Periodic Reporting for period 3 - TransGeno (The ERA Chair for Translational Genomics and Personalized Medicine)
Reporting period: 2018-07-01 to 2020-12-31
Estonia's leading research institution, the University of Tartu is prevented from reaching the next level of scientific excellence and international competitiveness due to its inability to attract and retain top level researchers which limits its competitiveness in international research funding. TransGeno will address this by significantly increasing the research excellence of UT in the fields of translational genomics and personalized medicine. It will do so by recruiting an expert to serve as the ERA Chair for Translational Genomics and Personalized Medicine, who will initiate needed structural changes and create a top level research team. By doing so, we will improve the research and innovation performance of UT and pursue cutting edge research that would create direct and significant benefits for our institution, Estonia and Europe. In addition to the national impact the project will have, the related fields of translational genomics and personalized medicine can have a significant impact on European and global society. Translational genomics research combines genetics data with diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and other complex diseases. It can enable scientists to understand the genetic components of common and complex diseases, which could lead to a shift in clinical practice from treatment based on symptoms to treatment based on the underlying causes of disease. Through translational genomics, researchers are able to analyze variations in human genes to discover the underlying cause of disease progression and resistance to therapy, as well as to understand why some individuals encounter debilitating diseases while others live healthy lives. Translational genomics research in turn can lead to the development of personalized medicine, which is the tailoring of medical treatment to patients by classifying them into subpopulations based upon their susceptibility to a disease or a response to a specific treatment. Personalized medicine reaches beyond a core of targeted therapeutics and diagnostics to encompass personal health record management, disease management, wellness and nutrition. Translational genomics and personalized medicine can lead to the early treatment of diseases and in the most ideal scenarios, would enable medical providers to treat patients before the onset of the disease.
Specific objectives include:
-To initiate the structural changes required to establish the ERA Chair within the University
-To recruit and hire a high level researcher who will recruit a team of researchers with expertise needed to conduct top level research.
-To increase the number of successful research applications for funding in translational genomics and related fields of clinical genomics and personalized medicine;
-To increase the number of peer-reviewed articles in translational genomics and related fields in which UT staff serve as lead authors/investigators;
-To produce knowledge and tools that could potentially be used to develop a wide range of (commercial) products such as databases and integrative analytical platforms that link genomic transcriptomic and metabolomics data from human and animal samples
-To raise awareness and support for translational genomics and personal medicine in the general public, the business sector and among policy-makers.
Specific objectives include:
-To initiate the structural changes required to establish the ERA Chair within the University
-To recruit and hire a high level researcher who will recruit a team of researchers with expertise needed to conduct top level research.
-To increase the number of successful research applications for funding in translational genomics and related fields of clinical genomics and personalized medicine;
-To increase the number of peer-reviewed articles in translational genomics and related fields in which UT staff serve as lead authors/investigators;
-To produce knowledge and tools that could potentially be used to develop a wide range of (commercial) products such as databases and integrative analytical platforms that link genomic transcriptomic and metabolomics data from human and animal samples
-To raise awareness and support for translational genomics and personal medicine in the general public, the business sector and among policy-makers.
A Project Management team was formed to carry out management and administrative tasks on a day-to-day basis. Secure internal systems were established for the storage and tracking of all documents common to the project. An Executive Committee was also formed with key partners from inside and outside of the university. The ERA Chair, Prof. Alireza Fazeli was recruited and hired and began immediately to review the ethical, administrative, scientific and other aspects of the project. Efforts to orientate him to University systems as quickly as possible took place, such as meetings with key staff from different units. Other physical scientific infrastructure was established as well, such as procurement of key pieces of equipment needed by the ERA Chair.
A Data Management Plan was created and systems established for data collection and processing. We applied for approval to conduct specific experiments planned in the project and we received it. The ERA Chair recruited a research team that by May of 2017 included 4 Research Fellows, 2 Jr Researchers and 1 lab specialist. By early 2018, 6 PhD students were recruited under the ERA Chair’s supervision (and he will supervise 2 others). PhDs are co-supervised with other senior researchers in UTARTU, a way to increase collaboration as specified in the Research Integration Plan created during this period. The ERA Chair has also refined the focus of the team on 2 goals: 1) to seek genomic biomarkers for chronic inflammatory (skin) disease (such as Psoriasis) for clinical diagnostics and treatment 2) seek genomic biomarkers based on Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) for chronic inflammatory diseases such as skin diseases (psoriasis), joint chronic diseases (arthritis) and infertility (embryo implantation failure).
