- Project title: Plant Biodiversity of Serbia and the Balkan Peninsula – Assessment, Sustainable Use and Protection
- Project number: OI173030
- Institutions participating in the project: Faculty of Sciences (Novi Sad) and Faculty of Biology (Belgrade)
- Status in the project: Partner
- Project leader: Dmitar Lakušić
- Project type: Fundamental research
- Period of realization: 2011-2019
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G-BiKE: European network of scientists for integrating genomic information into ecosystem management
A project with an interesting acronym – G-BiKE, COST Action Genomic Blodiversity Knowledge for Resilient, is a newly funded project of the European Union with the aim to connect scientists, managers and users of natural wealth across Europe in order to emphasize the importance of applying scientific knowledge of genetics and genomics in the conservation of plant and animal life.
Although today genetic information can be obtained for most of the organisms, standardisation of the protocols for detecting and monitoring species’ genetic diversity and their adaptive potential is still missing. The main idea of the G-BiKE project is to establish the usage of genomic knowledge as a standard tool in the environmental protection programmes, in order to ensure the persistence of populations and species.
As the acronym of the project alludes to a bicycle, the main idea of the project is to connect two wheels, one symbolising scientists and the other all the practitioners directly involved in the application of ecosystem protection programmes. The project started with a meeting in Brussels attended by 45 scientists from 27 European countries. Serbia was represented by three scientists: Prof Dr Mihajla Djan, full professor at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad, Dr Nevena Velickovic, assistant professor at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad and Dr Srdjan Stojnic, research associate at the Institute of Lowland Forestry and the Environment in Novi Sad.
Scientific programme of the Action is divided in five thematic units which are organized as working groups. The team from Serbia will participate in the working group focusing on the implementation of genetic markers as indicators for monitoring the state of natural populations. The work of this group will result in a unique database including the species of the European continent which are crucial for the development of genetic and genomic markers and the list of areas of special importance for the implementation of environmental protection measures (the areas which are prone to fast changes or which represent cross-border areas of species distribution).
Dr Cristiano Vernesi from Italy was appointed as the Action Chair, and during the first meeting other leaders were appointed, including a representative from Serbia – dr Nevena Velickovic who was appointed as the Science Communication Manager.
Note:
The project was obtained within the COST programme. COST is an intergovernmental framework for European cooperation in the domain of science and technology which opens space for the projects, which have already been financed at the national level and involve at least five institutions from the programme member countries, to be coordinated at the European level. COST programme financially supports the collaboration activities such as organising conferences, seminars, working group meetings, meetings of the executive boards of individual projects within the programme, participation in summer schools, as well as travel expenses for short-term scientific visits.
Curricula Development in the fields of reproductive biology/ assisted reproductive technologies and regenerative medicine in Serbia
Reducing infertility in human population, improving genetic potential in animal husbandry and the conservation of autochthonous species as well as the application of regenerative medicine in the treatment of diseases, all represent the challenges of the modern society.
A team of professors from the Department of Biology and Ecology, the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad are leading a big international project “Curricula Development in the Fields of Reproductive Biology/ Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Regenerative Medicine in Serbia”.
The objectives of this project are the following:
- Modernisation and development of Master Studies in Reproductive Biology in Serbian and English to educate Reproductive Biologists – Embryologists to work in teams for in vitro fertilization, which are jointly carried out by the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad;
- Developing specialization programmes in Animal Reproductive Biotechnology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, to educate the veterinarians in the application of assisted reproductive technologies;
- Developing Master Studies in Regenerative Medicine at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac.
Тhree European universities participate in the project: Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’, Bulgaria, the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and the University of Newcastle, England, as well as three partners from the SME sector: Special Gynaecological Hospital ‘Ferona’ (Novi Sad, Serbia), Livestock and Veterinary Centre for Reproduction and Artificial Insemination ‘Velika Plana’ (Velika Plana, Serbia), Medical Centre ReproBioMed (Sofia, Bulgaria).
The realization of this project will transfer best practices from the EU universities and enterprises into the higher education institutions in Serbia in the fields of human and animal reproduction and regenerative medicine. The introduction of new study programmes will contribute to the modernization, availability and internalization of university education in Serbia. In October, 2019 these master academic studies will start, which will open up an opportunity for students to choose a new area of expertise, and at the same time this programme will make the studies at the Department of Biology and Ecology and the Faculty of Medicine become more attractive and up-to-date.
It is expected that the first generation of students will complete new study programmes in 2020 and 2021 and become competent and ready to work in the fields of human and animal reproduction as well as regenerative medicine.
Furthermore, in 2019 life-long learning courses for reproductive biologists – embryologists and veterinarians will start. Universities in Serbia, participants in the project, believe that new study programmes will attract more students not only at the national but also at the regional level, since similar study programmes do not exist in the region.