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Project SYLICA

SYLICA – Synergies of Life and Material Sciences to Create a New Future  

Project  Number / Acronym	286154 / SYLICA
Funding scheme	7th Framework Programme – Capacities
Call identifier	FP7-REGPOT-2011-1
Start Date / duration	1st October 2011 / 36 months
Project Cost / EU funding	4.41 / 3.93   million €
Project Coordinator	Masarykova univerzita Prof. Jaroslav Koča jaroslav.koca(at)ceitec.muni.cz
Project Manager	Dr. Zlatuše Novotná zlatuse.novotna(at)ceitec.muni.cz

 

ABSTRACT

The project SYLICA – Synergies of Life and Material Sciences to Create a New Future concentrates on unlocking and developing research potential of CEITEC Central European Institute of Technology located in Brno, Czech Republic. The SYLICA project applicant is Masaryk University, the main beneficiary of CEITEC, and the second largest Czech university. CEITEC concentrates the best teams in life sciences and advanced materials research, including interdisciplinary interactions with a promising scientific potential. It is both interdisciplinary and international scope, which create the major added value of SYLICA, and which also need further endeavour based on an international evaluation. SYLICA creates important synergies with the EU Structural Funds; CEITEC receives a large investment worth 208 mil EUR from the main instrument of the EU Cohesion Policy – ERDF Structural Fund into the state-of-the-art infrastructure with national and international significance. By combining ERDF and FP7, the EU added value is created, and a strict complementary approach is followed. SYLICA principally concentrates on the missing expertise for the new core facilities of CEITEC. Through a series of workshops, seminars, postdoctoral and expert inter-ships and visits, and reintegration of experienced nationals, the project will strengthen our research potential on one hand in methodologies and techniques needed for the infrastructure, and on the other hand in the interdisciplinary research fields including studies of novel biomaterials and composites with enhanced biological and mechanical properties. SYLICA will foster strategic partnerships with prestigious EU research institutions and attract external users of the infrastructure and research results including industry. It will contribute to the vision of CEITEC as a flourishing research centre well-networked and integrated in the ERA, training a new generation of researchers, and delivering research results of top level European quality and significance.

CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND

The concept of capacity building of SYLICA is to integrate CEITEC fully in the European Research Area by strengthening international strategic partnership and contribute to new networks created at EU level. With the SYLICA project, we want to enhance scientific visibility and attract excellent scientists from abroad. We also intend to promote the centre and its core facilities in order to attract users including international industry. We want to use the infrastructure as a tool for creating a long-term partnership with both research centres and companies develop in-house expertise for operation and management of core facilities and acquire scientific methods and techniques connected with new instrumentation, which is rather unique in the Central and Eastern Europe.

PROJECT GOALS

SYLICA aims to contribute to the development of research topics of a strong interdisciplinary character, which requires a unique combination across well established research fields and research teams. This already existing quality connecting research in life sciences and material sciences in one centre, which represents a rather rare approach worldwide, is expected to develop into an important scientific direction in CEITEC. The unique interdisciplinary links between “living and non-living” shall create a key added value for CEITEC at the European level.

The scientific goals of SYLICA have been designed as the following four interdisciplinary Research Topics:

1     Cell-surface interactions 

The topic covers seven sub-topics that make use of approaches and instrumentation accustomed in micro- and nanotechnologies which offer new possibilities in a study of living cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Even if the cell is a complex system, characterization of its mechanical properties, attachment to surfaces, preferential growth and other events in vitro could provide an important and interesting view into the cell behaviour in vivo.

 

Fig.: Example of nanowell plates for development of a platform for parallel single-cell cultivation in liquid environment – living cell microarray

2     Biosensing

Development of biosensors and advanced bioassays is motivated by the demand for highly selective, sensitive, low-cost and easy-to-operate analytical tools for molecular biology, medical diagnostics, forensic medicine, environmental monitoring etc. Research in biosensing covers nine sub-topics that will involve scientists across the life and material scientific groups of CEITEC.  

Fig.: Magnetic separation for bioanalysis (proteins, nucleic acids, cells, viral agent) which will be used for the application of magnetic nanoparticles for biological research

3     Materials for tissue engineering

Development of advanced, hierarchical biomaterials based on combination of synthetic polymers and function specific chemically modified biopolymers or inorganic nanoparticles is motivated by the fast advance of tissue engineering envisioned for curing defects in tissues generated from the mesenchym, i.e., cartilage and bone. An important part of this research involves investigating interactions between synthetic and natural biomaterials and tissue cells during growth and differentiation, principles controlling immobilization and release of various biologically active proteins and drugs and the stability of these materials in the human body environment.

