Ruđer Bošković Institute wins 5 million EUR from EU funds
The head of the RBI Division of Molecular Medicine and project coordinator Dr. Oliver Vugrek, PhD, and his research team were awarded funding through the prestigious FP7-REGPOT grant scheme in the total value of 4.8 million euros. This is the largest infrastructure project with the highest budget in natural sciences ever to be conducted in Croatia and the entire amount will be at the disposal of the IRB to set up the most innovative research infrastructure of personnel and equipment. 'Innovation Pipeline' of the InnoMol project will contribute to stronger positioning and better integration of RBI in the European Research Area.
Over the next three years, around 300 scientists from seven divisions of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) will work on a 5 million EUR worth InnoMol project — Enhancement of the Innovation Potential in SEE through New Molecular Solutions in Research and Development. The InnoMol project will foster a research pipeline at the RBI and facilitate innovation and technology for the investigation of relevant diseases such as cancer.
As the InnoMol goals are oriented towards the future development of possible diagnostic, preventive and/or therapeutic approaches for the major diseases of the world, it is essential to assemble a critical mass of cross-functional and project-oriented resources and expertise so as to achieve the appropriate alignment of elements along the value chain leading towards an innovative drug
The project will facilitate the supply of the most sophisticated equipment which facilitates recording and following genetic codes and contemporary analysis methods of macromolecules and proteins, making the IRB one of the few institutes in the world to have such sophisticated equipment, Vugrek said.
By providing Trans National Access (TNA) to experimental equipment this 'Innovation Pipeline' will became important European infrastructure centre increasing significantly both incoming and outgoing researchers mobility, thus enhancing RBI`s role in ERA.
Apart from developing its infrastructure, one of the main objectives of the project is to strengthen scientific capacities and expertise at the RBI. The InnoMol project will bring together and reinforce 3 major elements of life-science research, namely Medicine, Biology, and Chemistry, to create a productive, state-of-the-art environment that is unique in the region and which will bridge the gap between the pre-commercial and commercial phases of R&D, thus enhancing the relevance of the RBI’s position in the European Research Area (ERA).
The fully assembled research pipeline will enable inter- and, multidisciplinary research in the field of Molecular Biosciences with focus on DNA-Protein, Protein-Protein, Protein-RNA, DNA-RNA and DNA-DNA interactions.
The tangible outcomes of the Action will be innovative molecular solutions for investigating major global diseases in order to transfer the knowledge to the community for the generation of wealth and public wellbeing.
