CircRTrain focuses on circular RNAs (circRNAs), a new large class of single-stranded RNAs which have become the focus of an increasing number of publications covering diverse fields across basic molecular biology, neurobiology, neurodegenerative disease, aging, cancer, and biomarker research. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, circRNAs are unique because of their circular structure and, as a consequence, their unusually high stability. Secondly, only recent breakthroughs in sequencing technology and computational analyses revealed the widespread existence of circRNAs in animal cells, particularly in neural tissues, where circRNA levels are high, dynamic, and similar among different species. Moreover, in aging animal brains the levels of certain circRNAs are strongly elevated, suggesting connections to age-related diseases. Finally, the fact that thousands of different circRNAs can be readily detected in human blood and its components make circRNAs attractive biomarker candidates. The study of circRNAs thus emerges as a novel topic with highest importance for the understanding of such diverse conditions as neurodegenerative diseases, aging, and cancer.
The overall aims of circRTrain are to:
1. Elucidate the generation and function of circRNAs;
2. Define their role in diseases;
3. Exploit their potential as biomarkers and for medical applications; and
4. Combine cutting-edge technologies and disciplines.
Understanding circRNAs and exploring their medical relevance requires integrating various technologies, such as sequencing, imaging of single molecules as well as whole organisms, elimination and delivery of certain (circular) RNAs, and gene editing. To achieve this circRTrain was formed by a network of investigators, with common interests but from different disciplines, such as biochemistry, computational biology, and genetics. They are experienced with using different model systems, such as worm, fly, mouse, as well as human samples to apply their respective approaches.
CircRTrain combines these diverse approaches and industrial technologies by training 19 early stage researchers (ESR) at one industry and six academic partners and in cooperation with two R&D companies and one academic partner in the United States. The network provided scientific exchange formats at 4 Network Meetings, scientific training in 4 technical skills workshops and complementary training in 5 transferable skill workshops including science writing, visualization and publishing; intellectual property rights and entrepreneurship. The ongoing global COVID 19 pandemic had a major impact on the execution of the secondment plan, one of the mobility components of the network, but scientific exchange and the execution of trainings have always been a high priority for the whole network.
CircRTrain network partners developed, established, and validated technologies for isolating, analysing, expressing and depleting circRNAs while facing a growing need for common experimental standards in this relatively young research field. For this, circRTrain network partners, who are world experts in the circRNA research field, jointly authored a Nature Review article which proposes a set of guidelines for circRNA studies based on the network’s experience. circRTrain network partners believe that the implementation of consensus principles for circRNA research will help move the field forward and allow a better functional understanding of this fascinating group of RNAs.
