A joint working meeting of the WP1 and WP3 subgroups of the NETPHARM project was held at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, in Hradec Králové. The members of these subgroups, who are also part of the Skin Barrier Research Group, welcomed Prof. Dr. Daniel Huster from Leipzig University, a long-standing and highly valued collaborator in the field of biophysical skin barrier research, together with his colleagues Oskar Engberg, Ph.D., and Ferdinand Fandrei, Ph.D.
The meeting was opened by Prof. Kateřina Vávrová, followed by a scientific lecture delivered by Prof. Huster. His presentation provided the framework for a full day of focused scientific exchange. Throughout the program, both research teams systematically presented their current results, reviewed ongoing joint projects, and defined strategic directions for further collaboration.
Members of both groups introduced their current research topics, experimental models, and recent findings. The discussions concentrated in particular on the structural characterization of stratum corneum lipid organization, the application of advanced biophysical methods, and the further refinement of experimental approaches for studying skin barrier structure and function. Prof. Huster and his team provided targeted methodological recommendations and offered additional perspectives that will support the optimization of experimental strategies and data interpretation.
Beyond the scientific agenda, the meeting further strengthened personal and institutional ties between the collaborating laboratories. The intensive program concluded with a social gathering, allowing continued discussion in a less formal setting and reinforcing the collaborative framework.
A key outcome of the meeting was the development of a concept for a new international Czech–German research project. This initiative aims to deepen the long-term collaboration between the two groups and to further strengthen the scientific impact and international dimension of the NETPHARM project.
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Text and photo: Filipa de Castro & Ajit Pratihast; Skin Barrier Research Group
The project New Technologies for Translational Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences /NETPHARM, project ID CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004607, is co-funded by the European Union.
