P1-0140 — Final report
1.
Meeting Organisation.

The group organized one International Meeting on Proteases and their Regulation every year (5 in total), alternating between cysteine protease oriented meeting and general proteolysis meeting. In 2007, B. Turk organized the 15. ECDO annual conference on Cell Death in Portorož. B. Turk and V. Turk were members of Organizing and/or Scientific Committees and Session Chairs at numerous international and domestic meetings (e. g. IPS Meetings in 2005 and 2007, ECDO Meetings in 2006 and 2007, …). Crucial for promotion of Slovenia worldwide.

B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting

COBISS.SI-ID: 215376384
2.
Human Frontiers Science Program grant award (2006).

A very prestigious grant awarded to excellent scientists working at the cutting edge of natural sciences. Less than 4% of the applications are funded. B. Turk is the first Slovene scientist working in Slovenia receiving the grant together with colleagues from University of Tokyo (S. Ishiura), Stanford University (M. Bogyo) and Burnham Institute (G. Salvesen) for the work on the role of proteases in neurodegeneration caused by homopolymeric amino acid tracts such as polyglutamines in Huntington disease. Crucial for promotion of Slovenia.

E.02 International awards

COBISS.SI-ID: 22527783
3.
Membership in Academias and related organizations

V. Turk was elected for a Member of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana and of the World Academy of Art and Science, both in 2005. In addition, V. Turk and B. Turk (since 2007) are the only active members of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation) in Slovenia. EMBO is the most important professional organization in the field in Europe, gathering only the best scientists, including almost 50 Nobel Laureates among cca 1300 members, which were all elected.

D.03 Membership in foreign/international boards/committees

COBISS.SI-ID: 99999999
4.
Editorial, functions in Boards of International Organizations, etc

V. Turk was a Member of IUBMB Executive Committee and Chairman of IUBMB Committee on Symposia and Interest Groups. He is a member of Editorial Board of Arch. Biochem. Biophys (2004-) and was a Section Editor (2004-2006). B. Turk was an International Proteolysis Society Councilor (2001-2005); Member of Board of directors of the European Cell Death Organization (2005-) and Secretary General (2008-). He is also a member of IUBMB Committee on Symposia and Interest Groups. B Turk was in 2007 Guest Executive Editor of Curr. Pharm. Des. and Executive Editor of the journal Biol. Chem (2008-).

D.03 Membership in foreign/international boards/committees

COBISS.SI-ID: 16094247
5.
Method for plant protection against insects or nematodes by transformations with a nucleic acid encoding equistatin.

The patent deals with genetically modified potato (GMO organism) which is resistant to Colorado potato beetle. This is the result of our discovery that equistatin from Sea anemonae effectively inhibits cisteine and aspartic proteinases. This work is the result of many years investigation of our and the Dutch group which resulted in several publications and patents including EU and USA.

F.32 International patent

COBISS.SI-ID: 1746033
6.
Membership in Academias and related organizations

V. Turk was elected for a Member of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana and of the World Academy of Art and Science, both in 2005. In addition, V. Turk and B. Turk (since 2007) are the only active members of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation) in Slovenia. EMBO is the most important professional organization in the field in Europe, gathering only the best scientists, including almost 50 Nobel Laureates among cca 1300 members, which were all elected.

D.03 Membership in foreign/international boards/committees

7.
Editorial, functions in Boards of International Organizations, etc

V. Turk was a Member of IUBMB Executive Committee and Chairman of IUBMB Committee on Symposia and Interest Groups. He is a member of Editorial Board of Arch. Biochem. Biophys (2004-) and was a Section Editor (2004-2006). B. Turk was an International Proteolysis Society Councilor (2001-2005); Member of Board of directors of the European Cell Death Organization (2005-) and Secretary General (2008-). He is also a member of IUBMB Committee on Symposia and Interest Groups. B Turk was in 2007 Guest Executive Editor of Curr. Pharm. Des. and Executive Editor of the journal Biol. Chem (2008-).

D.03 Membership in foreign/international boards/committees

8.
Meeting Organisation.

The group organized one International Meeting on Proteases and their Regulation every year (5 in total), alternating between cysteine protease oriented meeting and general proteolysis meeting. In 2007, B. Turk organized the 15. ECDO annual conference on Cell Death in Portorož. B. Turk and V. Turk were members of Organizing and/or Scientific Committees and Session Chairs at numerous international and domestic meetings (e. g. IPS Meetings in 2005 and 2007, ECDO Meetings in 2006 and 2007, …). Crucial for promotion of Slovenia worldwide.

B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting