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BIOCEV Division

Jan Zemánek

The BIOCEV division of IMG was established in September 2009. Its main task is to ensure, in terms of organization, the preparation and implementation of the project of a new research centre – Biotechnology and Biomedicine Centre of Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Vestec – BIOCEV. BIOCEV is a joint project of six institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Institute of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Institute of Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Biotechnology, and Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry) and Charles University in Prague, represented here by two faculties (Faculty of Science and First Faculty of Medicine), and is prepared with the ambition of creating a European centre of excellence.

The project builds upon three pillars of the knowledge triangle.

The research programme, which provides scientific outputs of highest quality, stands above all. It involves five fundamental areas: Functional Genomics, Cellular Biology and Virology, Structural Biology and Protein Engineering, Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, and Development of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures. This scientific programme will be supported by several top-quality core facilities.
Visualization of the Centre

Transfer of research results into practice represents the second pillar of BIOCEV. The centre will focus on intensive collaboration with the commercial sphere and will support preservation of intellectual property and its further utilization.

The third pillar is teaching and education namely of PhD students, which will be achieved within current study programmes of Charles University and by newly accredited programmes in biotechnology and biomedicine. In addition, BIOCEV will organize and facilitate specialized international courses for Czech and international students and young scientists. The new centre will also offer training of business employees in advanced biotechnology methods.

BIOCEV has entered two networks of European consortia of ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) – EuroBioImaging and INFRAFRONTIER. This integration into the European Research Area even before establishment of BIOCEV itself marks the quality of the future research centre.
The new centre will be built in the municipality of Vestec, Central Bohemia and will accommodate up to 600 employees and 250 Master and PhD students. Estimated costs for construction amount to 92 mil EUR. Funding will be provided by the European Regional Development Fund within the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovations. The construction should start in the middle of 2011, its operation then late in 2013. For more information visit www.biocev.eu.