As usually in our VLAG FLASH attention will be paid to upcoming courses, thesis defences, awards, and grants & events. Special attention is asked for the following course and conference:

•	Nutritional and Lifestyle Epidemiology - Evidence in nutritional research. to be held from 21 to 25 September 2009, Wageningen. Please register as soon as possible because only a limited amount of places is available.
•	Delivery of functionality in complex food systems - 3rd international symposium to be held from 18 - 21 October 2009, Wageningen. Abstracts should be submitted before 1 July.

The deadline for submitting information for the 23rd VLAG FLASH is 13 July 2009. This will be the last edition for the summer break.

•	Master class Nutrigenomics - 8th edition 6 - 9 July 2009, Wageningen During the Master class we will discuss new developments in nutrigenomics research including specific aspects of human and mouse studies, molecular epidemiology, applications of microarray analysis, metabolite profiling or biomarker identification strategies.
•	NuGO week 2009 31 August - 3 September 2009, Montecatini, Italy
•	Nutritional and lifestyle epidemiology - 9th edition 21 - 26 September 2009, Wageningen The aim of this advanced training course is to acquire knowledge and expertise in the design, conduct and analysis of epidemiologic research on lifestyle and nutritional factors in chronic disease etiology.
•	Production and use of food composition data in nutrition - 9th edition 11 - 24 October 2009, Wageningen The aim of FoodComp 2009 is to show how the quality and usefulness of food composition data is determined by the quality of the production of analytical data for nutrients in foods, and the compilation of these and other data into food composition tables and nutritional databases.
•	Delivery of functionality in complex food systems - 3rd international symposium The purpose of the symposium is to stimulate scientific discussion and interdisciplinary research in food science, food development and food technology. It will emphasize the rational design and fabrication of foods from a physical perspective, focusing on understanding and utilizing the basic principles of the assembly of elementary food components such as proteins, lipids, polysaccharides and colloidal particles, in relation to their phase behaviour. 18 - 21 October 2009, Wageningen
•	Advanced visualisation, integration and biological interpretation of -omics data - 1st edition 26 - 28 October 2009, Wageningen Organised in cooperation with Division of Human Nutrition (WU) and Graduate School WIAS.
•	Reaction kinetics in food science - 6th edition 26 - 30 October 2009, Wageningen The aim of the course is to acquire in-depth knowledge about kinetic modelling, and to apply and use kinetics in food science problems using modern software.

• M.B. Bos (Marieke) Mediterranean diet and the metabolic syndrome. 27-05-2009, 16:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. C.P.G.M. de Groot, Prof. E.J.M. Feskens, Dr. J.H.M. de Vries • M. Rosso (Michel) Modification of silicon nitride and silicon carbide surfaces for food and biosensor applications. 02-06-2009, 16:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. H. Zuilhof, Prof. R.M. Boom, Dr. C.G.P.H. Schroën • K. Gavai (Anand) Bayesian networks for -omics data analysis. 08-06-2009, 11:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. J.A.M. Leunissen, Prof. M. Müller, Dr. G.J.E.J. Hooiveld, Dr. P.J.F. Lucas • J.W. Swarts (Jan) Effective use of enzyme microreactors - thermal, kinetic, and ethical guidelines. 10-06-2009, 13:30 hrs, Wageningen Prof. R.M. Boom, Prof. M.J.J.A.A. Korthals, Dr. A.E.M. Janssen • P. Laptenok (Sergey) Global analysis of time-resolved fluorescence microspectroscopy and applications in biopolymer dynamics. 11-06-2009, 11:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. A.J.W.G. Visser, Prof. H. van Amerongen, Dr. I.H.M. van Stokkum • J.H.B. Sprakel (Joris) Physics of associative polymers. Bridging time and length scales. 12-06-2009, 16:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. F.A.M. Leermakers, Prof. M.A. Cohen Stuart, Dr. J. van der Gucht

