Annual Meeting – Riboclub

RiboClub Opening Session

The RiboClub Annual Meeting serves as the opening session of year long activities and seminars by students and trainees at all levels. The annual meeting encourages the exchange of ideas and stimulates collaborations between RNA biologists around the world. The meeting covers different topics related to the chemistry, structure and biology of RNA with emphasis on upcoming and debatable biological questions. Each year, the RiboClub focuses on a different research topic or a community of RNA researchers to highlight new advances in RNA research and innovation and promote collaboration between scientists from different disciplines and research institutes.

Topics & Speakers

September 21 – 25, 2025

Chéribourg hotel, Quebec, Canada

Topics:

Viral response

Infection, Immunology and host response

RNA therapeutics

Computational Biology, Machine Learning, Databases

RNA Visualization and probing

Plant Biology

Bacterial RNA

Future directions in RNA research

Public Speakers:

Wendy Gilbert, Yale School of Medicine, USA

Tom Cech, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Many Ares, UCSC, USA

Featured Speakers:

Amy Palmer, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Anastasia Khvorova, University of Massachussetts, USA

Angela N Brooks, UCSC, USA

Beatriz Fontoura, UT Southwestern, USA

Elena Rivas, Harvard University, USA

Jan Gorodkin, Center for non-coding RNA in technology, Denmark

Kai Papenfort, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany

Kristin Koutmou, University of Michigan, USA

Lydia Herzel, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Mark Glover, University of Alberta, Canada

Marvin Whiteley, Georgia Tech, USA

Mary Allen, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Matt Daugherty, UCSD, USA

Matthew Taliaferro, University of Colorado Anschutz, USA

Michelle Hastings, University of Michigan, USA

Olivia Wilkins, University of Manitoba, Canada

Rob Martienssen, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA

Roy Parker, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Sara Cherry, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Sarah M. Assman, Pennsylvania State University, USA

Tim Stasevich, Colorado State University, USA

Organizers of the
2025 RiboClub Conference

Meeting Coordinator:

Sherif Abou Elela, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada /
Contact for program implementation and general communications, e.mail

Organizers:

Robert Batey, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Jay Hesselberth, University of Colorado, USA

Hosna Jabbari, University of Alberta, Canada

Arvind Mer, University of Ottawa, Canada

Mathieu Flamand, Université Laval, Canada

Eric Masse, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada

Steve Whyard, University of Manitoba, Canada

Michelle Scott, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada /
Contact for EDI issues, e.mail

Jonathan Perreault, INRS, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Canada/
Contact for industry or partnership issues, e.mail

Brendan Bell, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada /
Contact for entertainment and transportation, e.mail

Jean-Philippe Brosseau, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada /
Contact for poster competition and organisation, e.mail

Students’ Representatives:

Louis-Philippe Chaumont, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada /
Contact for all student activity, travel award and public competitions, e.mail

Laurence Faucher-Giguere, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada /
Contact for all student activity, travel award and public competitions, e.mail

Due to the constantly changing nature of travel, we urge people to research their own travel requirements, including Passport and Visa requirements, documentation for re-entry into country of residence, and any other identification needed, and allow sufficient time in advance of the meeting for processing of such documentation.

For those who are coming from outside Canada, please refer to the following link and check if your visit requires a Visa to enter the country: https://ircc.canada.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Directions to the Chéribourg Hotel

Please allow at least 2 hours travel time from Montréal airport to the Chéribourg Hotel, plus an additional 2 hours for check-in if traveling overseas (outside Canada) or 1 hour for check-in if traveling domestically (within Canada).

To facilitate travel to the the Riboclub Annual meeting from the Montreal airport we suggest two possibilities:
1. One is to book with a local shuttle company: https://aeronavette.ca/en/home/
2. The second option is to rent a car at the airport: http://www.admtl.com/en/access/car-rental

A web-based tool that could be helpful for those having already organized a ride and wish to share it can be found at: http://www.groupcarpool.com/. Please note that although the Riboclub has tested these sites they are external and the Riboclub cannot be held responsible for their function.

You can also travel by bus:

Take the Express Bus 747 to Montréal Central Bus terminal at Berri-UQAM metro station (Gare d’autocars de Montréal), located at 505 de Maisonneuve Blvd
From Montréal Central Bus station, take Transdev Limocar Bus to Magog city
From Magog take a taxi to the Chéribourg Hotel

For further information not included in this page, please contact [email protected]

The members of the RiboClub in accordance with federal, provincial and local laws are committed to providing a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment where each member can progress and reach their full potential, regardless of age, ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, linguistic choice, sexuality and/or socio-economic status.

This community is committed to maintaining a respectful environment and has a zero-tolerance policy against harassment and discriminatory behavior at all its events. Participants, including researchers, research assistants, postdoctoral fellows, students, and exhibitors, must show respect and consideration for each other and the local community. To maintain an inclusive environment, the RiboClub does not permit activism, protesting, dissemination of misinformation (i.e. statements presented as fact but lacking scientific evidence), or the distribution of materials regarding partisan political, religious or other ideological views that are not directly related to our organization’s mission and the event’s focus.

Consistent with the mission, commitments and policies, the purpose of this Code is to define the professional conduct of all individuals. All participants attending the RiboClub annual meeting are expected to comply with this Code of Conduct.

