Importance of the international cooperation
Fundamentally, basic research is an international activity. International cooperation therefore plays a very significant role in research conducted at the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IBP). This kind of cooperation is important to all departments and is also a prerequisite for the independent existence of a department within the Institute. As can be seen from the attached list, a significant proportion of papers produced by departments originate from cooperation with foreign partners. All departments except for the DSNA worked on international projects in the period 2005-2009; most departments organized international scientific events or participated in their organization.
Some of the international projects can fairly be described as prestigious, for example the EU projects 6th FP, LSHC-CT-2004- 502983 “Mutant p53 a target for improved cancer treatment” led by Emil Paleček as a representative of the IBP, and 6th FP-STREP, LSHG-CT-2003-503441 “3D Genome”, led by Stanislav Kozubek as a representative of the IBP. In addition, we can point to the project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, entitled “Mechanistic Studies on New Platinum Clinical Agents” that was investigated by Viktor Brabec, or the project funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA, entitled “Platinum and ruthenium compounds. From DNA damage to cancer chemotherapy”, investigated by Jana Kašpárková. A Senior Research Fellowship funded by The Wellcome Trust was granted to Jiři Šponer. Also highly significant is the role undertaken by Viktor Brabec as coordinator of the COST programme – European Cooperation in Science and Technology (EC/NSF) - entitled “Metallo-Drug Design and Action”. A total of 54 laboratories from Europe, Israel and Australia participate in this programme.
The Institute organized or participated in organization of 15 international events. A remarkable tradition has the conference „Analytical cytometry“ representing an official biannual meetings of the Czech Society for Analytical Cytology, established at IBPby Alois Kozubík and members of DC. At these events, a large number of young scientists present the results of their work and discuss them with invited senior researchers.
In the period in question, international cooperation was important not only with regard to the exchange of ideas, but also for performing some experiments which could not otherwise have been performed at the IBP. Approximately 50% of prestigious papers with an IF>4 are produced as part of some kind of cooperation. However, it should be emphasized that many valuable papers are produced within the Institute itself. In the period under review, 92 papers with an IF greater than 4 were produced by the IBP (the corresponding author and, in most cases, the first author were from the IBP).
The scientists from all departments of the IBP are invited to give lectures at prestigious congresses or win fellowships at distinguished institutions. They are also invited to review research papers and are members of international societies, etc. Nevertheless, the number of citations remains the most important parameter for international recognition: the IBP has registered a total of 4,500 citations to papers published between 2005-2009. In this particular area and for an institute of its size, this is probably the best result in the Czech Republic.
Events with International Participation Organised or Co-Organized by the Institution in 2005–2009
International Projects Resolved at the Institution in 2005–2009
Number | Programme Name | Project Name | Coordinator | Investigator | States Participating |
1 | EC 5th FP, Marie Curie RTN (2002 – 2007) | Structural effects arising from major groove DNA recognition by metallo-supramolecular cylinders (MARCY) | Michael J. Hannon, University of Warwick, UK | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Spain |
2 | Grants for Biomedical Research (HHMI, USA) | Basis for new structure-pharmacological relationship of platinum drugs | Jana Kašpárková, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno | N/A | N/A |
3 | National Institutes of Health, NIH, USA (1998 – 2007) | Mechanistic Studies on New Platinum Clinical Agents | Nicholas P. Farrell, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | USA |
4 | Collaborative Research Initiative Grant (The Wellcome Trust) (2005 – 2008) | Platinum and ruthenium complexes. From DNA damage to cancer chemotherapy
| N/A
| Viktor Brabec, IBP, AS CR, Brno and Peter J. Sadler, Univ Edinburgh | United Kingdom |
5 | Grants for Biomedical Research (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA) (2006 – 2010) | Platinum and ruthenium compounds. From DNA damage to cancer chemotherapy
| Jana Kašpárková, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno | N/A | N/A |
6 | COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology (EC/NSF) (2006 – 2011) | Metallo-Drug Design and Action
| Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | AT, BE, CHE, DE, DK, ES, FR, GR, HU, IE, IL, IT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, TR, UK
