 COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation. (www.cost.eu) | The TRANSLACORE Cost Action is bridging disciplines and expertise across Europe in order to advance an emerging field in cancer biology: translational control in cancer. It is providing a unique opportunity to understand this biological process leading to reconsider our view of gene expression control in this disease and deliver novel therapeutic opportunities.

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2025 biennale - high resolution for printing.pdf

#### Second edition - Biennale 2025

**Theme: Cycle of Health and Cancer**

The Biennale 2025 marks the successful continuation and expansion of the groundbreaking 2023 edition, where science and art first joined to form a powerful platform for interdisciplinary dialogue. This year’s theme, Cycle of Health and Cancer, builds on past achievements by deepening public understanding and scientific exploration of the biological processes that govern health, disease, and recovery.

Human health is governed by a delicate interplay of molecular and cellular processes, that regulate well-being, illness, and the potential for healing. Cancer, one of the most intricate and multifaceted diseases, exemplifies the collapse of this equilibrium. It originates from subtle molecular changes, particularly alterations in DNA, which ultimately disrupt normal cellular metabolism. These genetic mutations can lead to the production of abnormal proteins or RNA molecules, that impair essential cellular activities and drive disease progression.

Proteins are synthesized through a tightly regulated process called translation, wherein the genetic instructions encoded in DNA are interpreted by a complex translational machinery comprising multiple proteins and RNAs. When this process becomes dysregulated, due to environmental stress, inherited mutations, or epigenetic modifications, the balance shifts toward disease. Thus, understanding and correcting these translational disruptions is critical to restoring and maintaining health.

However, sustaining this biological balance requires more than scientific insight alone. It also depends on continuous medical innovation, including early diagnostic strategies and the development of novel therapeutics. These advancements are driven by interdisciplinary cooperation across academia, industry, policy, and also the arts. Accordingly, Biennale 2025 underscores the vital role of collaboration among scientists, clinicians, and the public in cultivating a knowledge-based, health-conscious society.

**Translational Control in Cancer — TRANSLACORE**

The European TRANSLACORE Action remains at the forefront of this emerging field, making substantial progress since 2023. TRANSLACORE brings together experts and institutions across Europe to develop innovative approaches to cancer treatment by focusing on translational control, the regulation of protein synthesis within cells. Translation is central to a wide range of biological functions, including cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Disruptions in this finely tuned system can contribute significantly to the onset and progression of cancer. By investigating how cells alter translational output under stress or mutation, researchers are identifying new molecular targets and therapeutic avenues.

A major strength of TRANSLACORE lies in its commitment to innovative drug development. The initiative supports the discovery and preclinical validation of small-molecule inhibitors, RNA-based therapeutics, and other translation-targeting strategies aimed at selectively disrupting oncogenic protein production. These efforts are advancing a new generation of precision medicine, that target the translational machinery directly, offering hope for improved cancer treatments with greater specificity and fewer side effects.

TRANSLACORE’s integrated, multi-sectoral model, linking academic research, biotech companies, clinicians, and patient organizations, has laid a robust foundation for scientific excellence, meaningful engagement, and clinical outcomes. It also reinforces Europe’s leadership in the fast-evolving field of translational cancer research.

**Biennale 2025 follow theme: Where Science Meets Art**

Under the theme Where Science Meets Art, TRANSLACORE invites artists to interpret the Cycle of Health and Cancer by exploring the molecular flow of information from DNA to proteins, and how the regulation of translation affects cellular fate. Artistic interpretations should reflect the scientific depth and complexity of these processes, while transforming them into accessible and thought-provoking forms for the broader public. 

This initiative aims to spark curiosity, dialogue, and awareness of how life functions at the molecular level, and how this knowledge is used to combat diseases like cancer. Through this collaboration, the concepts of protein synthesis, translational control, and therapeutic innovation can reach wider and more diverse audiences.

**The Gallery**

The 2025 exhibition is showcasing a curated collection of artworks submitted through the Where Science Meets Art competition, under supervision of Sebastian Smit as art curator and Marek Tchórzewski as TRANSLACORE representee. Each piece in the gallery represents a fusion of scientific insight and artistic vision, offering a unique lens through which to view the fundamental mechanics of life, and TRANSLACORE initiative. 

These works not only visualize the latest discoveries within TRANSLACORE but also celebrate the creative processes that drive both scientific inquiry and artistic expression. The gallery becomes a space where molecules meet meaning, and data meets design. 

![52_ef4b53c0.png](/uploads/52_ef4b53c0_89ca1fb06b.png)

**Biennale 2025: extending our scientific and creative legacy**

Biennale 2025 solidifies and expands the accomplishments of its 2023 predecessor. It reflects the growing body of knowledge surrounding translational control in cancer and highlights the critical importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. By uniting scientific research with artistic expression, the initiative continues to foster innovation, dialogue, and community engagement, bringing us closer to a future in which the delicate balance between health and disease is not only better understood but more effectively managed through science, creativity, and shared vision.


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