof. Bujnicki for sharing this perspective on the computational future of RNA science — and to our BioGENext community for another inspiring discussion.
Stay tuned!

24/11/2025

Tomorrow we meet again for the final BioGENext Series 2025 lecture, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us throughout the year. What started as an idea has transformed into a friendly and curious community, and that means a lot to us.

We are closing the year with a lecture: "Structural bioinformatics of RNA folding, interactions, and modifications" by the distinguished scientist, Prof. Janusz M. Bujnicki. This is your chance to dive into RNA structural bioinformatics - a field that is key to Drug Discovery and Next-Gen Therapeutics.

👉 Registration link: https://biogenext-series-season-2-lecture-3-tickets.eventbrite.com
It will be a celebration of the year we've built together—lecture by lecture, idea by idea, conversation by conversation.

Thanks to our partners at the Kyiv School of Economics, we have stable power secured, ensuring the event will run smoothly without interruptions.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow to close out this fantastic year together!

15/11/2025

If you want to deepen your understanding of structural bioinformatics of RNA folding, interactions, and chemical modifications, don’t miss our next BioGENext Series lecture!

Join us for the final lecture of 2025! An interactive session exploring how modern computational tools reveal the 3D world of RNA.
👉 Register here: https://biogenext-series-season-2-lecture-3-tickets.eventbrite.com