Periodic Reporting for period 3 - MOSaIC (Molecular Signaling in Health and Disease - Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-11-01 do 2023-10-31
The International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB) is included among the best Polish research institutes in the life sciences and has the highest score in national evaluations to date. With modern organizational patterns, excellent staff, state-of-the-art equipment, and an international work environment, IIMCB is positioned to achieve a level of excellence tantamount to the best European entities.
To realize this goal, we created the Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Molecular Signalling in Health and Disease (MOSaIC). The ERA Chairs scheme gives us a unique opportunity to improve our performance by attracting an outstanding principal investigator in molecular signalling. This investigator will complement and strengthen the current research lines at IIMCB and will influence structural changes for responsible research and effective science management.
The MOSaIC has 5 objectives. The first is recruitment of an ERA Chair holder and affiliates in an open process that involves a set of incentives for the successful candidate to establish an excellent research group. The second is to augment scientific research and innovation in IIMCB and surrounding region through the work of the ERA Chair holder in molecular signalling, a field with great promise for medical advancement. The third and fourth involve structural improvements in science management and consolidated HR activities to develop a research environment that meets the highest international standards, including those set in the EU Charter and Code. Dissemination and communication activities will enable us to achieve the fifth objective: widespread recognition of the MOSaIC and IIMCB among national and European stakeholders.
Thanks to the MOSaIC, IIMCB scientists will lead innovative and internationally competitive research in an environment of excellent organizational standards and support. They will engage in European partnerships, and their projects will lead to practical inventions.
To realize this goal, we created the Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Molecular Signalling in Health and Disease (MOSaIC). The ERA Chairs scheme gives us a unique opportunity to improve our performance by attracting an outstanding principal investigator in molecular signalling. This investigator will complement and strengthen the current research lines at IIMCB and will influence structural changes for responsible research and effective science management.
The MOSaIC has 5 objectives. The first is recruitment of an ERA Chair holder and affiliates in an open process that involves a set of incentives for the successful candidate to establish an excellent research group. The second is to augment scientific research and innovation in IIMCB and surrounding region through the work of the ERA Chair holder in molecular signalling, a field with great promise for medical advancement. The third and fourth involve structural improvements in science management and consolidated HR activities to develop a research environment that meets the highest international standards, including those set in the EU Charter and Code. Dissemination and communication activities will enable us to achieve the fifth objective: widespread recognition of the MOSaIC and IIMCB among national and European stakeholders.
Thanks to the MOSaIC, IIMCB scientists will lead innovative and internationally competitive research in an environment of excellent organizational standards and support. They will engage in European partnerships, and their projects will lead to practical inventions.
WP1. Recruitment of the ERA Chair Group Leader and new group members
Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski was appointed the ERA Chairs Group Leader at IIMCB (M1 accomplished, D1.1) in December 2019. By the conclusion of the MOSaIC, the ERA Chairs Group has expanded to over 30 members. Additionally, the Genome Engineering Unit under Professor’s supervision has grown to 8 members (D1.2).
WP2. Strengthening scientific and innovation potential of IIMCB and the surrounding region
The establishment of the ERA Chairs Research Group headed by Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski has substantially strengthened IIMCB’s expertise in RNA biology, specialization with great potential for innovative translational projects. Moreover, Prof. Dziembowski has founded and oversees the Genome Engineering Unit (GEU) at the IIMCB, offering a broad range of genetic modifications of mice using CRISPR/Cas9 methodology and supplying internal and external scientific community with quickly generated transgenic animal models. GEU offers services to internal and external users - public institutes and companies (Exploitable results).
During the project, the ERA Chairs Group has been awarded seven grants from external sources (M2 and D 2.1) including two highly prestigious awarded to Prof. Dziembowski: ERC Advanced Grant, which was given to a Polish scientist in the life sciences for the first time, and the collaborative grant - HERO Virtual Research Institute, funded by the Polish Science Fund. The HERO team has already filed two patent applications (Exploitable results).
Furthermore, Prof. Dziembowski and his Group members actively engaged in five knowledge exchange visits to/meetings with European partners, (D.2.2) and took part in 14 specialized trainings (D2.3).
WP3. Structural changes for effective science management at IIMCB
With the support of the MOSaIC, IIMCB engaged in many activities improving and developing in-house science management.
Firstly, IIMCB introduced an institutional Open Access Policy, including Open Access to Publications and Open Access to Research Data (D3.1) appointed Open Access Officer and organized several internal trainings covering on the subject.
Also, IIMCB became a part of the Warsaw-4-PhD Doctoral School, with right to confer doctoral degrees (M4). It established a dedicated PhD Office at IIMCB and organized the first lecture course for PhD students of which Prof. Dziembowski was a scientific coordinator. To date, the school has welcomed 302 doctoral candidates from Poland and 26 other countries.
In addition, IIMCB managed activities dedicated to the technological transfer and commercialization of IIMCB's innovations. The commercial potential of these inventions were analysed by industry professionals, legal advisors and patent attorneys.
WP4. Structural changes for more effective implementation of C&C principles
IIMCB established a professional HR Unit, headed by experienced HR manager, Kasia Fiedorowicz. Based on the HR Strategy developed for the period 2020-2024 (M3 achieved), IIMCB introduced many improvements systemizing HR processes. The HR Unit organized 11 workshops for different groups of employees on career development, soft skills and management (D4.1) implemented a comprehensive system of support to foreign employees and adopted Disputes and Conflicts Resolution Policy (D4.2 completed). Importantly, it established Gender Equality Plan for the period 2022-2025 (D4.4). Within the latter and with the MOSaIC support, IIMCB organized three workshops on gender issues for women scientists at IIMCB (D4.3).
