The UK is participating in the new Horizon Europe programme as an associated country (subject to ratification of the overall deal and finalisation of the regulations). This means UK-based researchers are able to participate in all parts of Horizon Europe with the small exception of the equity-based EIC Accelerator. Association gives UK scientists access to funding under the programme on equivalent terms as organisations in EU countries. The European Commission has confirmed that UK organisations are eligible even if the Protocol between the EU and the UK is not yet adopted, so we can apply even to the first calls that are either already open or will open soon.

In this one-day online event restricted to Warwick staff, Warwick's UK Research Office in Brussels (UKRO) contact, Jon Brookes, will give us all the details on Horizon Europe (2021-2027). He will explain what has stayed the same, what is new and there will be dedicated time for Q&A in each session.

If you would like to submit your questions to Jon ahead of the event, or have any questions about the event, please write to WarwickinEurope@warwick.ac.uk.

European Research Funding and Policy Event on Tuesday 27 April. This is an online event restricted to Warwick staff, in which Warwick's UK Research Office in Brussels (UKRO) contact, Jon Brookes, will give outline details on Horizon Europe (2021-2027). He will explain what has stayed the same, what is new and there will be dedicated time for Q&A in each session.

Link: https://warwick.ac.uk/global/partnerships/europe/calendar/local/

RNA viruses cause a wide range of diseases in humans, from the common cold to more severe illnesses such as gastroenteritis, influenza, Ebola virus disease, measles and COVID-19. The use of RNA (instead of DNA) by these viruses gives them unique properties since, unlike DNA, RNA can adopt specific shapes that allow the genome itself to carry out structural and enzymatic functions directly, even though it is not a protein or an enzyme in a conventional sense. All RNA viruses exploit this unique property of RNA in one way or another. This feature is exploited by all RNA viruses in one way or another. Coronaviruses, for example, use RNA structures to regulate their own genome replication, as well as to interact with host ribosomes. Influenza viruses use RNA structure to control splicing of viral genes and to drive reassortment of their eight genomic segments — the process that gives rise to new pandemic strains. Much of the details about how RNA structures act (and interact) during infection remains unknown. I will discuss our recent work on using high-throughput chemical probing coupled with high-throughput sequencing in order to map RNA structures in influenza A virus and in SARS-CoV-2.