2nd European Cancer Dependency Map Symposium

Following the success of the first European Cancer Dependency Map Symposium in 2023, we are excited to announce the 2nd edition, to be held at Human Technopole. The event aims to convene world-leading experts in the fields of functional genomics and genome-editing screens to advance the discovery of new cancer vulnerabilities and therapeutic targets. It will also serve as a valuable platform for early-career researchers to engage with cutting-edge developments and foster scientific exchange. A new feature of this year’s programme is a dedicated segment on AI tools and advanced computational approaches.

The agenda includes talks by renowned scientists, an extended panel discussion with experts from industry and an editor from Nature Genetics, as well as three short poster sessions. Participants are warmly encouraged to submit an abstract for a chance to present their work.

The 2nd Cancer Dependency Map Symposium represents a great opportunity within the Italian and the international research landscape to explore the latest breakthroughs and gain insights into the future of the systematic identification of tumour vulnerabilities.

More on the European Cancer Dependency Map (EuroDepMap)

The European Cancer Dependency Map (EuroDepMap) is an emerging and heterogeneous community of European scientists committed to accelerating precision cancer medicine through the systematic identification of cancer dependencies. This effort builds on the foundational work of the Broad Institute and the Sanger Institute, who’s pioneering DepMap initiatives set the stage for large-scale functional genomics in cancer. It also directly responds to the call published in Nature in 2021, which advocated for a globally coordinated and federated approach to cancer dependency mapping.

To date, more than 1,000 fully characterised cancer models have been screened through large-scale CRISPR-based functional genomics projects, generating unprecedented multi-omic and phenotypic data. These efforts are now expanding to include more complex models—such as organoids and co-cultures—and cancers that are rare, paediatric, or underrepresented in current datasets. Beyond mapping vulnerabilities, this evolving initiative also aims to define standards for data generation and analysis, and to develop tailored computational tools and infrastructure to support data exploration, interpretation, and reuse.

At this stage, the EuroDepMap community is coming together to establish its identity, to define a shared vision, and to launch collaborative endeavours across institutions and disciplines. By joining forces in a federated consortium, we hope to shape the next phase of cancer dependency research in Europe, grounded in open science, methodological rigour, and translational relevance.