• J.P.M. Derikx (Joep) (Patho) physiology of gut wall integrity in health and disease in man. 12-06-2009, 12:00 hrs, Maastricht Prof. W.A. Buurman, Prof. E. Heineman • A. Punt (Ans) Physiologically based biokinetic (PBBK) models to characterize dose- and species-dependent differences and interindividual human variation in bioactivation and detoxification of estragole. 15-06-2009, 16:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. I.M.C.M. Rietjens, Prof. P.J. van Bladeren, Dr. B. Schilter • D. van der Veen (Douwe) Transcriptional profiling of Aspergillus niger. 17-06-2009, 13:30 hrs, Wageningen Prof. J. van der Oost, Dr. L.H. de Graaff • G.S. Pilzak (Gregor) Synthesis and optical properties of monodisperse oligodiacetylenes. 19-06-2009, 13:30 hrs, Wageningen Prof. E.J.R. Sudhölter, Prof. H. Zuilhof • M.M. Appeldoorn (Maaike) Dietary A- and B-type procyanidins. Characterization and biofunctional potential of an abundant and diverse group of phenolics. 22-06-2009, 13:30 hrs, Wageningen Prof. H. Gruppen, Dr. J.P. Vincken, Dr. P.C.H. Hollman • A. Parker (Alan) Time dependence in jamming and unjamming. 30-06-2009, 16:00 hrs, Wageningen Prof. E. van der Linden

Last year the system of Training and supervision plans of the graduate schools of Wageningen University has been evaluated. One of the recommendations was to have the rules more standardized for all Wageningen Graduate Schools. For VLAG this means that we changed some of the rules for the certificate. The most important changes are

•	Conferences: In case of a presentation at a congress or course (oral or poster) 1.0 extra ECTS credit points are awarded. For posters this only applies for new original posters.
•	Preparation of research proposal (4 ECTS credits)
•	Organisation of international excursions (1.0 ECTS credits)

(visit VLAG)

On Wednesday 10 June there will be an introductory lunch for all Wageningen based PhD students who started recently. The lunch is from 12:30-13:30 hrs in the Blauwe Zaal (Biotechnion).
Please send an e-mail to Yvonne Smolders if you would like to join this lunch (Yvonne.Smolders@wur.nl).

•	Career Orientation - 29 May (visit WGS)
•	Career Assessment - June (visit WGS)
•	Competencies for Integrated Agricultural Research - 1 June (visit WGS)
•	Information Literacy, incl. Introduction Endnote - 9 June (visit WGS)
•	Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research: Intervision and communication skills - 11 June (visit WGS)
•	Techniques for Writing and Presenting a Scientific Paper - 30 June (visit WGS)
•	PhD Competence Assessment - 25 August (visit WGS)
•	Project- and Time Management - 8 September (visit WGS)
•	Scientific Writing - September (visit Language Services)
•	Presentation Skills - 6 October (visit Language Services)
•	Interpersonal Communication - 26 October (visit WGS)
•	Career Perspectives - October (visit WGS)
•	Effective behaviour in your professional surroundings - October/November (visit WGS)
•	Writing Grant Proposals - 2 November (visit Language Services)

•	Effective leadership styles (a Practical course for PhD supervisors) - 10 November (visit WGS)

Hauke Hilz, former PhD-Student from Food Chemistry-WU, has received the Gerhard-Billek-Preis 2008 for the best thesis defence in the field of Food Chemistry. The award was presented by the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (German Chemists Society) (visit GDCh)

NUTRIM PhD-student Femke Rutters, Human Biology-UM, has received the Kootstra Fellowships grant to deepen or to extend her research.
The board of University Maastricht has decided to give more attention to the intake and promotion of young talented researchers by making grants available. The grants of the Faculty of Medicine are called 'The Kootstra Fellowships' in honour of Prof.Dr. G. Kootstra.

From April 11 to April 27, 23 PhD students from the Microbiology Department at Wageningen University, accompanied by principal investigator Caroline Plugge, visited several research institutes, companies, and universities on the northeast coast of the USA. The aim of the trip was to visit research groups in the field of Microbiology and arrange mini-symposiums and poster sessions leaving also room for informal discussions. read more.

