20th edition of the Young Belgian Magnetic Resonance Scientists symposium - YBMRS 2024

25 Nov 2024, 09:00 → 26 Nov 2024, 18:00 Europe/Brussels

Floréal, Blankenberge

José C Martins (Ghent University)

The 20th editon of the YBMRS conference will take place in Floréal Blankenberge on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th of November 2024. 
Please save the date in your agenda!

The two day symposium will include tutorial sessions and keynote lectures by experts in the field, a dozen of oral communications by young scientists, poster sessions as well as plenty of opportunities to interact with everyone active in magnetic resonance, be it in research or commercial capacity.
We are also pleased to announce that starting with the 20th edition, the organisation of the YBMRS will be supported through affiliation with the Koninklijke Vlaamse Chemische Vereniging (KVCV), whom will provide a professional partner capable of handling all matters with regards to registration fees and sponsoring.
With this important development, difficulties for the participation of non-academic professionals to the YBMRS have been cleared and we therefore call on our many colleagues active in the industry to consider participation to the 20th YBMRS.
 
The organizing committee

Monday, 25 November

09:15 → 10:20 Registration, welcome coffee

10:20 → 10:30 Opening

10:30 → 12:10 Tutorials

10:30 Tutorial 1: Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Prof. Chantal Tax

This tutorial provides an introduction to MRI, focusing on the fundamentals of spatial encoding and image reconstruction. Participants will learn how magnetic gradients are used to encode spatial information and how signals are transformed into detailed images of anatomical structures.

Speaker: Prof. Chantal Tax (University Medical Center Utrecht)

11:20 Tutorial 2: EPR to study structure and dynamics in paramagnetic materials, Prof. Josef Granwehr

Speaker: Prof. Josef Granwehr (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH)

12:10 → 13:10 Lunch break

13:10 → 14:00 Tutorials

13:10 Tutorial 3: SOPs for the metabolic analysis of large cohorts of samples, Dr. Óscar Millet

Standardized operating procedures (SOPs) are critical for ensuring reliability, reproducibility, and comparability in NMR-based metabolic analysis, particularly when analyzing large cohorts of samples. We will present a comprehensive SOP framework designed to optimize NMR-based metabolomic profiling in high-throughput settings, addressing challenges such as sample preparation, spectral acquisition, data processing, and quality control. We will focus on minimizing variability through consistent sample handling, calibration protocols, and automated spectral analysis pipelines. By implementing these SOPs, we aim to establish a robust workflow that enhances sensitivity and specificity in detecting metabolites, enabling high-fidelity metabolomic profiling across extensive sample sets. Our protocols are validated through the analysis of a large cohort, demonstrating significantly reduced intra- and inter-run variability and improved reproducibility. These SOPs provide a valuable resource for large-scale studies aiming to utilize NMR metabolomics for biomarker discovery, population health studies, and personalized medicine applications. The framework can be adapted and refined for different biological matrices and metabolomic study designs, underscoring the importance of standardization in advancing metabolomics research on a broad scale.

Speaker: Dr Óscar Millet (CIC bioGUNE, Spain)

14:00 → 15:00 Oral contributions: session 1 – Chair: Samara Medina Rivero

14:00 Multinuclear Solid-State NMR and Spectroscopic Analysis of Fe-Bearing Alkali-Activated Slags: Insights into Iron Oxidation State and Polymerization

Speaker: Ziyou Yu (KU Leuven)

14:20 Exploring the Radiosensitizing Potential of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Speaker: Indiana Ternad (UMons)

14:40 Fast access to protein dynamics using ultra-selective 15N-1H spectroscopy

Speaker: Wiktor Adamski (Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille)

15:00 → 15:10 Flash presentations of posters(FP)

15:00 Multi-diagnostic NMR + dielectric spectroscopy unveils the unconventional properties of nanoconfined water

Speaker: Dr Eric Breynaert (KU Leuven)

15:01 Opportunities for Active Site Identification and Activity Prediction of Zeolite Catalysts using MAS NMR

Speaker: Dr C. Vinod Chandran (KU Leuven)

15:02 AI-Driven Analysis of Multiparametric MRI for Evaluating Response to Targeted and Immune Therapies in Preclinical Melanoma Models

Speaker: Madeline El Assal (Louvain Drug Research Institute(LDRI)/Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain))

15:03 Monte Carlo Simulations of the T2 relaxivity induced by Cubic Shaped Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles

Speaker: Florent Fritsche (UMons)

15:04 Insights into the crystallisation behaviour of imidazolium-chloride by multinuclear NMR.