 Fig,: CAD-AGM technology in dentistry and implantology

4     Methods for biomolecular, biointeraction and biomaterial studies

The methods cover seven sub-topics important for biomolecular and biointeraction studies which represent core tools of structural biology. At the same time, most of the relevant research techniques focused on imaging, structural aspects and chemical composition is also widely used for characterization of surfaces in material sciences including biomaterials. In this way, a strong methodological link exists between structural biology and material science and both areas should profit from technical progress achieved in the individual fields. To realise this, the interdisciplinary gap existing historically between life and material sciences should be minimised within this topic.

 

Fig.: Topography of PE spherulites (CLSM with AFM mode) 

Steering Committee for Research Strategy

The SYLICA Steering Committee involves 10 members, including the scientific management of CEITEC, representatives of the South Moravian Region, the South Moravian Centre for International Mobility, the South Moravian Innovation Centre, the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and several Professors from the partner institutions.

WORKPLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION

The SYLICA Work Plan covers all the activities available in the Research Potential programme, except for upgrading, development or acquisition of research equipment. The reason is the complementary funding from the ERDF into the CEITEC research infrastructure and equipment.

With this only exception the whole portfolio of measures is being employed:

• Return of experienced Czech scientists and experienced incoming post-docs;
• Different forms of exchange of know-how with foreign partners such as secondments of our researchers abroad, incoming experts and post-docs;
• Lectures, training courses, workshops focused on acquiring unique expertise;
• CEITEC scientific conferences with distinguished international speakers;
• Workshops with stakeholders including industry;
• Dissemination and promotional activities;
• Project management.

The Action Plan has a strong international character. The key aspect is involvement of renowned scientists and experts from abroad who will act as lecturers, speakers and tutors and who will take part in the SYLICA scientific mobility programme.

SYLICA STRATEGIC PARTNERS

For the SYLICA project twelve institutions have been nominated as strategic partners. These institutions include European universities and research institutes which perform research in the fields of life science and material science.

1. CERM, University of Florence, Italy
2. CERMAv-CNRS, Grenoble, France
3. ELETTRA Sincrotrone Trieste
4. EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
5. ENMat (European Network of  Materials Research Centres), Gent, Belgium
6. ESFR Grenoble, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France
7. IMEC Belgium, Leuven, Belgium
8. Imperial College London, UK
9. Institut Néel, CNRS-UJF, Grenoble, France
10. Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt a.M., Germany
11. Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Germany
12. Vienna University of Technology, Austria

PROJECT NEWS, EVENTS AND OUTCOMES

1.   EVENTS

Cooperation with the Imperial College of London Negotiated by CEITEC

A delegation of CEITEC experts negotiated cooperation with counterparts at the Imperial College of London on 8 December 2011; they met Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Simon Buckle. The parties agreed on real-life cooperation among specific research groups of both institutions. Their cooperation is already successful on a smaller scale and should develop further in the future. As an example of the results of this collaboration, students from both participating organizations’ doctoral programmes will have the opportunity to participate in exchange programmes. The representatives of CEITEC also met with the Director of the Centre for Plasmonics and Metamaterials at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, operating within the university, Stefan Maier, who recently became a member of the CEITEC Coordination Board.

More information can be found in a Press release here; Photo gallery can be found here.

 

CEITEC and the Faculty of Chemistry of the BUT open their laboratories for students

The Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) is presenting itself at the Open Day of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Brno University of Technology today, where there is the fourth year of a Chemistry Day being held today. Scientists from CEITEC will introduce their particular research activities and projects there and for the students of secondary schools and universities they will outline the possibilities of future employment in the centre of excellence. The institute is one of the options, where not only students within the fields of chemistry can start their promising career.

More information can be found in a Press release here; Photo gallery can be found here.

2. INTERNATIONAL SYLICA CONFERENCES

45th Heyrovský Discussion – Electrochemistry of Biopolymers and Bioactive Compounds

When: August 13 - 17, 2012
Where: Brno, Czech Republic

 

CECE 2012 – 9th International Interdisciplinary Meeting on Bioanalysis 

When: October 31 – November 2, 2012
Where: Brno, Czech Republic

CEITEC International Conference - Cell Interaction with Surfaces

When:        October 22-23, 2012
Where:       Brno, Czech Republic