|
7 | National Science Foundation (USA) Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic | Platinum metal complexes as DNA-protein cross-linking agents | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | USA
|
8 | Ministry of Education of the CR/Ministry of Education of China | Transition metal-based anticancer compounds. From mechanistic studies to innovatory cancer chemotherapy | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Viktor Brabec, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | China
|
9 | KONTAKT-AIP, Czech-Greek intergovernmental scientific and technical cooperation, 2006-2007 | Synthesis, characterization and study of the nucleolytic activity of novel selective chemical nucleases, based on heteronuclear metallopeptides Ru(II)-Ni(II) | Jaroslav Malina, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Jaroslav Malina, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Greece | |
10 | FP6-MOBILITY, Sixth Framework Programme, Marie Curie European Reintegration Grants (ERG) | 6FP EU, MERG-6-CT-2005-014875, European Reintegration Grant, „Novel interactions of mutant p53 with genomic DNA in vitro and in vivo“, | Emil Paleček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno | Marie Brázdová, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic | |
11 | EU LSHC-CT-2004- 502983 | Mutant p53 a target for improved cancer treatment | Klas Wiman,Karolinska Institute, Sweden | Emil Paleček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Sweden, Holland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Israel, England, France, Estonia, Czech Republic | |
12 | Sixth Framework Programme- Marie Curie Host Fellowships - Transfer of knowledge (TOK) - Development Scheme | Newchemical and biochemical sensors for analysis of food, enviromental and medical samples | Jerzy Radecki, Institute of animal reproduction and food research - Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
| Emil Paleček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Poland, Czech Republic, England | |
13 | ME - KONTAKT (1996-2012) | Interactions of proteins and nucleic acids with surfaces. New tools for biomedicine. | J.Wang, Dept.Nanoengineering, La Jolla, CA 92093-0448, USA | Emil Paleček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | USA, Czech Republic | |
14 | Programme of International Collaboration of the AS CR | Aggregation of alpha synuclein in Parkinson's disease | Veronika Ostatná,Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Emil Paleček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Germany, Czech Republic | |
15 | KONTAKT ME 685 Ministry of Education of the CR - Bilateral Czech-Greek Cooperation | Development of methods and construction of sensors for the detection of interaction of DNA with drugs | Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic
| Greece, Czech Republic | |
16 | KONTAKT 94Ministry of Education of the CR -Bilateral Czech-Slovak Cooperation | Study of DNA hybridization at surfaces | Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic
| Greece, Czech Republic | |
17 | KONTAKT 7_2006_19 Ministry of Education of the CR - Bilateral Czech-Greek Scientific-Technical Cooperation
| Application of biophysical methods in biotechnology and biomedicine
| Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic
| Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic
| Slovakia, Czech Republic |
18 | KONTAKT ME 920 Ministry of Education of the CR - Bilateral Czech-Greek Cooperation | Application of biophysical methods in biotechnology and biomedicine | Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Vladimír Vetterl, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic
| Slovakia, Czech Republic |
19 | Barrande Czech Republic-France 2005-2006 | Studies of genetic interactions (changes) in synthetic Nicotiana allopolyploid plants | Ales Kovarik (IBP), Marie Angele Grandbastien (INRA Versailles) | Ales Kovarik (IBP), Marie Angele Grandbastien
| France, Czech Republic |
20 | Barrande Czech Republic-France 2008-2009 | Structural and functional analysis of ribosomal RNA genes during stabilisation of synthetic allopolyploid Brassica napus | Ales Kovarik (IBP), Anne-Marie Chevre (INRA Rennes) | Ales Kovarik (IBP), Anne-Marie Chevre (INRA Rennes) | France, Czech Republic |
21 | EU 6th FP-STREP, LSHG-CT-2003-503441 | 3D Genome | Roel van Driel (Univ of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) | Stanislav Kozubek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Germany, Belgium, France, Czech Republic |
22 | Marie Curie Fellowship (2007-8) | Telomere-associated proteins inA.thaliana | Jiří Fajkus, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Jiří Fajkus, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Great Britain, Czech Republic. |
23 | Programme of International Collaboration of the AS CR | Characterization of plant telomerase in vivo and in vitro by reconstitution and substitution experiments | Jiří Fajkus, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | I.Schubert, co-principal investigator | Germany, Czech Republic |
