FOREWORD BY CEITEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Markus Dettenhofer / would like to thank everyone who has helped us thus far to reach our goals. Although there is still much work to do, we have managed to overcome many challenges. The events of 2013 underscored our drive to increase the scientific performance at CEITEC. The end of 2013 marked the first two full-years of operations of CEITEC as an organisation, and it has witnessed many advances and continued prcciress :c build CL.rfcL.rdcticr The valuable and active engagement from both of our governing bodies, the Coordination Board and the International Scientific Advisory Board, have significantly supported measures to enable our successes. n 2013, our efforts to build our infrastructure has witnessed good progress in the form of establishing the core facilities housing high-end shared equipment, as well as the construction of buildings for new laboratories. Several of our core facilities are associated with the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), which will play an important role to ensure our connectivity with the broader international scientific community. During this period, we have also launched our International PhD programme, and we continued to recruit exceptional international scientists. As the 2013 Annual Report shows, our scientific publications not only grew in total numbers over the last two years, but more importantly, the quality of the publications has significantly increased. Additionally, our scientists have an increasing number of international collaborators over the years, which had fostered a greater international network. Our participation in the EU-Life consortium, which started this year, is testament to CEITEC's increasing visibility i: I ■ i i ■ :he I uroprvn network cf research institutes, but equally important is the commitment of EU-Life and CEITEC to standards of research excellence. would like to thank everyone who has helped us thus far to reach our goals. Although there is still much work to do, we have managed to overcome many challenges. We are committed to continue to build a reputation as an emerging institute for high-end, multi--disciplinary research in the Czech Republic that would have international impact. Please join us in celebrating our achievements thus far. www.ceitec.eu I 3 CONTENT © © © CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology Benefits to the Region Partner Institutions & Financing AYearinthe Life of CEITEC Research Groups Boards of CEITEC Employees Budget Overview Grant Submissions Publications Core Facilities 6 4 I Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu CENTRAL EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CEITEC is a scientific centre in the fields of the life sciences, advanced materials and technologies which aims to establish itself as a recognized centre for basic as well as applied research. CEITEC offers state-of-the-art infrastructure and excellent conditions for the employment of outstanding researchers. It is a consortium of partners that include the most prominent universities and research institutes in Brno, Czech Republic: Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Institute of Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno and the Veterinary Research Institute. CEITEC works closely with the Region of South Moravia and the City of Brno to help increase local innovative capacity. 0 VISION CEITEC will lead on the path to global scientific recognition through science based on synergy and collaboration in order to achieve a regional knowledge-based economy AH VISION CO BASIC OVERVIEW 6 research programmes research groups Approval by th Commission on Start of research activi INTERDISCIPLINARY COOPERATION The combined knowledge and resources of the six participating institutions will ensure the more efficient attainment of quality results and higher levels of involvement from the application sphere. MISSION CEITEC was created to advance existing basic and applied research in South Moravia to new levels. Its purpose is not only to provide its researchers with the best eguipment and new laboratory facilities, but also to engage in scientific discovery at a globally competitive level. To achieve this, CEITEC aims to retain and recruit talen ted people who can address important research guestions. The train ing of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows for future careers in science or technologically demanding fields is important for the development of the region. By conducting research that bridges technological disciplines, CEITEC will see its greatest advances in enhancing the innovative environment of the region. MISSION INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT International mobility and a system of management are gained from experience of the best research institutes worldwide: •1- COORDINATION BOARD Coordination board is composed of statutory representatives of partner institutions and external representatives frorr orominent Czech firms active in R&D and the best international research institutes INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD Members of I5AB are exclusively representatives of important internationa research institutes EVALUATION Evaluations of the quality of research results