Speaker: Luca Fusaro (University of Namur)

15:05 The Flemish Inter-University Ultra-High Field MRI Project (IN2U)

Speaker: Pim Pullens (Ghent University Hospital & Ghent University)

15:06 In situ crystallization studies of zeolites and MOFs using static and MAS NMR

Speaker: Sambhu Radhakrishnan (KU Leuven)

15:07 Unravelling the mysteries of black titania: A spectroscopic study on the reduction of titania with different crystal phases

Speaker: Lore Van den Bergh (UAntwerpen)

15:08 High Temperature 1H DOSY NMR reveals alteration of the molecular structure of water-extractable arabinoxylans during fermentation of wheat flour for sourdough production

Speaker: Pasquinel Weckx (KU Leuven)

15:10 → 16:30 Posters: session 1 – odd numbers (also including posters with flash presentations), coffee break

16:30 → 17:20 Plenary lecture: Chair: prof. Dimitrios Sakellariou

16:30 Plenary lecture 1: Diffusion MRI with strong gradient hardware, Prof. Chantal Tax

This talk will focus on diffusion NMR and MRI, which sensitises the signal to the molecular motion of water molecules. This technique can provide endogenous contrast to the microstructure of tissue. Diffusion encoding is done through applying additional field gradients, and the last decade has shown key developments in gradient hardware for more efficient encoding. The opportunities and pitfalls of strong-gradient diffusion MRI will be discussed.

Speaker: Prof. Chantal Tax (University Medical Center Utrecht)

17:20 → 18:40 Oral contributions: session 2 – Chair: Rodrigo de Oliveira Silva

17:20 Structural and Dynamic Insights into the Loss of Activity of Tolaasin I

Speaker: Mr Durga Prasad (University of Ghent)

17:40 Noninvasive discrimination between mitochondrial ROS and cytosolic ROS in solid tumors using in vivo EPR spectroscopy

Speaker: Barbara Mathieu (UCLouvain)

18:00 Improving medical material imaging with 3D-printed MRI passive shims

Speaker: Mrs An Vanduffel (KU Leuven)

18:20 Beware of the structure: Insights into the Phosphorus Dynamics of post-synthetically modified NU1000 in the presence of water

Speaker: Jennifer Theissen (UHasselt-KULeuven)

18:40 → 19:00 Break / Meeting

19:00 → 20:00 Reception

20:00 → 00:00 Dinner and party

Tuesday, 26 November

09:00 → 09:50 Plenary lecture: Chair: prof. Sabine Van Doorslaer

09:00 Plenary lecture 2: Investigating materials, components and devices for electrochemical applications using NMR and EPR, Prof. Josef Granwehr

Speaker: Prof. Josef Granwehr (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH)

09:50 → 10:30 Oral contributions: session 3 – Chair: Elien Dervaux

09:50 Electrical detection of magnetic resonance on a Chip (EDMRoC): A low-cost and sensitive characterization tool for defects in SiC MOSFETs

Speaker: Ilias Vandevenne (University of Antwerp)

10:10 Characterization and incorporation of heme proteins in mesoporous titania materials for biosensing applications

Speaker: Robine Cleirbaut (University of Antwerp)

10:30 → 11:40 Posters: session 2 – even numbers, coffee break

11:40 → 12:20 Oral contributions: session 3 continued

11:40 Detection of triplet excitons on open-shell (6,5)-SWCNTs-PTM• using Optically-Detected Magnetic Resonance

Speaker: Dr Jesus Alejandro De Sousa Rodriguez (University of Antwerp)

12:00 Characterizing the Acidity of Silica-Based Materials through 31P ssNMR: TMP as a Probe for Lewis and Brønsted Acid Sites.

Speaker: Anthony Morena (Unit of Nanomaterials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, NISM, University of Namur, Namur)

12:20 → 13:50 Group picture & Lunch break

13:50 → 14:40 Plenary lecture: Chair: prof. José Martins

13:50 Plenary lecture 3: A molecular definition of metabolic syndrome as investigated by NMR-based metabolomics, Dr. Óscar Millet

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of medical conditions and risk factors correlating with insulin resistance that, when occurring together in an individual, increase the risk of developing life hazardous cardiometabolic health problems. The specific criteria for diagnosing MetS are challenging and vary among different medical organizations but are typically based on the evaluation of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. In this context, an independent estimation of the risk of MetS based on quantitative biomarkers is highly desirable. We used NMR-based metabolomics on a large cohort of donors (n= 21,323) to investigate the diagnostic value of serum or serum combined with urine to estimate the MetS risk. Specifically, we have determined a plethora of circulating metabolites and the lipoprotein composition in serum samples and this information has been integrated with metabolic profiles extracted from urine samples. We have developed MetSCORE, a metabolic model of MetS that combines serum lipoprotein and metabolite information.[1] MetSCORE discriminate MetS patients (independently identified using the WHO criterium) from general population with an AUROC of 0·91. This continuous model can quantitatively stratify risk factors according to their contribution to the development of MetS. We believe that MetSCORE may be an insightful tool for early intervention and lifestyle modifications, potentially preventing the aggravation of metabolic syndrome.
[1]Gil-Redondo, R et al. Cardiovas. Diabetol. 2024, 23, 272-280.

Speaker: Dr Óscar Millet (CIC bioGUNE, Spain)

14:40 → 15:20 Oral contributions: session 4 – Chair: Anthony Morena

14:40 Structural Basis of Testosterone Recognition by a DNA Aptamer

Speaker: Dr Yoanes Maria Vianney (Ghent University)

15:00 Boosting 1H and 13C NMR signals by orders of magnitude using benchtop DNP

Speaker: Ewoud Vaneeckhaute (Very High Magnetic Field Center Lyon (CRMN), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENS Lyon, UMR 5082, 69100 Villeurbanne, France)

15:20 → 16:00 Coffee break, poster removal

16:00 → 16:20 Awards session and closure