Marija Tursunović from the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Chemistry completed a one- month secondment at Genos from September 15 to October 14, 2026. During her stay, she focused on optimizing the enzymatic release of N-glycans from extracellular vesicles (EVs) for further glycomic analyses. Additionally, Marija performed EV isolations from human plasma using a nanobody-based immunoaffinity system with silica-coated magnetic particles. Marija also provided hands-on train

Miodrag Vukovic from partner IORS presented project results at the annual scientific meeting of the Serbian Society for Extracellular Vesicles on October 27, 2026. The meeting brought together researchers in the field of extracellular vesicles with the aim to provide an overview of the current state of EV research in Serbia, fostering better connections among society members, and initiating new collaborations. Miodrag outlined the result on comparative technical benchmarking

On 21 October 2026, our partner Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) organised the online webinar “Cancer, EVs and Liquid Biopsy”, focusing on recent advances in extracellular vesicle (EV) research and their applications in disease diagnosis and monitoring. The webinar featured three scientific lectures: High-Sensitivity Flow Cytometry for Monitoring Extracellular Vesicle Dynamics in Preclinical Breast Cancer Models, presented by María Fidel Lledó (VHIR) Non-invasive Profi

Dr. Snezana Bjelogrlić from Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (IORS) performed her secondments at GENOS in Zagreb, Croatia, from September 08. to October 09. 2026., hosted by Filip Kliček. During her stay, Snezana was involved in optimization of critical steps within the existing protocol settings for N-glycome extraction from isolated extracellular vesicles (EVs) samples. These methodological standardizations had to be performed in order to ensure future consist

Jovana Terzić from partner Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade was seconded to GENOS in Zagreb, Croatia as part of the EXPAND-EV project. Jovana participated in the preparation of extracellular vesicle (EV) samples for N-glycan analysis during her visit. Her work was dedicated to different sample preparation conditions and the significance of these conditions for further glycan analysis. Activities also included reviewing the analytical r

Lidija Filipovic participated in the EACR Liquid Biopsy Congress, held in Lyon, France, from 22 to 24 September 2026, where she presented a poster titled “Improving Extracellular Vesicle Isolation for Liquid Biopsy Using a Nanobody-Functionalized Magnetic Platform”, featuring research supported by the EXPAND-EV project. The work focused on developing and evaluating a magnetic nanoparticle platform functionalised with VHH nanobodies for the immunoaffinity isolation of extracel

As part of the EXPAND-EV project, Evangelos Korakidis from partner Hellenic Pasteur Institute completed a two-week training period at GENOS in Zagreb, Croatia, focusing on the glycomic analysis of breast cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). During the stay, Evangelos gained hands-on experience in EV lysis, glycan labelling and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis, with the aim of quantifying glycan abundance and characterising EV glycome profi

A team from partner Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) participated in the 8th GEIVEX Symposium, held in Bilbao, Spain, where they presented research findings related to the EXPAND-EV project. The VHIR team shared promising results on the detection of individual extracellular vesicles (EVs), aiming to better understand the heterogeneity of cancer-derived EVs. The symposium provided a valuable opportunity to share scientific findings, exchange knowledge with the EV resear

Miodrag Vukovic, Ana Djuric and Milena Cavic participated at the PhotoSCLART Workshop "Novel Approaches in Contemporary Anticancer Therapy" organized by the project "Development of nature-inspired photo responsive anticancer agents - sclareol and artemisinin derivatives in cancer multidrug-resistance models: a foundation for the theranostic approach – PhotoSCLART" (Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, grant No. 7005) on October 2, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. Miodrag Vukovic

As part of the EXPAND-EV project, Nina Šimunić Briški from partner GENOS completed a research secondment at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) in Barcelona, Spain. During her stay, Nina had the opportunity to expand her knowledge of extracellular vesicle (EV) research, gaining experience with new techniques and methodologies and exchanging knowledge with the VHIR research team. The secondment took place in a welcoming and collaborative environment, with valuable supp

Aleksandar Radovanović from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Chemistry performed his two-month secondment at partner GENOS, as part of the EXPAND-EV project. The work centered on establishing a protocol for preparing N-glycan samples from plasma-derived EVs and optimizing the analytical workflow for EV glycome analysis using modern chromatography techniques. In addition to the main activities, Aleksandar took part in further glycomic analyses of immunoglobulins, includin

Ana Djuric from IORS completed a research stay at the Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR) in Barcelona, Spain. During her time at VHIR, Ana collaborated with an outstanding team to explore how EVs can serve as transformative biomarkers and targeted therapeutic carriers. This experience gave her an incredible opportunity to advance pioneering methodologies for EV isolation and purification socialand to strengthen our cross-border scientific network.

Building collaboration and expertise in Barcelona During his secondment at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) in Barcelona, Filip Kliček gained valuable hands-on experience working with cancer cell models and extracellular vesicles (EVs). The main aim was to prepare high-quality cell and EV samples for further N-glycomics analysis at Genos. Together with the CB-DDT group, Filip took part in cell culture work, EV preparation, sample characterisation and quantification. Se

From August 17 to September 2, Teodora Ćato from the Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (IORS) visited the Genos lab in Zagreb as part of the EXPAND-EV project. During her stay, Teodora completed practical training in mass spectrometry-based methods and conducted experiments aimed at developing an MS protocol for the glycomic analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from plasma and cell-culture supernatants.

From 15 July to 15 August 2026, Lidija Filipović completed a research secondment at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute in Athens within the EXPAND-EV project, under the supervision of Dr Niki Vassilaki. The work focused on evaluating magnetic particles as a solid phase for protein immobilization and affinity-based isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Their protein-binding capacity and performance in EV isolation were assessed, while the isolated vesicles were characterized

As part of the EXPAND-EV project, Joaquin Seras Franzoso from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) completed a research secondment at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), focused on the proteomic analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models, including cancer stem cell and bulk tumor populations. This training provided hands-on expertise across the complete proteomics workflow, from data curation

On 20–21 August 2026, UBFC hosted the EXPAND-EV workshop “Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Using Biochemical and Instrumental Methods.” The two-day workshop combined theoretical sessions with practical laboratory training, introducing participants to complementary biochemical and instrumental approaches for the isolation and characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs). During the practical sessions, participants performed EV isolation followed by the quantifica

Building on the work carried out during the first two months of her secondment, Iwona Borošak from partner GENOS dedicated the third month to proteomic data analysis of extracellular vesicle (EV) samples at NKUA. This phase focused on processing and interpreting proteomic data to evaluate the performance of the optimized sample preparation workflow and further improve the overall analysis workflow. Throughout this phase, Iwona strengthened her expertise in proteomic data anal

Dr. Milena Čavić, Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, presented a lecture on profiling of prognostic and predictive biomarkers in solid tumors at the Institute for Medical Research - University of Belgrade Scientific Seminar on July 9, 2026. The lecture explored how modern omics technologies, integrated with clinical data, can inform more precise treatment decisions and more individualized care, with a focus on locally advanced rec

As part of the Science Day at the Botanical Garden, Belgrade, we welcomed children, families, students, and many curious visitors to explore the fascinating world of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Through interactive activities, younger participants created EV models and learned how cells communicate by exchanging molecular messages, while older visitors discovered how EVs can be isolated and analyzed for future applications in liquid biopsy and precision medicine. The worksho