TransGeno hosted or co-hosted several different events in Tartu as well:
• Hosting Symposium ''Extracellular vesicles: small bags with potential impact in health and disease''
• Co-hosting winter school “Molecular Biology in Animal Sciences”. The TransGeno team conducted training on RNA/DNA extraction and data analysis. 24 people with 17 PhD students completing the school.
• Co-hosting CellFit COST Action “In vitro 3D Total Guidance and Fitness” and “Intercellular Epigenomics.” 67 researchers from 20 countries participated in the event.
In the final period, the TransGeno project:
--Provided training and workshops for hundreds of students, researchers, clinicians and entrepreneurs on our research success.
--Produced over 30 journal articles
--Established stronger linkages between the TransGeno group and units with UT, with the Estonian University of Life Sciences, regional fertility and dermatological clinics
A Data Management Plan was created and systems established for data collection and processing. We applied for approval to conduct specific experiments planned in the project and we received it. The ERA Chair recruited a research team that by May of 2017 included 4 Research Fellows, 2 Jr Researchers and 1 lab specialist. By early 2018, 6 PhD students were recruited under the ERA Chair’s supervision (and he will supervise 2 others). PhDs are co-supervised with other senior researchers in UTARTU, a way to increase collaboration as specified in the Research Integration Plan created during this period. The ERA Chair has also refined the focus of the team on 2 goals: 1) to seek genomic biomarkers for chronic inflammatory (skin) disease (such as Psoriasis) for clinical diagnostics and treatment 2) seek genomic biomarkers based on Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) for chronic inflammatory diseases such as skin diseases (psoriasis), joint chronic diseases (arthritis) and infertility (embryo implantation failure).
TransGeno hosted or co-hosted several different events in Tartu as well:
• Hosting Symposium ''Extracellular vesicles: small bags with potential impact in health and disease''
• Co-hosting winter school “Molecular Biology in Animal Sciences”. The TransGeno team conducted training on RNA/DNA extraction and data analysis. 24 people with 17 PhD students completing the school.
• Co-hosting CellFit COST Action “In vitro 3D Total Guidance and Fitness” and “Intercellular Epigenomics.” 67 researchers from 20 countries participated in the event.
In the final period, the TransGeno project:
--Provided training and workshops for hundreds of students, researchers, clinicians and entrepreneurs on our research success.
--Produced over 30 journal articles
--Established stronger linkages between the TransGeno group and units with UT, with the Estonian University of Life Sciences, regional fertility and dermatological clinics
The activities described above all contribute in different ways to the 5 key impacts that are anticipated for the TransGeno Project:
1. Increased attractiveness of the institution, region and country for internationally excellent and mobile researchers
2. Increased research excellence of the institution in the Translational Genomics, in particular linking animal models with human clinical data.
3. Improved capability to compete successfully for internationally competitive research funding
4. Institutional changes within the ERA host institution to implement the European Research Area priorities (including open recruitment policy, gender balance, peer review, and doctoral training)
5. Contributing to the objectives of regional or national smart specialization strategies, including increased interactions with economic and social actions, and complementing support provided under the European Structural and Investment Funds
Four important scientific discoveries:
1. Multi-component Genomic biomarkers identified for Psoriasis
2. Extracellular vesicle based biomarker for embryo implantation quality validated
3.Extracellular vesicle based biomarker for psoriatic arthritis identified
4. Greater understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms and biomarkers of
1. Increased attractiveness of the institution, region and country for internationally excellent and mobile researchers
2. Increased research excellence of the institution in the Translational Genomics, in particular linking animal models with human clinical data.
3. Improved capability to compete successfully for internationally competitive research funding
4. Institutional changes within the ERA host institution to implement the European Research Area priorities (including open recruitment policy, gender balance, peer review, and doctoral training)
5. Contributing to the objectives of regional or national smart specialization strategies, including increased interactions with economic and social actions, and complementing support provided under the European Structural and Investment Funds
Four important scientific discoveries:
1. Multi-component Genomic biomarkers identified for Psoriasis
2. Extracellular vesicle based biomarker for embryo implantation quality validated
3.Extracellular vesicle based biomarker for psoriatic arthritis identified
4. Greater understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms and biomarkers of