are conducted by independent teams of prominent global experts n their respective fields 6 I Central European Institute of Technology \/vww.ceitec.eu BENEFITS TO THE REGION PARTNER INSTITUTIONS ■ Improvement in student education - predominantly in graduate studies ■ Research laboratories for nearly 600 scientists and more than 1200 students Creation of new innovative companies and attraction of domestic and international investors ■ Creation of new jobs in the respective fields of research ■ Attraction of foreign experts and respected Czech scientists to the area CEITEC will significantly contribute to a long-term increase in the competitiveness of Brno, the Region of South Moravia and the Czech Republic as a whole. o PARIS WARSAW BUDAPEST btTlS MASARYK UNIVERSITY O www.muni.cz nBRNO M UNIVERSITY 7 OF TECHNOLOGY BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY O www.vutbr.cz Mendel University € in Brno • MENDEL UNIVERSITY IN BRNO O www.mendelu.cz INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS OF MATERIALS AS CR O www.ipm.cz UNIVERSITY OF VETERINARY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES BRNO O www.vfu.cz VRI VETERINARY RESEARCH INSTITUTE O www.vri.cz FINANCING Total budget of € 208 mil. Source of funding: The European Regional Development Fund to be financed through the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovations, priority axis 1 - European Centres of Excellence, which is managed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. EUROPEAN UNION EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE www.cestec.eu A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF CEITEC January February March CEITEC acquires the most powerful NMR spectrometer in Central Europe As of January 201 3 CEITEC has had the use of the most powerful nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer in Central and Eastern Europe. The NMR spectrometer is a part of the Josef Dadok National NMR Centre's equipment. The Centre was officially opened on 23 January 2013 and currently this state-of-the-art workplace has the use of six NMR spectrometers in total, with the most powerful NMR spectrometer working at a frequency of 950 MHz.There are only eight of these devices operating at this frequency in use worldwide. City of Brno Award to Prof. Vrba Prof. RadimirVrba, director of CEITEC BUT, was honoured by the City of Brno for his activities in the field of technological development. He received the award from the Mayor of Brno on 22 January 201 3 at a special ceremony in the council chambers of Brno City Hall. "I was surprised by the award; I take it as a reward for my whole career At the same time, I perceive it as recognition for the en tire team of people around me because cooperation is a key aspect in science." CEITEC scientists discover a new method for the rapid diagnosis of methanol poisoning Scientists from CEITEC MU led by Dr. Petr Kubáň, in cooperation with doctors from Havířov Hospital, have developed a unique method for the rapid diagnosis of methanol poisoning by determining levels of formic acid in blood serum. Formic acid is the final product when methanol is broken down.This new method can determine whether there are higher than normal levels of formic acid in the blood within 1 -2 minutes, and thus whether treatment is needed. Rapidly determining levels of formic acid in serum is, therefore, more important than determining methanol levels when it comes to deciding to initiate treatment.The research results were published in the prestigious Journal of Chromatography A at the beginning of 2013. CEITEC Workshop No. 1 /2013 On 19 March, the regular CEITEC Workshop took place at amazing space of Brno Observatory and Planetarium. We introduced CEITEC news, enjoyed new sessions such as special students'brainstorming, had an interesting lecture about Horizon2020 and learned from our CEITEC colleagues about their research and possible cooperation across different research programmes. 10 I Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu April May CEITEC scientist Dalibor Blažek received a prestigious American grant for research into ovarian cancer Dalibor Blažek, PhD, Inherited Diseases II -Transcriptional Regulation research group leader, has been granted a prestigious Pilot Study grant award from the Marsha Rivkin Foundation, Oregon, USA. The grant topic is linked to recently published work that identified the protein Cdkl 2 as a new tumour suppressor.This protein, practically unstudied to date, regulates the optimal levels of several other proteins in a cell playing key roles in the repair of damaged DNA. Thus, Cdkl 2 "protects" the cell against a tumour inception.The goal of future work is the identification of the precise molecular mechanism by which the deregulated protein Cdkl 2 contributes to the inception of ovarian cancer. CEITEC kicked off its first PhD programme CEITEC BUT officially opened its first interdisciplinary PhD study programme in Advanced Materials and Nanosciences.This new PhD programme offers students the chance to draw on the expertise and experience of experts from three top scientific institutions concurrently. Students also have an exceptional chance to utilise the often unique instrumentation and technology available in CEITEC.The new PhD studies offer two areas, and these are