•	NWO-Talent Days and Talent Classes In 2009, NWO will organise a Talent Day on 6 October. Registration for will start in June. The 'Talent Days' series helps you developing other skills than technical skills, such as writing, networking and planning. (visit NWO) A Talent Class is an extensive workshop, based on the Talent Day. In fall 2009 the following dates are planned for the Talent Classes: 22 September, 10 November and 8 December. Registration for these Fall Talent Classes will start in the middle of May. (visit NWO)
•	Seminar The complexity of impact monitoring on MDG-1 4 June 2009, Hof van Wageningen, Wageningen The aim of the seminar is rethinking the commonly set ways of measuring progress towards MDG1c and applying new insights in a specific country setting with representatives from these countries. The deadline for registration is 28 May 2009. (visit CDIC)
•	Colloquium Anouk de Hoogh, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Sciences, WU Actin networks at interfaces: Towards a 2-Dimensional Reconstituted Cell Cytoskeleton 5 June 2009, 16:00 hrs, Ab van der Linde room, Building 316, Dreijenplein 6, Wageningen.
•	European Symposium: Mucosal Immunology and Intestinal Microflora 9 June 2009, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK This 1 day symposium aims to give postgraduate students that work in aspects of gut immunuity, host-pathogen interactions within the gut and the use of probiotics the chance to present their work and exchange ideas to an audience of students, postdocs and prinicipal investigators. Postgraduate students and post-docs are invited to participate during the symposium by either giving a presentation or presenting a poster. (visit miim)
•	Symposium: Dynamics of self-organized systems 11 June 2009, 10:00-15:30, Forum building (room C326), Wageningen University Campus, Wageningen This one day symposium, organised by the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science of Wageningen University, deals with dynamical phenomena in soft and biological materials and is aimed at researchers in the fields of soft matter physics, (physical) chemistry and biophysics. (please register)
•	Minisymposium: Folate and colorectal cancer 18 June 2009, 10:00-12:00, Greepzaal, Level 4, Academic Hospital Maastricht
•	5th International Yakult Symposium The gut and more - Probiotic influences beyond the gut. 18 - 19 June 2009, Amsterdam (visit Yakult)
•	PCDI Postdoc retreat The annual PCDI postdoc retreat prepares you for a scientific career in academia, in industry, or somewhere else. The retreats are open exclusively to postdocs and final year PhD students in life sciences, health and technology. Workshops in career planning and transferable skills, meet and greets with employers, and discussions on shaping a career in the life sciences are part of the programme. 24 - 26 June 2009, Kapellerput, Heeze (visit PCDI)
•	Entrepreneurial Boot Camp: Entrepreneurship and Valorization in Life Sciences This is a joint initiative of the Dutch Agro-Food Network of Entrepreneurship (DAFNE) and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. This Summer school for PhD students wants to create awareness of new invention and its possible impact through scouting, screening and assessing; and protecting and commercially exploiting knowledge (intellectual property). The Boot Camp will be organised in two blocks of five days: 19 - 24 July 2009, Wisconsin University in Madison (USA) and in Autumn 2009 in Wageningen. Each course will have a mixed group of Dutch and American PhD students (and other researchers) and a mixed group of Dutch and American teachers. Only two more places available (visit DAFNE or download brochure in pdf)
•	Training course: Translation of genetic variation to gene function in biology and epidemiology 3 - 6 September 2009, Stockholm (Arlanda), Sweden (visit Diogenes)
•	Arnon Grunberg gastschrijver bij Wageningen Universiteit (in Dutch) September & October 2009, Wageningen Gastschrijver Arnon Grunberg over morele dilemma's bij het knutselen aan de natuur. Het gastschrijverschap bestaat uit twee openbare optredens voor een breed publiek en, uitsluitend voor studenten, elf werkcolleges. Onder de titel 'Manipulatie, Macht en Onmacht' onderzoekt Grunberg in hoeverre het ingrijpen van mensen in (on-)natuurlijke productieprocessen tot meer geluk en welvaart heeft geleid. De inzendtermijn sluit op 1 juni. Eind juni wordt bekendgemaakt welke 25 studenten mogen deelnemen aan de werkcolleges. (visit KLV)