Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Boost4Bio (Boosting Bio-Innovation and Bio-Entrepreneurship by Establishing Excellence in Biomolecular Engineering and Synthetic Biology)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2024-03-31
The Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming” (FLEMING) is the top-ranked research center in the Life Sciences in Greece. FLEMING has gained international recognition for its pioneering research towards understanding the molecular basis of human diseases, such as autoimmune disorders, cancer, neurodegeneration and osteoporosis, and the development of new approaches for their diagnosis and treatment. The Centre’s major goal for the coming years is to support excellent research with a focus on innovation. In this direction, FLEMING has recently established the new Institute of Bio-Innovation with a mission to advance basic research discoveries towards innovation in the areas of biotechnology and drug discovery and convert them to tangible outcomes for the economy and the society. Furthermore, FLEMING has planned the establishment of the national R&I infrastructure “Biotechnopolis”, the first integrated Biotechnology hub in Greece and the wider region, to foster the development of innovative biomedical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical products and technologies through the creation of a fertile environment offering access to excellent research, high-end infrastructures and a culture of entrepreneurship close to academia. The goal of Boost4Bio is to attract and maintain an exceptional researcher and innovator in Biomolecular Engineering & Synthetic Biology to establish a new excellent team at FLEMING, promote the integration of basic and applied research, boost bio-innovation and bio-entrepreneurship at the Center, and lead the establishment of “Biotechnopolis”. Boost4Bio will have a major impact on the promotion of excellence in biomedical research, training and innovation in Greece, will support the proper establishment of a new and unique Excellence Unit in Greece and the wider region, and will contribute to the creation of new career prospects and the prevention of the brain drain phenomenon, which is particularly acute in this area of the Union.
Recruited one outstanding PI in research, training and innovation in Biomolecular Engineering and Synthetic Biology to act as an ERA Chair at BSRC FLEMING. Established one new world-class research program in Biomolecular Engineering and Synthetic Biology at BSRC FLEMING. We have performed a number of activities that promote the integration of basic and applied research, boost bio-innovation and bio-entrepreneurship at the Center, and the establishment of “Biotechnopolis”, a new and unique Excellence Unit in Greece and the wider region, and will contribute to the creation of new career prospects and the prevention of the brain drain phenomenon, which is particularly acute in this area of the Union.
Implementing novel technologies and tools for discovering and developing new bio-based therapeutics (peptides, antibodies and other biomolecular scaffolds – looking into setting up projects relating to the development of living cell therapeutics etc.) for the treatment of pathogenic conditions, which are of primary importance for BSRC FLEMING researchers, Greece and the EU, such as neurodegeneration, inflammation, cancer, systemic and infectious diseases. We have initiated projects targeting all of these disease targets. New promising molecules identified acting as inhibitors of tau aggregation, which are promising candidates as theraoutics agaisnt Alzimer's disease and frontotemproa dementia.