dr Jelena Begović

JRC Macro-Regional Innovation Week - Knowledge and Technology Transfer in Macro-Regions, January 2018

INNOVATION THROUGH BIOTECHNOLOGIES

INNOVATIONS & BIOTECHNOLOGY IN IMGGE

BIOTECH IN SERBIA

CHALLENGES

February, 26 1986 the Institute of Molecular Genetics and

Genetic Engineering (IMGGE) was established as Affiliated

Centre of International Centre for Genetic Engineering and

Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy

Staff 110

Seeking fundamental

knowledge:

molecular biology

molecular genetics

recombinant DNA technology

biotechnology

to improve the

quality of

life…

Develop top-quality expertise and

translate our knowledge into practice

STRATEGICAL FRAMEWORK

EDUCATION

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH

SERVICES

INOVATIONS

BIOTECHNOLOGY MOLECULAR GENETICS

AND BIOMEDICINE

STRATEGICAL GOALS

Strategy of development of IMGGE 2016-2020

Personalized medicine in IMGGE

Next generation sequencing have been used for diagnosis of more than 300 rare diseases (20 novel variants in genes causing different rare diseases have been discovered). Results of PHARMACOGENOMICS studies conducted in IMGGE are implemented in clinical practice.

Research in the field of biomedicine in Serbia has followed the modern streams and has made a great contribution to implementation of genomics in clinical practice

RED BIOTECHNOLOGY

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE - STEM CELL THERAPY

First clinical use of in vitro propagated adipose tissue

derived mesenchymal stem cells in therapy of

degenerative diseases of cartilage (osteoarthritis),

rheumatological diseases and Burger’s disease

Quality of patients’ everyday life showed

great improvement.

Centro de Biologia Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain University of New Castle upon Tyme, GB

University of Patras (UPAT), GREECE

ANTIBIOTIC REPLACEMENT STRATEGIES

BACTERIOCINS are bacterially produced peptides that are active against other bacteria

BACTERIOPHAGES bacterial viruses

Acinetobacter phage NOVI

KILLING OF CLINICAL RELEVANT PATHOGENS (Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa)

Carbapanem resistant (K. pneumoniae - colistin resistant)

New antimicrobial compounds as replacement for antibiotics

and food preservatives

BIOTECNOLOGY AND MICROORGANISMS

Teagasc Food Research Centre, Cork, Ireland Max Rubner Institute, Kiel, Germany

Norwegian University of life sciences

Development of new starters for fermented

milk and meat products - functional food

NEW PROBIOTICS

Prevention and therapy of

diabetes in pets

Probiotics for fish

cultivation

New probiotic starter culture for human and animal application

YELLOW BIOTECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY

NAIK-HAKI, Hungary National and Innovation Centre

START-UP COMPANY established in 2016 with the aim

of development and commercialization of innovations

in biotechnology

Innovative natural probiotic for

prevention and treatment of animal diseases

PCT/RS2015/000027

- Bioplastics (polyxydroxyalkanoates; PHA) - Bacterial nano-cellulose - Biomedical and biotechnological

applications

- bio-pigments - antibiotics - anticancer drugs

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION OF MICROBIAL SECONDARY METABOLITES

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION & APPLICATION OF MICROBIAL BIOPOLYMERS

BIOCATALYSIS

Enzymes in organic synthesis Biocatalysts improvement

WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY

Ireland

Technical University of Denmark Technical University of Munich, Germany

GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY

• DEVELOPING NOVEL MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR THE

IMPROVEMENT OF MAIZE BREEDING PROGRAMMES:

NGS analysis of maize transcriptome

Maize response to cold and drought

Epitranscriptomics changes of maize stress-related genes

• STUDYING INTERACTION OF DNA AND ZEOLITE:

– IP protection of our innovative product for DNA isolation based on zeolite (ZEOBION)

– Continuing zeolite research for RNA isolation, advanced biosensors and DNA/RNA storage

• CRISPR-CAS SYSTEM in developing new Arabidopsis thaliana mutants

• BIODEGRADATION & BIOREMEDIATION

Removal of aromatic contaminants and heavy metals from soil

The Ohio State University, USA

STAKEHOLDERS IN THE INNOVATION PROCESS

• Universities, including research scientists and designated

officers of technology transfer

• Scientific Institutes

• Entrepreneurs, including start-up companies and venture capitalists

• Industry

• Potential technology adopters and downstream producers who will use the technology

• Government regulators

• Organizations of special interest

• Consumers

One of the visions of national strategy “Science for Innovation” (2016-2020), improvement of scientific research system efficiency that should lead to: • the creation of new knowledge, • development of new and improvement of old technologies, • definition of smart specialization platform for RS

INNOVATIONS & BIOTECHNOLOGY IN SERBIA

At this point, RS is in the process of the development of Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) and has finished mapping and identification of potential priority domains.1

Regarding innovations, following specializations that could be related to biotechnology have a significant potential in Serbia: ICT, CHEMISTRY AND DERIVATIVES, PHARMACEUTICALS, AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY AND MEDICAL DEVICES.

SO THESE FIELDS CAN BE TAKEN AS POTENTIAL FUTURE COUNTRY PRIORITIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

1Mapping of economic, innovative and scientific potential in Serbia, Report, Fraunhofer ISI and Analytical Team of the Inter-ministerial Working Group for Smart Specialisation of the Republic of Serbia, 2017

Regarding innovations, although the percentage of Serbian firms investing in innovations is growing, the investments in R&D and collaborations for innovations is still low (expenditure and the number of researchers)

Innovative companies including spin offs and start-ups in Serbia are still facing different challenges since they are considered as high risk business and still are not recognized as relevant contributors to country’s economy

CHALLENGES

In 2014, Serbia’s R&D expenditures (GERD) amounted to 0.77% of GDP and Serbia has still not achieved a target to reach 1.05 per cent of GDP to invest in science and technology as set by the government in its Science and Technology Strategy for 2010 and 2015

Serbia has increased the number and type of instruments for the direct support of innovations including Serbian Innovation Fund that provides financing for innovations under supervision of MoESTD

WEF Global Competitiveness Report key indicators for 2017-2018 Serbia has significantly advanced ranking 78th (90th in 2016)

Future BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT requires:

clear government strategy on R&D including the adoption RIS3

targeted infrastructural investments,

implementation of strategic policies that will bring together academia and industry

attraction of investments

CONTINUOUS ADVANCES IN MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT, HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING, BUSINESS SOPHISTICATION AND INNOVATION

IN THIS REGARD BIOTECHNOLOGY COULD BECOME AN IMPORTANT DRIVER OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SERBIA

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

begovicj@imgge.bg.ac.rs