GENEGUT’s 7th General Assembly in Uppsala: From scientific milestones to future pathways

On 25–26 June 2025, the GENEGUT consortium convened for its 7th General Assembly meeting, hosted by Uppsala University (UU) in Sweden. The two-day meeting marked project month 33 and brought together over 30 participants representing all nine project partners.

The assembly offered an important opportunity to reflect on the project’s achievements and ongoing challenges while charting a course for the remaining months of GENEGUT. With the end of the project now approaching, the focus of the meeting was not only on scientific progress but also on impact pathways and next steps beyond the project duration.

Scientific progress and cross-work package collaboration

The meeting opened with words of welcome from Dr. Madlen Hubert (UU) and Prof. Caitriona O’Driscoll (UCC), followed by an interactive warm-up session facilitated by accelCH to set the tone for an open and collaborative exchange. Work package updates followed, offering a comprehensive overview of the project’s technical and translational progress. The project coordination team provided a comprehensive update on management, reporting and innovation tracking across all work packages.

• WP1 (Synthesis, formulation and characterisation of therapeutic RNA-based nanoparticles) 

• WP2 (Cellular specificity and mechanism) 

• WP3 (Formulation development for regional specificity)

• WP4 (Proof of efficacy under diseased conditions)

• WP5 (Early health technology assessment and regulatory preparedness)

• WP6 (Communication, dissemination and exploitation)

Dialogue on impact and translation

In the afternoon of day one, the spotlight turned to impact beyond academia. A dedicated focus session titled “Road to market” delivered by guest speakers from UU, Rickard Boman and Kerstin Ekelöf, highlighted what it takes to translate EU-funded research into value-creating solutions, including the role of stakeholder engagement, market awareness and timing.

The day concluded with updates from the Early Career Researchers Club, followed by a guided tour of Uppsala and a networking dinner, offering participants a chance to connect informally and enjoy Swedish hospitality.

Looking ahead: research, strategy and sustainability

Day two began with a guest lecture by Professor Eduardo Villablanca from Karolinska Institutet, titled “The Cell and Molecular Architecture of the Healing Intestinal Barrier.” His presentation provided valuable scientific insights highly relevant to GENEGUT’s focus on inflammatory bowel disease.

The final sessions of the assembly zoomed in on future directions. A second focus session on strategic grant planning was led by Jeanette Müller and Eva Avilla Royo (accelCH), encouraging the consortium to identify promising follow-up opportunities and synergies across EU initiatives. The meeting closed with a joint review of next steps and milestones by the project coordinator, Prof. Caitriona O’Driscoll.

The GENEGUT consortium thanks our partners from Uppsala University for hosting a productive and inspiring meeting. The consortium is aligned in terms of the results and reflections shared during this 7th General Assembly and committed to delivering on the project’s final phase with rigour, creativity and collaboration.