Expected behavior

All participants agree to:

Treat all participants with respect and consideration, valuing the diversity of views and opinions
Demonstrate courtesy, respect, and cooperation
Communicate openly with respect for others, focusing on ideas rather than individuals and providing positive feedback and criticism
Be attentive to their surroundings and to fellow participants
Comply with the rules and policies of the conference site
Notify the organizers if a dangerous situation or a person in distress is noticed

Unacceptable behavior

All participants agree to refrain from unacceptable behavior including but not limited to:

All forms of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or discrimination
The threat, harassment, or personal attack of any participant
The use of traditional or social media to target individual actions of conference attendees in a way that could harm their privacy or reputation
Verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, height, race, religion, linguistic choice, country of origin
False or misleading statements or activities that could be perceived as defamatory by any participant or organization present at the conference
Loss of civility, for example shouting, personal attacks or insults, throwing objects or other displays of temper
Inappropriate use of nudity or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations
Unwanted physical contact with others or threats of such contact
Sexual harassment or harassment based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation
Recording or photographing the presentation of another participant without her/his/their explicit permission

Reporting Breaches or Violations

Breaches or violations of this Code of Conduct will be taken extremely seriously and must be reported to one of the conference organizers. The conference Organizing Committee will assess the violation and take appropriate and immediate action, which may include removal from the conference. The Organizing Committee may also decide to refer the violation to the RNA Canada ARN Executive Committee and the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee and Board may extend a sanction to include future conferences, inform the host institution of the violation, and/or notify the person’s home institution of the violation. Confidentiality will be maintained unless disclosure is legally required.

Practical advice to prepare your Powerpoint presentation

Keep the design very basic and simple. It should not distract.
Keep a consistent style throughout presentation
Use a simple and readable font like: Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, Verdana or Helvetica.
Consistently use the same font face and sizes on all slides.
Make a brilliant choice: match colors for design and good contrast to highlight your message.
If you want to play with colors, keep it easy on the eyes and always keep good contrast in mind.
Do not use a dark background, a plain and light background is recommended.
Keep your pages simple and uniform with a good amount of whitespace.
Avoid dark animations, sound transitions and visual effects.

Poster guidelines

Poster board dimensions: 3ft width x 3ft height or 3ft width x 4ft height
Your poster should include heading consisting of (1) the poster title, (2) author(s), (3) affiliation(s), (4) city and (5) country.
Your poster may use text, graphs, and figures to describe your work.
Any necessary equipment for attaching the sheets to the board will be available near the poster location. Please use only the provided materials in order not to damage the panels and enable a smooth removal afterwards.
Aim to present your poster in 5 minutes in front of judges.

Microtalk guidelines

Microtalk presentations are 2 minutes long.
You must present only 1 slide

Talk timing

Featured speakers’ and selected abstract presentations are 15 minutes long with questions during a panel discussion moderated by the session chair

The RiboClub Society has set aside a limited amount of funds for fellowships to support students and postdoctoral fellows who otherwise would not be able to attend the meeting for financial reasons. In most cases the fellowships will be made in the form of reduced participation fees. Travel reimbursement, if awarded, will be presented in the form of a check from the RiboClub Society after the close of the conference (keep your travel receipts; they will be required to receive reimbursement). No more than one fellowship per research group will be granted.

The application deadline for all travel fellowships/awards is June 10. Requests will be reviewed by a committee of peers of the regular members of the RiboClub, and decisions will be communicated by email no later than June 25. Please note that this fellowship is only reserved for external participants (outside Sherbrooke area).

If you wish to apply for a fellowship, please download and fill the form, save it and email it to [email protected]

General Travel Fellowship Application

Chéribourg Hotel

Nestled between Mount Orford and Memphrémagog Lake, Chéribourg hotel will leave you spellbound. The unique site, the beauty of the surroundings, and the mouth-watering cuisine will delight those who dream of an energizing getaway. If you want to escape the everyday humdrum, or if you simply want to organize a meeting in a delightful setting, this is the perfect place for you.

Located in the heart of nature in the Eastern Townships, Chéribourg hotel boasts 124 hotel rooms and suites. It has many meeting rooms ideal for your business meetings or private get-togethers.

One of our best features, however, is offering you the enjoyment of one of the most beautiful tourist areas in Quebec. Come and witness the mesmerizing beauty of Lake Memphrémagog and Mount Orford and discover the most enchanting natural sites.

Important remarks

Group discounts apply for labs with more than one trainee participating to the meeting:
– Two trainees: 5% discount for both trainees.
– Three or more trainees: 10% discount for all trainees.
This discount is only available for early registration. PI should email the list of registered students to [email protected] before June 30 to allow reimbursement of the discount.

Trainee category includes postdoctoral fellows.

All registration categories include lectures and meals.

All fees are in Canadian dollars per person, before 15% applicable taxes (approximative estimates of the fees in Euro and US dollars are also indicated for information only).

Please note that registration fees cannot be refunded under ANY circumstances after the registration request was accepted. The organizers cannot make any exceptions. However, if registration was rejected due to over subscription the fees will be reimbursed.

Types of Presentation

Poster:

Poster board dimensions: 3ft width x 3ft height or 3ft width x 4ft height
There are two ways to construct your poster: 1 – As a single sheet of paper 2 – By using multiple 8.5 by 11 pieces of paper as poster units
Your poster should include heading consisting of (1) the poster title, (2) author(s), (3) affiliation(s), (4) city and (5) country.
Your poster may use text, graphs, and figures to describe your work.
Any necessary equipment for attaching the sheets to the board will be available near the poster location. Please use only the provided materials in order not to damage the panels and enable a smooth removal afterwards.

Talk:

The session chairs will select oral presentations from submitted abstracts. You need to select a talk session that corresponds to your presentation.
Time assigned for the: Keynotes’ presentations are 45 minutes long with a 15-min question period. Featured speakers’ and selected abstract presentations are 15 minutes long with questions during a panel discussion moderated by the session chair

RiboClub Society acknowledges the support of the following sponsors