WP5. Strengthening MOSaIC’s recognition among national and European stakeholders
During the project the ERA Chairs Group published 6 papers with the acknowledgments to the MOSaIC project in international, high-impact journals, and submitted 5 manuscripts freely available through the bioRxiv repository (D5.1). The ERA Chairs Group's research findings were disseminated through 22 presentations at international scientific conferences (D5.2).
IIMCB co-organized kick-off meeting and Opening of the ERA Chairs Laboratory, YSC'21 and WISS conferences, during which Institute’s highlighted structural enhancements facilitated by MOSaIC. Prof. Dziembowski hosted renowned speakers and co-organized significant scientific events - the Summer Biotechnology School and the PL-RNA Biology Meeting (D5.3). The latter, held at IIMCB provided a platform for scientists, from Poland and other countries to discuss the latest advancements in RNA-related research. Prof. Dziembowski chaired the Organizing Committee of the event.
Moreover, Prof. Dziembowski and his Group members developed a dialog with young society. They gave lectures at the Warsaw Science Festival, hosted high-schoolers at the Laboratory, and shared insights about the future vision for science at the EU-Life Conference.
Notably, IIMCB extensively disseminated MOSaIC's and the EU's visual identities through dedicated websites and in social media (D5.4). The project's progress was also showcased in five IIMCB Annual Reports (D5.5) and through promotional materials (D5.6)
Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski was appointed the ERA Chairs Group Leader at IIMCB (M1 accomplished, D1.1) in December 2019. By the conclusion of the MOSaIC, the ERA Chairs Group has expanded to over 30 members. Additionally, the Genome Engineering Unit under Professor’s supervision has grown to 8 members (D1.2).
WP2. Strengthening scientific and innovation potential of IIMCB and the surrounding region
The establishment of the ERA Chairs Research Group headed by Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski has substantially strengthened IIMCB’s expertise in RNA biology, specialization with great potential for innovative translational projects. Moreover, Prof. Dziembowski has founded and oversees the Genome Engineering Unit (GEU) at the IIMCB, offering a broad range of genetic modifications of mice using CRISPR/Cas9 methodology and supplying internal and external scientific community with quickly generated transgenic animal models. GEU offers services to internal and external users - public institutes and companies (Exploitable results).
During the project, the ERA Chairs Group has been awarded seven grants from external sources (M2 and D 2.1) including two highly prestigious awarded to Prof. Dziembowski: ERC Advanced Grant, which was given to a Polish scientist in the life sciences for the first time, and the collaborative grant - HERO Virtual Research Institute, funded by the Polish Science Fund. The HERO team has already filed two patent applications (Exploitable results).
Furthermore, Prof. Dziembowski and his Group members actively engaged in five knowledge exchange visits to/meetings with European partners, (D.2.2) and took part in 14 specialized trainings (D2.3).
WP3. Structural changes for effective science management at IIMCB
With the support of the MOSaIC, IIMCB engaged in many activities improving and developing in-house science management.
Firstly, IIMCB introduced an institutional Open Access Policy, including Open Access to Publications and Open Access to Research Data (D3.1) appointed Open Access Officer and organized several internal trainings covering on the subject.
Also, IIMCB became a part of the Warsaw-4-PhD Doctoral School, with right to confer doctoral degrees (M4). It established a dedicated PhD Office at IIMCB and organized the first lecture course for PhD students of which Prof. Dziembowski was a scientific coordinator. To date, the school has welcomed 302 doctoral candidates from Poland and 26 other countries.
In addition, IIMCB managed activities dedicated to the technological transfer and commercialization of IIMCB's innovations. The commercial potential of these inventions were analysed by industry professionals, legal advisors and patent attorneys.
WP4. Structural changes for more effective implementation of C&C principles
IIMCB established a professional HR Unit, headed by experienced HR manager, Kasia Fiedorowicz. Based on the HR Strategy developed for the period 2020-2024 (M3 achieved), IIMCB introduced many improvements systemizing HR processes. The HR Unit organized 11 workshops for different groups of employees on career development, soft skills and management (D4.1) implemented a comprehensive system of support to foreign employees and adopted Disputes and Conflicts Resolution Policy (D4.2 completed). Importantly, it established Gender Equality Plan for the period 2022-2025 (D4.4). Within the latter and with the MOSaIC support, IIMCB organized three workshops on gender issues for women scientists at IIMCB (D4.3).
WP5. Strengthening MOSaIC’s recognition among national and European stakeholders
During the project the ERA Chairs Group published 6 papers with the acknowledgments to the MOSaIC project in international, high-impact journals, and submitted 5 manuscripts freely available through the bioRxiv repository (D5.1). The ERA Chairs Group's research findings were disseminated through 22 presentations at international scientific conferences (D5.2).
IIMCB co-organized kick-off meeting and Opening of the ERA Chairs Laboratory, YSC'21 and WISS conferences, during which Institute’s highlighted structural enhancements facilitated by MOSaIC. Prof. Dziembowski hosted renowned speakers and co-organized significant scientific events - the Summer Biotechnology School and the PL-RNA Biology Meeting (D5.3). The latter, held at IIMCB provided a platform for scientists, from Poland and other countries to discuss the latest advancements in RNA-related research. Prof. Dziembowski chaired the Organizing Committee of the event.
Moreover, Prof. Dziembowski and his Group members developed a dialog with young society. They gave lectures at the Warsaw Science Festival, hosted high-schoolers at the Laboratory, and shared insights about the future vision for science at the EU-Life Conference.
Notably, IIMCB extensively disseminated MOSaIC's and the EU's visual identities through dedicated websites and in social media (D5.4). The project's progress was also showcased in five IIMCB Annual Reports (D5.5) and through promotional materials (D5.6)