Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ESEI-BioMed (Enhancing and Strengthening the Excellence in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research at TRANSCEND)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-07-01 al 2024-09-30
The ambitious goal of the grant is to develop a new research area in the TRANSCEND research centre of a university hospital (Regional Institute of Oncology of Iasi – IRO), i.e. nanomedicine, with focus on advancing tumor diagnostics and therapy. Hence, a new laboratory had to be setup, the Nanotechnology Laboratory (NTL, https://www.iroiasi.ro/proiecte-eu/nanotechnology-lab-en(si apre in una nuova finestra)) as well as a multidisciplinary team of researchers. This project and the newly established NTL function as an agglutinating agent of all laboratories in TRANSCEND aiming to form a coherent research department able to develop itself in a sustainable manner and become a reference research center on nanomedicine in ERA. The scientific topics shaped for this new laboratory are mainly focused on development of innovative (plasmonic and magneto-plasmonic) multifunctional nanoliposomes and use of RAMAN/SERS spectroscopy for analysis of biofluids for cancer detection. Through the various and numerous activities carried out in this project, the TRANSCEND and the IRO are in the process of increasing visibility, extending and reinforcing collaborations. It is expected that due to the constant efforts made by the management team of the project and ERA-Chair holder in collaboration with the management team of IRO, the reorganized TRANSCEND in line with national and Europeans laws on scientific research be an attraction point for the highly-skilled researchers and industry stakeholders.
The activities of the project are grouped in 7 work-packages (WP). Below, the work performed so far for each WP is briefly presented by highlighting the most important activities/achievements:
WP1 - Project management
• Supervision of the different activities in order to insure the correct implementation of the project activities
• Risks associated with this reporting period were analyzed and discussed in order to find the proper solution
• Writing and submission of deliverables/reports according to the timetable
• Management of the intellectual property.
WP2 - ERA-Chair holder recruitment
• The recruitment process was made in line with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (EC) and the national Plan for research and Development (GD 583/2015), being transparent, open and merit-based
• Preparation of the job announcement and publishing on several platforms to increase visibility
• The selection was jointly performed by the management team and the International Advisory Board of the project
• Prof. Dr. Habil. Rares-Ionut Stiufiuc has been appointed as ERA-Chair of the project.
WP3 - Creating the landscape for the NanoTech Lab
• Establishing the scientific and management plan of the ERA-chair holder (SMP)
• Upgrading the research equipment of NTL and Cell Cuture Laboratory
• Shaping the scientific topics
• Setting up the ERA-Chair research team
• Establishing the procedure for hosting non-EU researchers
• Organizing thematic trainings for the ERA-Chair research team
• Bachelor, Master and PhD theses under cotutelle agreements
• Participation in summer schools
• Participations in calls for research project proposals.
WP4 - Strengthening research excellence and (inter-)national visibility
• Five memoranda of agreements signed with national academic institutions
• Two international collaborations
• Mobility project for Romanian experienced researchers from the diaspora
• Joining the CA21111 and CA21159 COST Actions
• First international scientific event for the ERA-chair team
• Participation in national and international meetings
• Visits in European academic institutions
• Specialized trainings for the ERA-chair research team
• Expressions of interest in hosting Marie Curie postdoc fellows and MSCA4Ukraine
• Updating of the TRANSCEND organigram and defining the current status of NTL
• Efforts to create an adequate administrative environment to meet research needs.
WP5 - Building the organizational structure for innovation and research management
• Setup of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) team
• Meetings for discussing the setup of the TTO in the institute
• Starting to create the database centralizing the research and innovation in nanomedicine
• Consulting different TTO structures at national and international levels
• Identifying the major challenges in creating a TTO
• Professional development of TTO team by relevant trainings
• Trainings provided by the TTO team to the ERA-Chair research team
WP6 - Dissemination, communication and promotion
• Logo and website and the project (www.eseibiomed.eu)
• ResearchGate, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube accounts
• Communication, dissemination, and promotion plan
• Participation in national and European events
• Dissemination to scientific community (peer-reviewed articles, key-notes, oral, posters, flashes, (inter-)national scientific meetings, Bachelor, Master and PhD theses)
• Training on science communication for the ERA-Chair research team
• Mass-media appearance
• Promotion movie
• Promotion materials for a large variety of audience (academics, scientists, media, policy makers, broad public)
• Open days for high school, undergraduates and graduates students.
WP7 - Ethics requirements
• Procedures and criteria that will be used to identify/recruit research participants
• Informed consent procedures
• Templates of the informed consent/assent forms and information sheets
• Description of the anonymization/pseudonymization techniques
• Appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO).
