Report 2008-2010

Strengthening and Sustaining the
European perspectives of Molecular
Biotechnology in Lithuania (MoBiLi)
MoBiLi is funded by the European Union, Research Potential Call FP7-REGPOT-2009-1
Mission of the MoBiLi: MoBiLi is a support action to strengthen the
research capacities and to mobilize human resources in molecular
biotechnology at the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT) Vilnius, Lithuania.
The MoBiLi, dedicated to the strengthening and sustaining the
European perspectives of Molecular Biotechnology in Lithuania, has
been selected for funding by the EU FP7 Capacities programme. The
latter coordination and support action (call FP7-REGPOT-2009-1) was
very competitive: 312 projects were received by the Commission and
only 16 were selected for funding (MoBiLi ranked 7-th).
Purpose of the project is to build up scientific excellence and human
potential of IBT thereby transforming it into an excellence centre in
molecular biotechnology and a significant player in the European Research
Area.
The major objectives:
Human capital building for research and technological development
(RTD) in the field of state-of-the-art molecular biotechnology
Networking of IBT with major centres of excellence in the EU via joint
research and mobility of researchers
Upgrading and modernisation of research infrastructure in line with
emerging thematic priorities in the field
The objectives of the project will be fulfilled by 7 Work Packages via
collaboration with the project core partners:
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (KI)
Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU)
University of Edinburgh (UE)
The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)
Scientific priority areas of collaboration with the core partners cover
topics like protein structure, interactions and cellular networks (JLU,
EMBL, SIB, UE) and cellular imaging and high-throughput approaches
to study human diseases (EMBL, KI, SIB, UE).
Project progress (December 2009 - September 2010)
Exchange of Know-How And Experience: During the period of 10
months, 6 scientists came to the IBT to do collaborative research and
eight researchers from the IBT visited foreign partners. ;
Recruitment of Incoming Experienced Researchers: A series of job
advertisements were placed in scientific journals and communicated
through personal connections for the recruitment of incoming experienced
researchers.
Nine scientists were selected from about 20 invited seminar interviews.
Three of them, Group Leaders, will establish new research groups in the
fields of Protein structure, interactions and cellular networks, High
throughput approaches to study human disease, and Molecular, cellular
biology, or biophysics. Remaining six scientists are young postdoctoral
researches having gained significant experience abroad.
Acquisition, Development, Maintenance or Upgrading of Research
Equipment: The MoBiLi project is aimed to create a stimulating, multidisciplinary
environment promoting research of excellence in biomedicine
at the interface between structural biology, chemistry and
biology. Therefore IBT had purchased the following equipment: Universal
X-Ray Difractometer, HPLC-MS System, Cell sorting system for
high performance analytical and preparative flow cytometry and
High performance computing (HPLC) Linux cluster.
International Seminars & Workshops: Furthermore, MoBiLi aims to
increase the international visibility of IBT, dissemination of scientific
information obtained at IBT and exchange of know how with potential
collaboration partners. 5 experienced researchers have already visited
IBT and gave their presentations.
Nine IBT researchers had attended international conferences and
workshops on structural and computational biology and biomedicine.
Dissemination and Promotional Activities: Dissemination activities
will facilitate dissemination and transfer of knowledge at regional, national
and international level involving both the own research/PR staff
and invited specialists from other countries and will increase the in-
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