Joining European Scientific Forces to Face Pandemics.

i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, PT-4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Cancer Drug Resistance Group, IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, PT-4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biological Sciences, FFUP-Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, PT-4050-313 Porto, Portugal.Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, IT-88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Net4Science srl, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, IT-88100, Catanzaro, Italy. Neuromuscular Disorders, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, ES-48903, Barakaldo, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, ES-48009, Bilbao, Spain. Experimental Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, DE-85354, Munich, Germany. CIQUP/Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, PT-4169-007, Porto, Portugal. Laboratory of Biomedical Embryology, Center for Stem Cell Research UniSTEM, University of Milan, IT-20133 Milan, Italy. Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics Group, Cancer Research Center (CiC-IMBCC, CSIC/USAL/IBSAL), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, ES-37007 Salamanca, Spain. Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-1445 Strassen, Luxembourg. Department of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-14220, Prague, Czech Republic. Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Technology, FI-26100 Rauma, Finland. CNR, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Molecular Genetics Unit of Bologna, IT-40136, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, IT-40136, Bologna, Italy. ScienceConsult, DI Thomas Mohr KG, AT-2353, Guntramsdorf, Austria; Department of Medicine I, Division: Institute of Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, AT-1090 Vienna, Austria. R?ga Stradi?? University, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, LV-1007, Riga, Latvia. Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, DE-97078, Würzburg, Germany. Department of Biosciences, University of Durham, Upper Mountjoy Science Site, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, ES-28040 Madrid, Spain. Institut für Med. Immunologie, Charité Campus Virchow Klinikum, DE-13353, Berlin, Germany. Department of Pharmacology and Personalised Medicine, MeHNS, FHML, Maastricht University, NL-6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands. Genetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, PT-4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, PT-4200-135 Porto, Portugal. CNR Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IAC Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo, IT-00185, Rome, Italy. Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, AT-1090, Vienna, Austria; Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, AT-1090, Vienna, Austria; Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support, Medical University of Vienna, AT-1090, Vienna, Austria. Department of Oncology, University of Turin, IT-10126, Turin, Italy.

Despite the international guidelines on the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the European scientific community was not sufficiently prepared to coordinate scientific efforts. To improve preparedness for future pandemics, we have initiated a network of nine European-funded Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Actions that can help facilitate inter-, multi-, and trans-disciplinary communication and collaboration.