Strengthening the capacity of CerVirVac (Croatian Centre of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines) for research in viral immunology and vaccinology

PROJECT TITLE: Strengthening the capacity of CerVirVac (Croatian Centre of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines) for research in viral immunology and vaccinology

FUND: European Regional Development Fund

DURATION: 01 October 2017 - 30 September 2022

COORDINATOR: University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine

INSTITUTIONS IN THE NETWORK:
Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology of the University of Zagreb
Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljevic”, Zagreb

Total value of the project: HRK 37.999.570,30 (approx. EUR 5.000.000)
The value of the EU co-financing: HRK 37.716.072,15

Brief description:

The aim of this project is to upgrade the research capacity of the Croatian Centre of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines for frontier research in the area of viral immunology and vaccinology. The project comprises scientific, training, translational and dissemination activities and to a great extent builds on the European Research Council-funded Advanced Research grant StAdvInn, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Stipan Jonjic. The project team investigates the interactions of viruses and host immune system to answer why our immune system often fails to defend us from infections and tumours, which according to the World Health Organization represent the leading causes of death.
The obtained insights will be used to design smart vaccines that will enable a more efficient immune response against particular infectious diseases and pathogens. The project will result in discoveries of new viral genes and their role in viral pathogenesis, development of vaccines, vaccine vectors and other biological products, such as monoclonal antibodies against different pathogens and tumours. Moreover, the project will bring the research results closer to the biomedical and biopharmaceutical market and encourage the formation of new biotechnology ventures. Importantly, the project activities will improve the competences of young scientists for research, teaching, grant applications to the most competitive calls as well as technology transfer.
The activities proposed within the project are completely in compliance with the Thematic Priority Area “Health and quality of life” (Sub-Area 1 “Pharmaceutics, biopharmaceutics, medical equipment and devices”) of Smart Specialisation Strategy of the Republic of Croatia and will contribute to strengthening of the innovation capacity, quality and competitiveness of the Croatian research sector.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:
Objective 1: To enhance the research capacity to conduct frontier research in viral immunology and vaccinology
at least 76 researchers participating in the project activities
at least 10 successfully defended doctoral dissertations
at least 8 postdoctoral researchers successfully completed training
at least 10 new applications to competitive calls for proposals
at least 12 newly characterized viral immunomodulators, proteins/transcripts, genes, experimental vaccines and vaccine vectors, methods for viral particles, vaccines and biomolecules purification/preparation
at least 21 participations in workshops and seminar aimed to increase the competences of young researchers
Objective 2: To translate the research results toward the development and commercialization of viral vaccines, biomolecules and methods for their production
at least 3 new patent applications
at least 6 realised knowledge and technology transfer models
Objective 3: To improve the visibility among project stakeholders
at least 70 publications in Web of Science-indexed journals
at least 8 guest researchers
at least 6 new scientific collaborations with other research groups
at least 6 new scientific collaborations with international centres of excellence
at least 180 different dissemination and visibility activities (guest lectures, visits, presentations at conferences and science popularisation events, organization of conferences and workshops, open days, media appearances)

CONTACT PERSON:
Prof. Dr. Stipan Jonjic, Project Coordinator
Coordinator of the Centre of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines
Chair of the Department of Histology and Embryology
Head of the Center for Proteomics
University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine
E-mail: stipan.jonjic@medri.uniri.hr

RELEVANT WEB PAGES:
www.strukturnifondovi.hr/natjecaji/1315
www.mingo.hr/public/investicije/OPKK_2014_2020_31316.pdf
www.strukturnifondovi.hr/op-konkurentnost-i-kohezija-2014-2020-779