Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SAME-NeuroID (Standardized Approaches to Modelling and Examination of Neuropsychiatric Disorders)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-10-01 bis 2025-09-30
The SAME-NeuroID project is a joint initiative of Łukasiewicz-PORT (Poland) and outstanding European neuroscience leaders: Paris Brain Institute (France), Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich (Germany), Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam (Netherlands) to accelerate the consortium's positioning at the forefront of neuropsychiatric research. The primary objective of the project is to integrate the Life Science and Biotechnology Centre (LS&BC) of the beneficiary institution - Łukasiewicz - PORT into a prominent international network of European biomedical research. The initiative is driven by the shared vision of the consortium partners to address the urgent challenge of neuropsychiatric diseases, which affect a significant proportion of the EU adult population due to a limited understanding of their biological basis. Recent advances in epidemiological and genetic studies have opened up the possibility of exploring gene-mind relationships. To take full advantage of these findings, there is a fundamental and urgent need for unified, well-defined disease models to understand their mechanisms and identify targets for new therapeutic strategies. The standarization of relevant models forms the core of research collaboration within the Twinning project.
In addition, the SAME-NeuroID project, coordinated by Łukasiewicz-PORT, aims to address several challenges and needs in neuroscience research and innovation, and we are undertaking a number of joint initiatives with our partners, as identified in the project's key objectives:
• Improving the scientific excellence of PORT LS&BC by implementing the SAME-NeuroID modelling platform, fostering collaboration and disseminating results through publications and conferences.
• Implementing best practice in administrative and research management, including developing standard protocols and organizing educational event, ensuring optimal utilization of resources.
• Maximising the use of existing research infrastructure to leverage investment and facilitate technology transfer to industry..
• Supporting the development of young researchers through dedicated training programmes and inter-institutional networks.
• Strengthening PORT LS&BC's ability to establish industrial collaborations, exemplified by engagements with pharmaceutical companies and startups.
• Increasing competitiveness in securing research grants through collaboration and joint grant applications at regional and global levels.
In conclusion, the SAME-NeuroID project represents a bold and visionary initiative with the potential to contribute to groundbreaking advances in neuropsychiatric research. By fostering collaboration, nurturing innovation and improving healthcare outcomes, the project carries the promise of a better future for people affected by neuropsychiatric disorders and society as a whole.
In addition, the SAME-NeuroID project, coordinated by Łukasiewicz-PORT, aims to address several challenges and needs in neuroscience research and innovation, and we are undertaking a number of joint initiatives with our partners, as identified in the project's key objectives:
• Improving the scientific excellence of PORT LS&BC by implementing the SAME-NeuroID modelling platform, fostering collaboration and disseminating results through publications and conferences.
• Implementing best practice in administrative and research management, including developing standard protocols and organizing educational event, ensuring optimal utilization of resources.
• Maximising the use of existing research infrastructure to leverage investment and facilitate technology transfer to industry..
• Supporting the development of young researchers through dedicated training programmes and inter-institutional networks.
• Strengthening PORT LS&BC's ability to establish industrial collaborations, exemplified by engagements with pharmaceutical companies and startups.
• Increasing competitiveness in securing research grants through collaboration and joint grant applications at regional and global levels.
In conclusion, the SAME-NeuroID project represents a bold and visionary initiative with the potential to contribute to groundbreaking advances in neuropsychiatric research. By fostering collaboration, nurturing innovation and improving healthcare outcomes, the project carries the promise of a better future for people affected by neuropsychiatric disorders and society as a whole.
Scientific excellence has been advanced through the implementation of the SAME-NeuroID platform at PORT Life Sciences & Biotechnology to study cellular and behavioural traits relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders. The platform comprises two complementary assay streams: (i) in vivo assays assessing social behaviour deficits in rodents and (ii) in vitro assays examining cellular phenotypes associated with psychiatric diseases. These components were introduced at PORT with guidance from consortium partners. Experts from partner institutions reviewed the existing toolbox, identified elements required to maximise translational potential, and selected the most robust and reproducible methods for adoption within SAME-NeuroID. An implementation strategy was subsequently developed. This inter-laboratory, international collaboration has resulted in standardised protocols (Standard Operating Procedures, SOPs), which have been optimised and validated at PORT and partner laboratories.
To support early-career researchers involved in the project, the inter-institutional networking initiative SAME-Match-Treat was established to connect PhD candidates and early postdoctoral researchers across partner institutions and provide dedicated training opportunities, including online courses. Early-career researchers also participated in selected trainings, including entrepreneurship-focused activities, contributed to the development of the SAME-NeuroID platform, and completed research visits to partners’ laboratories. In the second phase of the project, the ICM (Paris Brain Institute) organised a PhD retreat to further strengthen the emerging collaboration network.
Implementation of SAME-NeuroID has also strengthened cooperation beyond the core consortium, including collaboration with additional centres in Poland (Polish NeuroNet) and internationally. This cooperation has already supported the preparation of several joint grant applications, including Teaming for Excellence, Weave-UNISONO, ERA-NET NEURON, NAWA Strategic Partnerships, and the International Research Agendas Programme.
To support early-career researchers involved in the project, the inter-institutional networking initiative SAME-Match-Treat was established to connect PhD candidates and early postdoctoral researchers across partner institutions and provide dedicated training opportunities, including online courses. Early-career researchers also participated in selected trainings, including entrepreneurship-focused activities, contributed to the development of the SAME-NeuroID platform, and completed research visits to partners’ laboratories. In the second phase of the project, the ICM (Paris Brain Institute) organised a PhD retreat to further strengthen the emerging collaboration network.
Implementation of SAME-NeuroID has also strengthened cooperation beyond the core consortium, including collaboration with additional centres in Poland (Polish NeuroNet) and internationally. This cooperation has already supported the preparation of several joint grant applications, including Teaming for Excellence, Weave-UNISONO, ERA-NET NEURON, NAWA Strategic Partnerships, and the International Research Agendas Programme.
PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023, the flagship event of the SAME-NeuroID project, served as a platform for networking and for strengthening academia–industry collaboration grounded in evidence and mutual trust. As an outcome, a collaboration was initiated with Boehringer Ingelheim, which has expressed potential interest in results from the SAME-NeuroID phenotyping platform. In parallel, efforts towards personalized medicine and innovative biobanking were advanced through the submission of a Teaming for Excellence proposal entitled “Centre of Excellence for Precise Phenotyping and BioDataBanking” and the subsequent securing of the project, enabling the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at Łukasiewicz – PORT.