WP1 - Project management
• Supervision of the different activities in order to insure the correct implementation of the project activities
• Risks associated with this reporting period were analyzed and discussed in order to find the proper solution
• Writing and submission of deliverables/reports according to the timetable
• Management of the intellectual property.
WP2 - ERA-Chair holder recruitment
• The recruitment process was made in line with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (EC) and the national Plan for research and Development (GD 583/2015), being transparent, open and merit-based
• Preparation of the job announcement and publishing on several platforms to increase visibility
• The selection was jointly performed by the management team and the International Advisory Board of the project
• Prof. Dr. Habil. Rares-Ionut Stiufiuc has been appointed as ERA-Chair of the project.
WP3 - Creating the landscape for the NanoTech Lab
• Establishing the scientific and management plan of the ERA-chair holder (SMP)
• Upgrading the research equipment of NTL and Cell Cuture Laboratory
• Shaping the scientific topics
• Setting up the ERA-Chair research team
• Establishing the procedure for hosting non-EU researchers
• Organizing thematic trainings for the ERA-Chair research team
• Bachelor, Master and PhD theses under cotutelle agreements
• Participation in summer schools
• Participations in calls for research project proposals.
WP4 - Strengthening research excellence and (inter-)national visibility
• Five memoranda of agreements signed with national academic institutions
• Two international collaborations
• Mobility project for Romanian experienced researchers from the diaspora
• Joining the CA21111 and CA21159 COST Actions
• First international scientific event for the ERA-chair team
• Participation in national and international meetings
• Visits in European academic institutions
• Specialized trainings for the ERA-chair research team
• Expressions of interest in hosting Marie Curie postdoc fellows and MSCA4Ukraine
• Updating of the TRANSCEND organigram and defining the current status of NTL
• Efforts to create an adequate administrative environment to meet research needs.
WP5 - Building the organizational structure for innovation and research management
• Setup of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) team
• Meetings for discussing the setup of the TTO in the institute
• Starting to create the database centralizing the research and innovation in nanomedicine
• Consulting different TTO structures at national and international levels
• Identifying the major challenges in creating a TTO
• Professional development of TTO team by relevant trainings
• Trainings provided by the TTO team to the ERA-Chair research team
WP6 - Dissemination, communication and promotion
• Logo and website and the project (www.eseibiomed.eu)
• ResearchGate, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube accounts
• Communication, dissemination, and promotion plan
• Participation in national and European events
• Dissemination to scientific community (peer-reviewed articles, key-notes, oral, posters, flashes, (inter-)national scientific meetings, Bachelor, Master and PhD theses)
• Training on science communication for the ERA-Chair research team
• Mass-media appearance
• Promotion movie
• Promotion materials for a large variety of audience (academics, scientists, media, policy makers, broad public)
• Open days for high school, undergraduates and graduates students.
WP7 - Ethics requirements
• Procedures and criteria that will be used to identify/recruit research participants
• Informed consent procedures
• Templates of the informed consent/assent forms and information sheets
• Description of the anonymization/pseudonymization techniques
• Appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO).
Cancer is one of the major treats at the health of people, causing an extremely high rate of mortality. According to the European Cancer Information System an increased incidence and mortality with 18 and 26%, respectively, is expected by 2040. Therefore, prompt identification of more precise diagnostic methods while providing efficient and personalized therapies are critical. Because tumorgenesis starts at molecular level and can last for months or decades, suitable tools that allow an in depth understanding of the initial molecular events are needed to conquer cancer. Without being of panacea, nanotechnology employing devices and tools at the same order of magnitude or even lower (< 100 nm) holds promise in properly addressing the challenges of this genetic and metabolic disorder. Indeed, the number of nanoformulations nanomedicines entering clinical trials is increasing while a quite large number of nanomedcines is clinically approved, as compared with other maladies. Among them liposomes and polymers are the most encountered organic-based nanostructures while iron oxides and Hafnium oxide are the only inorganic nanoparticles approved for oncologic applications so far. Through the scientific topics approached by this project, that is, development of innovative (plasmonic and magneto-plasmonic) multifunctional nanoliposomes and the application of spectroscopic techniques (e.g. RAMAN/SERS) for analysis of biofluids for cancer detection, our aim is to find innovative solutions for the clinical cancer care. By the strategic plan and vision on the development of the project and NTL, we aim to have an impact on the research on cancer and become a reference hub on nanomedicine fully integrated in ERA. In addition, setting up a Technology Transfer Office in our institute by ESEI-BioMed project to fill the gap between the research conducted in NTL and TRANSCEND and economic environment and strengthen it increase the chances of achieving the goal.