HUPOST Editor: Aleksandra Nita-Lazar | Staff Editor: HUPO Office | November 2024

©Conventus/Photo: Susann Bargas Gomez

Thank you for Attending HUPO 2024,

Dresden, Germany

From October 20-24, HUPO 2024 was held in the beautiful city of Dresden, Germany. The congress was a remarkable success, bringing together more than 1,800 scientists from over 51 countries! The program showcased advancements across fields such as cancer, infectious diseases, and molecular technologies including over 28 sessions, 1100 posters and over 50 exhibitors and sponsors.

On behalf of the HUPO community and the Local Organizing Committee, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved. The dedication and hard work of the organizing teams over the past months have made HUPO 2024 an unforgettable event.

We are grateful to all our delegates, distinguished speakers, and industry partners for their active participation and support. Your presence and contributions were instrumental in making this Congress a tremendous success!

Relive some of the event's highlights in our HUPO 2024 photo gallery.

We hope you enjoyed your time in Dresden, found inspiration in the scientific sessions, and forged valuable connections that will advance the field of proteomics. Thank you again for joining us, and we look forward to welcoming you to the next HUPO Congress in Toronto, Canada, from November 9-13, 2025!

Creation of the HPP Portal – A Knowledge Hub to Support the HPP Grand Challenge

Over the years, scientists from around the world, especially the ones involved in the Human Proteome Project (HPP) have accumulated massive knowledge on human proteins. Since 2012, the advance of the Chromosome-centric HPP (C-HPP) defined stringent criteria of protein existence. All of this information was collected in the neXtProt database. It became a valuable resource of human protein research. In 2023, a mirror site of neXtProt was established by Chi-Biotech in Shenzhen, China, facilitating the access from Asian countries.

Read full article...

In recognition and appreciation of the significant support, participation and guidance provided by HUPO's Industrial Advisory Board (IAB), one IAB member is highlighted each month. We encourage you to connect with these companies directly for further information about their involvement in HUPO and their products and services.

SPOC Proteomics is a pioneering proteomics company based out of Scottsdale, Arizona and Menlo Park, California that developed a transformative high-throughput protein production and kinetic screening platform termed sensor-integrated proteome-on-chip (SPOC®).

SPOC is the world’s first highly multiplexed kinetic proteomic biosensor platform. Our unique cell-free protein production combined with simultaneous capture-purification onto biosensors, facilitates producing up to 2,400 unique proteins on a single 1 sq-cm biosensor chip, reducing costs by ~10x from traditional recombinant protein workflows. Using real-time surface plasmon resonance (SPR) screening, SPOC outputs qualitative, quantitative, and kinetic data for thousands of proteins simultaneously to support drug discovery, wet lab testing of AI-designed drugs, vaccine development, biomarker discovery, and plasma proteomics. Read our online pre-print to learn more.

AI Drug Discovery: The SPOC platform is set to accelerate AI-driven drug design by enabling rapid and low-cost wet lab testing of AI designed drugs, for rapid iterative improvement design-test-build cycles. SPOC SPR can generate kinetic biophysical data for thousands of drug target interactions in a single assay, while the in-development SPOC MALDI-TOF screen can generate millions of binding data points at once, which can be used to further train AI models. Learn more here.

Therapeutics Development: Applications in pre-clinical discovery include (i) high-throughput antibody affinity maturation campaigns by producing up to 1000 custom sequences of single-chain antibody fragments directly on SPOC biosensor chips for kinetic SPR screening with target (in solution), to enable down-selection of Ab sequences with optimal affinities and sequence diversity; (ii) epitope mapping with single amino acid resolution and kinetic data using SPOC partial deep mutational scanning (DMS) target library chips, wherein target residues are scanned with multiple amino acids. Lead candidates screening with SPOC DMS chips detects loss of binding to indicate epitopes; (iii) downstream safety screens of lead drug candidates via high-throughput screening against the whole human proteome, to identify off-target binding which may cause toxicity during clinical trials. Learn more here.

Vaccine Development: SPOC supports antigen discovery, by enabling high-throughput immunological screens with patient samples to support discovery of immunogenic antigens, breadth of variant coverage, and cross-reactivity to other pathogen family members. SPOC can serve as a customized companion product for comprehensive immune profiling, with antibody isotype, to support clinical trials. Learn more here.

Limited opportunities for early access studies are available. Reach out to info@spoc.bio to learn more about these opportunities.

Please visit us at www.spoc.bio or follow us on LinkedIn.

HUPO 2024 Congress Recap: An ECR Perspective on a Memorable Gathering in Dresden, Germany

The HUPO 2024 World Congress in Dresden was an inspiring event, bringing the proteomics community together to share the latest research, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and network with peers from around the world. With a bustling program and vibrant atmosphere, the congress once again highlighted the role of the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee and the Young Proteomics Investigators Club (YPIC) of EuPA in fostering the next generation of proteomics leaders. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making this congress a success! Here’s a look back at some of the highlights from this year:

The Unforgettable ECR Networking Evening was a Huge Success!

