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Biotechnology and Biomedicine Centre of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Vestec

The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Charles University in Prague have joined forces to develop a European Centre of Excellence in the field of life sciences. By 2015, when fully operational, the BIOCEV centre will offer state-of-the-art core facilities, contractual research, education and training programmes for students and business specialists and over 400 employment opportunities for scientists from all over the world. All of its five research programmes are being developed by the most prominent scientists from the Czech Republic and abroad. Duration 2010-2014

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Project vision
 
BIOCEV’s vision is to establish a centre of excellence as part of the European Research Area and to guarantee development of modern biotechnologies and biomedicine in favour of scientific progress and modern society.
The uniqueness of the project lies in well-balanced activities and goals set within the pillars of the knowledge triangle, in BIOCEV supported by modern infrastructure and novel approaches to conducting research, which is based on the experience of top-quality world research institutes.
 
The pillars of the knowledge triangle
 
Top-class research developing the scientific excellence, knowledge transfer through intensive co-operation with the commercial sector, and education of students and company specialists – these are the three pillars of the knowledge triangle, which represent the basic essence of the project BIOCEV.    
   
Research and development  
 
       common project of leading scientific institutions in the Czech Republic
       research programmes led by the most prominent scientists
       focus on recently fast developing biotechnology and biomedicine branches with worldwide impact
       establishment of a centre with complex research technologies
       integration into the European Research Area
 
Transfer of research results into practice  
 
       support of transfer of basic research results into practice, namely in human and veterinary medicine
       intensive cooperation with the commercial sphere
       support of preservation of intellectual property and its further utilization (establishment of a special department for transfer of technologies whose aim will be both to preserve the research results of BIOCEV scientists and to maximize their socioeconomic contribution)
 
Teaching and education  
 
       education of Master and PhD students in a stimulating environment of leading scientific teams
       development of new study specializations
       education of professionals in the business sphere
       popularization of the areas of biotechnology and biomedicine and their promotion in the media
 
Scientific programme  
 
BIOCEV scientific programme is focused on the key challenges and latest trends in biotechnology and biomedicine research. High complementarity and synergy of all parts of the research concept of BIOCEV are the guarantee that BIOCEV will become a significant crossroads of science in the heart of Europe, with considerable potential impact on human knowledge and its transfer into practical life, and on essential areas of human life such as health or environment. The quality of five research programmes stems from the intellectual potential and originality of the strictly selected research teams as well as the establishment of the state-of-the-art core facilities.
 
1.     Functional Genomics – will focus at characterization of the complex gene functions including their interaction, namely on the molecular mechanisms of diseases.
2.     Cellular Biology and Virology – will study interplay between cancer and viral infections, regulation mechanisms of transformed and stem cells and mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
3.     Structural Biology and Protein Engineering – is programme focused on development and production of recombinant proteins with practical utilization (e.g. preparation of drugs targeted to pathologically affected regions of the organism)
4.     Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering – will concentrate on development of synthetic polymer therapeutics and diagnostic tools and development of polymer materials for tissue replacement in regenerative medicine.
5.     Development of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches – represents study of the molecular mechanisms of diseases aimed at the improvement of diagnostics and gaining knowledge on the data that could be used in further studies of treatment modalities.
 
The Institute of Experimental Medicine of the ASCR, v. v. i. actively participates in the implementation of research projects within programme Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering. The application of stem cells for tissue replacements and cell therapy is based on the work of prof. Eva Syková group.
 
Core Facilities
 
Implementation of the complex projects requires cutting-edge technologies. BIOCEV Core Facilities (central laboratories) will also serve to external users to provide them with top quality research services.
·          Czech Centre for Phenogenomics – centre for functional analysis of individual genes
·          Centre for Molecular Structure – crystallography and mass spectrometry
·          Imaging Methods – microscopic techniques including confocal and electron microscopy
·          OMICS – DNA sequencing and characterization including microchip and proteomic analysis
·          Cryotechnologies – fully computerised storage for cell lines, mouse sperm, and embryos in liquid nitrogen or nitrogen vapour
 
The high quality of BIOCEV research programme is also proved by an early engagement of BIOCEV research and its core facilities into the significant European Consortia.Since December 2009, BIOCEV is a member of pan-European network of research infrastructures Infrafrontier, in 2010 it entered consortium Euro-BioImaging and since 2011, the entry to European infrastructure Instruct is being prepared. All infrastructures are part of the European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures .
The new research centre BIOCEV will be built on the estate of the Institute of Molecular Genetics, v. v. i., in the industrial part of Central Bohemian village Vestec. The area of the land defined for the construction of the centre is 5.5 ha. The total surface area of the modern laboratories will reach 25,500 m2 by 2014.
 
More informations:
Scientific coordinator of project: 
prof. RNDr. Václav Pačes, DrSc.
tel.:
+420 241 063 541       
email:  vaclav.paces@img.cas.cz
 
Manager of project:
MUDr. Jan Rajnoch   
tel.: +420 226 201 527      
mobil: +420 774 798 120      
email:  jan.rajnoch@img.cas.cz
 
Manager of IEM ASCR:
prof. MUDr. Josef Syka, DrSc.
tel.: +420 241 062 700  

 

4 Mar 2012