Warsaw Ochota Campus BioInfoMed Research Centre Warsaw Ochota Campus BioInfoMed Research Centre Jerzy Duszyński Marcin Szumowski

Plan of the presentation Ochota Campus Introduction Ochota Campus Introduction Building human potential and infrastructure Building human potential and infrastructure Core competencies and growth opportunities Core competencies and growth opportunities Taking the next step Taking the next step Synergies with EU, national, regional initiatives Synergies with EU, national, regional initiatives The Ochota Campus of 2020 – benefits for the region, Poland and Europe The Ochota Campus of 2020 – benefits for the region, Poland and Europe

Faculty of Chemistry Warsaw University Banacha Clinical Hospital The Medical University of Warsaw Faculty of Biology Warsaw University Faculty of Geology Warsaw University Faculty of Mathematics Warsaw University Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS Institute of Geophysics Warsaw University Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM), UW

Prepared by: Marcin Szumowski, IBD PAN Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, PAS International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM), UW Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, PAS

The Ochota Campus * 14 scientific institutions in one square kilometre: Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS): Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology (NIEB), Institutes of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering (IBBE) and Medical Research Centre (MRC). International Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IIMCB) Warsaw University (UW): Faculties of biology, chemistry, physics (geophysics), geology, mathematics and Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM), Heavy Ion Laboratory (HIL) The Medical University of Warsaw and the largest clinical hospital in Poland. * Ochota is one of the central districts of Warsaw

The Ochota Campus in numbers Total employment > 5500; Total employment > 5500;  research scientists > 1500 (~50% in bio-sciences);  PhD students > 1000 (~50% in bio-sciences) Total annual turnover > 50 million euro Total annual turnover > 50 million euro Total assets > 150 million euro Total assets > 150 million euro Advanced Technology Centre in Biotechnology, Advanced Technology Centre in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BioInfoMed) Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BioInfoMed)

Equipment and facilities Recent and pending (2005 – 2006) investment projects in excess of € 15 M EU Structural (75%) and National (25%) Funds

Building human capital In one decade ( ), ~700 scientists from the Ochota Campus emigrated to USA, France, UK, Germany… In one decade ( ), ~700 scientists from the Ochota Campus emigrated to USA, France, UK, Germany… Many of them are eager and willing to return Many of them are eager and willing to return Their standard requirements include: Their standard requirements include: 1. independent laboratory with 3 or more staff (including 2 or more PhD students) 2. start up funds of € m of lab space m 2 of lab space 4. easy access to top-level core research facilities 2-4 are currently insufficient or lacking in the Ochota Campus 2-4 are currently insufficient or lacking in the Ochota Campus

Area of the Ochota Campus

Nencki Institute Faculty of Chemistry UW Warsaw Medical University Hospital Faculty of Biology UW Faculty of Mathematics UW Faculty of Geology UW Heavy Ion Laboratory UW The Ochota Campus in 2000

„ … There are great gaps in the research areas covered by truly international laboratories. In the area of the Life Sciences, with which I am familiar, I would suggest that it would be of major benefit to establish an Institute for Neurobiology (perhaps in Poland), an Institute for Microbiology (perhaps in the Czech Republic) and an Institute for Plant Biology (perhaps in Hungary). If all three were based on the highly successful EMBL model, then such franchising could have the same powerful impact both scientifically and regionally.” From an assessment paper by Frank Gannon, Director of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Neuroscience is one of the key competence areas of the Ochota Research Campus Taking the next step Ochota Campus of 2020

Spending on Biomedical Research as % of total Research Funding (stimulating the modern knowledge based economy): - Australia 66% - USA 55% - EU average 25% - Poland < 20% The Ochota Campus has the intellectual potential, concentration of resources and demonstrated scientific excellence to reverse this unfavourable ratio for BioMed funding. Our research focuses on: - molecular biology, bio-medicine and neurosciences - high-power computing and modelling (bioinformatics) - protein structure research - preclinical and clinical research (diseases of the nervous system, vascular patophysiology, cancerogenesis, etc.) Modern Core Competencies

Synergy with ESFRI* Priorities BMS (BioMedSci) ESFRI working groups will most likely support the following projects: Structural Biology Network (centres equipped with X-ray, NMR, PET, electron microscopy etc.) Archiving & phenotyping mouse and rat central facilities European network for advanced clinical research Biobanks Emerging embryonic projects: - systematic biology - imaging biological structure CAMPUS OCHOTA HAS VERY STRONG COMPETENCE IN ALL THESE AREAS * ESFRI – European Strategy For Research Infrastructure

Synergies with other activities International level – – roughly 1/3 of Poland’s participation in FP6 First Priority can be accounted for by projects realised by the Ochota Campus institutions – – involvement in several EU GRID projects – – 8 EU Centres of Excellence National Level – – Advanced Technology Centre BioInfoMed – – seven national competence centres in priority technology areas – – several investment projects funded from structural funds Regional level – – development of a nearby Warsaw Technological Park (City of Warsaw initiative) Innovation through technology transfer from scientific institutions to industry requires industry pull (market demand) and scientific push (innovative ideas, technologies). Warsaw area accounts for nearly 40% of all R&D and higher education institutions in Poland. Warsaw has also the highest concentration of high-tech industry (e.g., nearly 40% of telecom industries are located in the region).

Ochota Campus of a vision an internationally recognized EU scientific research centre with an international steering committee, over 2000 scientists, over 1500 PhD students and many satellite institutions an internationally recognized EU scientific research centre with an international steering committee, over 2000 scientists, over 1500 PhD students and many satellite institutions one of the largest interdisciplinary bioscience centres and the highest concentration of scientific potential in CEE one of the largest interdisciplinary bioscience centres and the highest concentration of scientific potential in CEE a leading centre in neurobiology and neurodegeneration a leading centre in neurobiology and neurodegeneration world leading expertise in protein modelling and structure world leading expertise in protein modelling and structure national biobanks and associated patient history databases of hereditary cancer and rare diseases national biobanks and associated patient history databases of hereditary cancer and rare diseases regionally unique diagnostic capabilities (e.g., genetic screening, bio-medical imaging, fMRI, PET, etc.) regionally unique diagnostic capabilities (e.g., genetic screening, bio-medical imaging, fMRI, PET, etc.) balanced funding from multiple international and national sources including the private sector balanced funding from multiple international and national sources including the private sector

Core facility development requires a multi-stakeholder approach: scientific community, industry, local governments and administration as well as funding agencies at all levels strategic resource allocation from ESFRI, European Investment Bank, Structural Funds (national and regional levels), national funds, industry (~200 M euro) Ochota Research Campus of 2020 will capitalize on the existing scientific excellence and core competencies adding modern infrastructure, core facilities and international programmes to join the European elite of leading biomedical research centres.