The following provides an overview of the main objectives and tasks of the different research areas implemented under BIOTECH 2 during the period 1994-1998.
Objectives Requiring Concentrated Means
Area 1: Cell factories
1.1 Biological components of cell factories
1.1.1 Microbial factories
1.1.2 Animal cell biology
1.2 Biochemical engineering components of cell factories
1.2.1 Fermentation technology
1.2.2 Biotransformation
1.2.3 Downstream processing
Area 2: Genome Analysis
2.1 Sequencing
2.1.1 Arabidopsis genome
2.1.2 B. subtilis genome
2.1.3 Yeast genome
2.1.4 Other small genomes
2.2 Function search
2.2.1 Resource consortia
2.2.2 Function-driven analytical networks
2.2.3 Heterologous expression networks
2.2.4 New methods for genome analysis
2.3 In silico (computer based) comparative analysis
Area 3: Plant and Animal Biotechnology
3.1 Plant molecular and cellular biology
3.1.1 Molecular genetic maps
3.1.2 Development and morphogenesis
3.1.3 Resistance to stress and pathogens
3.1.4 Metabolisms
3.1.5 Gene expression
3.2 Animal physiopathology
3.2.1 Genome mapping and improvement of farm animal selection
3.2.2 Animal models
3.2.3 Somatic gene therapy
Area 4: Cell Communication in Neurosciences
4.1 Development of the nervous system
4.2 Regeneration of the nervous system
4.3 Degeneration and apoptosis in the nervous system
4.4 Management of information by the nervous cells
4.5 Cell to cell communication in the nervous system
Objectives Addressed by Concertation
Area 5: Immunology and Transdisease Vaccinology
5.1 Immunology and immunotechnology
5.2 Transdisease vaccinology
Area 6: Structural Biology
6.1 Structure-function relationships
6.1.1 Three-dimensional structure determination
6.1.2 Improvement of techniques
6.1.3 Biomolecules with the desired functions
6.2 Interface of structural biology with electronics
6.2.1 Signal transduction
6.2.2 Improvement of experimental tools
6.2.3 Research on new applications
Area 7: Pre-normative Research, Biodiversity and Social Acceptance
7.1 Prenormative research: In vitro alternatives to animal experiments in pharmaco-toxicology
7.1.1 In vitro tests for developmental pharmaco-toxicology
7.1.2 In vitro tests for neuro-pharmaco-toxicology
7.1.3 In vitro tests for immuno-pharmaco-toxicology
7.1.4 Cell cultures for the development of in vitro tests
7.2 Prenormative research: Biosafety
7.2.1 Microbial ecology
7.2.2 Biofertilizers
7.2.3 Biopesticides
7.2.4 Vaccines
7.2.5 Plants
7.2.6 Fish
7.3 Prenormative research: Biotechnology for the environment
7.4 Biodiversity
7.4.1 Plants
7.4.2 Animals
7.4.3 Microorganisms
7.5 Social acceptance
Area 8: Instrastructures
8.1 Information infrastructures
8.1.1 Information resources on molecular sequences and structures
8.1.2 Taxonomic information and storage databases
8.1.3 A European network of bioinformatic nodes
8.1.4 Horizontal information resources: literature, directories databases
8.2 Genetic archives and stock centres
8.2.1 Genetic archives
8.2.2 Stock centres
8.3 Assessment of infrastructures
Objectives Treated by Means of Horizontal Activities