This year, the ECR Networking evening took us on a boat ride along the Elbe river in Dresden in a memorable evening with lovely views and fantastic conversations. It was the perfect way to kickstart the congress as it brought early career researchers and senior scientists from all over the world together. A fun mix-and-match-the colors-game was the perfect icebreaker for strangers to mingle! Thank you to everyone who joined us for this wonderful evening!

Engaging Mentoring Sessions that Sparked Great Conversations!

The ECR Mentoring Sessions are always a highlight, and this year was no exception. Attendees joined lively discussions on key career topics, including “Exploring Career Paths,” “Mental Health and Resilience ” and “Mastering Mentorship.” The sessions featured interactive polls and candid insights from speakers who shared their personal career experiences. A special thank you to all our mentors for their valuable guidance and to the enthusiastic participants who made these sessions a space for honest conversation and learning. For a detailed recap on lessons learned at the mentoring sessions click here.

Thank you to all the Panelists!



Mental Health: Building Resilience to Manage Work and Job Search Stress

• Jennifer Geddes-McAlister (University of Guelph)
• Stuart Cordwell (The University of Sydney)
• Adriana Franco Paes Leme (Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory)

Mastering Mentorship: Navigating Conflicts and Personalities

• Dr. Blandine Chazarin (Postdoctoral Scientist at PRISM laboratory, France)
• Dr. Chiara Francavilla, (Associate Professor at DTU Bioengineering, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Manchester)
• Dr. Parag Mallick (Associate Professor at Stanford University and Chief Scientist at Nautilus Biotechnology, a next-generation proteomics company)

Career Paths: What’s Next in Your Career?

• Christoph Krisp (Application Development Specialist Proteomics at Bruker Daltonics, DE)
• Maurine Fucito (Application Specialist at Evosep, DK, and President of the Young Proteomics Investigators Club)
• Uli Ohmayer (Co-founder and Head of Mass Spectrometry at NEOsphere Biotechnologies, DE)
• John Yates (Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Proteome Research, and Professor at the Scripps Research Institute, US)

Early Career Researchers Put on a Show at the Manuscript Competition: Proteomics Highlight of the Year Session during HUPO 2024



The annual HUPO Early Career Research Manuscript Competition was run by the HUPO ECR Committee in collaboration with YPIC. Over 25 manuscripts were submitted to be reviewed by three external reviewers. At the HUPO 2024 World Congress, attendees were invited to watch the three finalists present their groundbreaking proteomics research in a plenary session sponsored by Expert Review of Proteomics by Taylor & Francis.

All three speakers gave exciting talks and eventually a panel of judges crowned Stacy Malaker’s paper entitled “Glycoproteomic landscape and structural dynamics of TIM family immune checkpoints enabled by mucinase SmE” as the Proteomics Highlight of the Year. Stacy was awarded a cash prize of $1,000 USD and the two fabulous runner’s up, Marc van Oostrum and Leyuan Li, received cash prizes of $500 USD each. 

The HUPO ECR Committee and YPIC would like to thank all of the reviewers and in-person judges who facilitated this competition to run so smoothly. Additional thanks go to all of the Early Career Researchers who submitted a manuscript. Stay tuned for next year’s manuscript competition submissions for HUPO 2025 in Toronto, Canada.

See Manuscript Competition winners here...

Manuscript Competition Sponsored By:

A Lively HUPO 2024 Poster Competition

Over the course of three days, the HUPO 2024 poster competition showcased the vibrant research diversity of our community. Thirty esteemed judges from various regions and scientific disciplines convened to evaluate the innovative work of our preselected student and postdoctoral finalists. The presentations were assessed based on graphical elements, delivery skills, content richness, and overall impact. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the finalists. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the judges underscores the exceptional caliber of the presentations, reflecting the cutting-edge research and dedication of the participants.

See Poster Competition Winners here...

Poster Competition Sponsored by:

3-Minute Thesis Competition: Big Ideas in a Short Time 

We had a very inspiring 3-minute thesis competition session, where 11 PhD students tackled the challenge of presenting their complex research projects in just three minutes, using only one static slide, as if addressing a lay audience. The creativity displayed was remarkable, with each student distilling intricate topics into accessible, engaging presentations that captivated the audience. Their precision in both timing and delivery reflected impressive skill and dedication. The standout presentation came from Ericka Itang, who took us into a "proteomics crime scene". 

See the 3-Minute Thesis Competition Winners here...

3-Minute Thesis Competition Sponsored By: 

The HUPO leadership is comprised of scientists who are passionate and committed to advancing the development and application of proteomics technologies for the enhancement of biological knowledge, global health and wellness. It is with great pleasure that we announce the results of the recent elections.

