We aim to develop enhanced T cell therapies to treat solid tumours. To do this, we study the dynamic nature of T-cell therapies, recognizing something many have overlooked: T cells are living, adaptable cells. By studying their behaviour, we identified targets to select the most potent T cells, those with the strongest solid tumour-targeting. This approach means that we can ensure the most effective cells are administered to patients, improving treatment outcomes. We have already demonstrated the potential of this approach, showing that by enriching T cells for our specific targets we can increase their ability to kill solid tumours.

BioSB2025 is the Dutch conference for bioinformatics and systems biology. The yearly conference attracts approximately 350 to 400 participants from academia, educational institutes and industry. The two-day program with keynotes, parallel sessin, posters and an evening program provide ample opportunity to exchange knowledge between researchers, teachers and industrial participants. Overall, the conference accommodates a broad scientific audience within the life sciences.

With the exponential growth of the volume of scientific data, there is also a growing need for awareness of the environmental impact associated with data storage and computing. On November 21st 2024 the Green Labs IT working group and Big Data Core of the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology organize a Green Coding event in collaboration with the Netherlands eScience Center and SURF. We welcome researchers in the life sciences who want to learn about energy usage of coding and get pointers to make their coding practices greener and more efficient.

Microproteins, a recently discovered group of very small proteins, were overlooked due to their size but are now possible to detect and broadly recognised for their important functions. The applicant will develop new methods to study microproteins in dendritic cells, the architects of the immune response. If microproteins influence the way dendritic cells work in the presence of cancer cells, this offers opportunities for new therapeutic strategies that exploit microprotein mechanisms to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in children with cancer.

The role of the noncoding genome in cancer development. Although it is acknowledged that nongenetic processes likely contribute to the development of cancer, their actual functional role remains largely unknown. The researchers will exploit unique mini-tumour models cultured in the lab and mouse models to identify nongenetic changes that occur during tumour progression and to investigate their functions.