24 | CNRS-AS CR project | Topoisomerase IIaand HMGB1: involvement in chromatin structure and sensitivity of human cells to anticancer drugs | PI from France: Claire Gaillard | PI from Czech Republic: Michal Štros | France, Czech Republic |
25 | Programm des Projektbezogenen Personenaustauchs mit Tschechien | Disruption of contact inhibition by polyaromatic compounds (2004-2005) | C. Dietrich JGU, Mainz, SRN | J. Vondráček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic,Germany |
| Programm des Projektbezogenen Personenaustauchs mit Tschechien | Analysis of the cross talk between cytokines and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling in rat liver oval cells (2008-2009) | C. Dietrich JGU, Mainz, SRN | J. Vondráček, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, Germany |
27 | KONTAKT (Czech-Slovak research collaboration)
| Effect of COX-2 inhibition in tumor and non-tumor colon epithelial cells exposed to phototoxic effect of hypericin | A.Kozubík, , Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic P. Fedoročko | A.Kozubík, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, SK |
28 | KONTAKT (Czech-Hungarian research collaboration)
| Role of lipid rafts in regulation of cell signalling leading to modulation of cytokinetics of cancer cells
| A.Kozubík, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A.Kozubík, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, Hungary |
29 | Philip Morris External Research Program | Modulation of Acute Pulmonary Inflammatory Responses by Myeloperoxidase | L. Kubala, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | L. Kubala, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Czech Republic, USA |
30 | KONTAKT (Czech-Slovak research collaboration) | The effects of blood platelets on the oxidative burst of neutrophils | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, SK |
31 | KONTAKT (Czech-Slovak research collaboration) | Antioxidant and antiphagocytic properties of chemical and natural substances and drugs | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, SK |
32 | KONTAKT (Czech-Slovak research collaboration) | The role of platelets, neutrophils and components of extracellular matrix in inflammation | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, SK |
33 | KONTAKT (Czech-Hungarian research collaboration) | Changes in granulocyte functions following severe tissue injury | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, Hungary |
36 | KONTAKT (Czech-Hungarian research collaboration) | Effect of ischemic preconditioning on reperfusion injury | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, Hungary |
37 | NATO CBP | Collagen, platelet and neutrophil interactions with respect to wound healing | M. Číž, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | M. Číž, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | CzechRepublic, Bulgaria |
38 | AV CR – DAAD | Trombocytes, an extra-leukocyte pool for Myeloperoxidase | L. Kubala, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | L. Kubala, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Czech Republic, Germany |
39 | International research project Czech Republic – Germany | Role of myeloperoxidase in the regulation of platelets physiology | L. Kubala, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | L. Kubala, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Czech Republic, Germany |
40 | COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology | Lipid peroxidation associated disorders | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | A. Lojek, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Czech Republic, European Union |
41 | Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellowship | Structure, dynamics, molecular interactions and thermodynamics of DNA and RNA: advanced computational studies | Jiří Šponer, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | Jiří Šponer, Institute of Biophysics, AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic | United Kingdom, Czech Republic |
42 | International research project Czech Republic – Switzerland | Genus Silene as a model for mating systems and adaptation mechanisms evolution – from ecology to genomics
| Dr. Roman Hobza, Institute of Biophysics, Brno, CR | Prof. Alex Widmer, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland | Switzerland, Czech Republic |
43 | International research project Czech Republic - Spain | Structure and evolution of sex chromosomes in the dioecious plant models
| Prof. Boris Vyskot, Laboratory of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics, Brno, CR | Prof. Manuel Quesada Jamilena, Department of Applied Biology, University of Almería, Spain | Spain, Czech Republic |
44 | Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, international cooperation | Complex interaction of oncology-related important transcription factors with target DNA in vitro and in vivo (2009-2012) | Václav Brázda, Ph.D., Institute of Biophysics ASCR, v.v.i. | Cheryl Arrowsmith, Ph.D., Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Canada | Czech Republic, Canada |