HUPO Executive Committee Election Results (2025-2026)

President Elect (2024) / Incoming President (2025-2026) - Uwe Völker

Secretary General – Ruth Huttenhain

Treasurer – Bernd Wollscheid

Member-at-Large – Stuart Cordwell

Member-at-Large – Mathieu Lavallée-Adam

HUPO Council Election Results (2025-2027)

Eastern Region

Stuart Cordwell

Tiannan Guo

Mio Iwasaki

Hyun Joo An

Marc Wilkins

Central Region

Ben Collins

Maurine Fucito

Paola Roncada

Lilla Turiák

Juan Antonio Vizcaino

Western Region

Fabio César Sousa Nogueira

Chris Overall

Birgit Schilling

Devin Schweppe

Olga Vitek

Sincere congratulations is extended once again to the 2024 HUPO Awardees as presented during HUPO 2024 in Dresden, Germany:

2024 Clinical and Translational Proteomics Sciences Award

Catherine CL Wong, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (China)

2024 Discovery in Proteomic Sciences Award

Mikhail Savitski, EMBL (Germany)

2024 Distinguished Achievement in Proteomic Sciences Award

Award Sponsored By: Journal of Proteome Research (ACS Publications)

Joshua J. Coon, University of Wisconsin (USA)

2024 Rising Star Award

Award Organized By: HUPO Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee

Lindsay K. Pino, Talus Biosciences (USA)

2024 Science and Technology Award

Award Sponsored By: HUPO Industrial Advisory Board

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Astral Analyzer):

• Dmitry Grinfeld 
• Christian Hock 
• Alexander Makarov
• Hamish Stewart 



See all details of the 2024 Award winners here...

Attention HUPO Members!



We are excited to announce a special opportunity for all members to showcase their creativity and passion for the -omics world through our "Proteomics Essay Corner". We invite you to write essays or poems that explore and endorse the vast and fascinating landscape of proteomics and related fields.

Full details and submission guidelines here.

ETC Webinar Series: “The Past, Present and Future of Quadruple Ion Trap Mass Spectrometers in Proteomics” with

Dr. Philip Remeš

Dr. Philip Remeš, a Senior Research Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, presented an educational seminar on ion trap mass spectrometers. In addition to discussing how ion traps work fundamentally, Dr. Remeš covered the strengths and weaknesses of ion traps for proteomics, as well as how ion traps are likely to be used for proteomics in the near future. Approximately 50 participants were in attendance.

Read full summary...

Fun Under the African Sun!

Are you tired of the lack of sun during the northern hemisphere winter and looking to learn more about proteomics at one of the most well-received sun-soaked proteomics summer schools currently available? The Ubuntu Proteomics Summer School brings together an amazing list of speakers for our third event, being held in February 2025 in Durban, South Africa.

Join us and listen to talks from the likes of Jesper Olsen, Bernhard Küster, Kathryn Lilley and more (full program here).

Further details here...

A Data-Driven Revolution in Proteomics: Embracing Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA) and AI for Your Research

Elections in Dresden for C-HPP EC Members

Elections for the C-HPP EC were held at the 26th Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project Workshop, Dresden, Sunday 20 October 2024. We are pleased to announce the new Executive Committee for 2025 - December 31, 2028

• Chair: Gong Zhang
• Co-Chair: Chris Overall
• Co-Chair: Fernando Corrales
• Secretary General: Heeyoung Hwang
• Member at large: Sergio Manuel Encarnacion
• Member at large: Gilberto Demont
• Member at large: Josh LaBaer
• ECR Member: Michaela Cicchinell

Upcoming C-HPP Workshops for 2024 and 2025:

• 27th Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project Workshop on AI and the new Human Proteome Project Portal, Guangzhou LEDY Life and Health City, China, November 28-29, 2024
• 28th Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project Workshop: The HPP Grand Challenge, Saint-Malo, France, June 13-15, 2025 (before EUPA)

The HUPO Education and Training Committee (ETC) and the Early Career Researcher Committee (ECR), as well as other HUPO Initiatives have been hard at work organizing and providing very helpful and interesting webinars for the proteomics community. Recordings of these webinars can be found on the HUPO website here.  

If you have any ideas or suggestions for webinar topics, please send an email to the HUPO Office and we’ll be sure to pass them along!

November 18-19, 2024 - Sydney International Conference: Advancing Multi-Omics into the Clinic

(Sydney, Australia)

February 2-7, 2025

Ubuntu Proteomics Summer School

(Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa)

June 16-20, 2025 - EuPA 2025 Conference

(Saint-Malo, France)

November 9-13, 2025 - HUPO 2025 World Congress

(Toronto, Canada)

The job board on the HUPO website is a valuable resource for both employers and individuals seeking ideas and opportunities.

See the latest job postings:

• Core Senior Research Specialist - Mass Spectrometry

If you have a job posting and would like to advertise it, send your information to office@hupo.org. For more information and job listing details - visit the website here.