Advanced Nanotechnologies and Microtechno-logies, and Advanced Materials. CEITEC plans to open a further two interdisciplinary PhD study programmes. The first of these will focus only on the life sciences and the second has been conceived uniquely as a multidisciplinary programme on the borders of the life and material sciences. CEITEC contributes to development of a new type of computer memory. Data will be saved much faster and without loss Young scientists from CEITEC BUT and the Institute of Physical Engineering BUT, Vojtěch Uhlíř and Michal Urbánek, have discovered new ways of controlling magnetic vortices, which can be used for example in the fabrication of a new kind of computer memory. The scientists have now managed to rapidly and in a controlled manner switch the spin circulation in magnetic vortices, which opens the door to a multitude of possible applications, especially in the field of IT. The Brno scientists worked on the experimental verification of the corresponding theory with their colleagues from the University of California in San Diego and the synchrotron laboratory in Berkeley. The results of their research have been published in the May edition of Nature Nano-technology. Scientists from CEITEC MU clarify the genome structure of the predecessor of present-day brass i ca Young scientists from the CEITEC MU, Terezie Manda ková and Martin A. Lysák, in cooperation with colleagues from the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers in Beijing have reconstructed the ancestral genome structure of the present-day cabbages. The genus Brassica comprises several species and varieties of oil-producing plants, forage plants and vegetables, such as oilseed rape, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. The study answers the 80-plus--year-old question about a make-up of the ancestral genome of extant brassicas, and will facilitate sequencing and genome analysis of other economically important cruciferous crops. The research was published in the top-ranking journal The Plant Cell in May 2013. Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu May June EU-LIFE: A new alliance for European excellence and competitiveness in the life sciences In May 2013, directors and staff from ten top European research institutes, including CEITEC, kicked off a new alliance, called EU-LIFE, which mission is to foster excellence, share knowledge, and influence policies in the life sciences. Partners in EU-LIFE are renowned research centres that operate with similar principles of excellence, external reviews, independence, competiveness, and internationally. During difficult economic times and within a highly competitive international research enviroment, we believe that we can join forces to better address complex questions, thereby contributing to pushing European science forward. Nobel laureate, Thomas R. Cech, in Brno Another lecture by a Nobel Prize winner took place in Brno under the auspices of CEITEC and Masaryk University. Professor Thomas R. Cech, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Colorado, USA, gave a lecture entitled "From the RNA World to the RNP World: Ribozymes, TelomeraseandIncRNAs". The lecture was devoted to the functions of Ribonucleic acid (RNA), for the discovery of which Cech was awarded. In 1981-1982 he found out that RNA is not just a passive carrier of genetic information but it can catalyze biochemical reactions like enzymes of protein character. In particular, it was discovered that RNA is able to cut itself without the participation of proteins - a process in which a part of its chain is cut out and remaining parts are reconnected. This discovery was a significant landmark in the study of the origins and development of life. CEITEC PhD Competition 2013 The first CEITEC PhD Competition was held on 11 June 2013.This competition was attended by 20 young researchers: three PhD students from each of the CEITEC research programmes introduced their research topics. CEITEC experts from the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) evaluated presenters according to the importance of their research question, the significance of their findings and their presentation skills.The first prize took Petra Faltejskova from the Molecular Medicine research programme, IvaTomalo-va and Petr Klenovsky, both from the Advanced Nanotechnologies and Microtechnologies research programme, placed second and third respectively. The CEITEC PhD Competition was enriched by a lecture delivered by the esteemend scientist Carl Djerassi. Born in Vienna and educated in the US, Carl Djerassi is a writer and professor of chemistry emeritus at Stanford University. Author of over 1200 scientific publications and seven monographs, he is the only American chemist to have been awarded both the National Medal of Science (in 1973, for the first synthesis of a steroid oral contraceptive - "the Pill") and the National Medal of Technology (in 1991, for promoting new approaches to insect control). Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu June July 6.2 CEITEC launches new web site We have prepared a new web site for you, which should be more user-friendly and intuitive. Whether it is information about CEITEC in general that you are looking for, you are interested in research groups, or you would like to know about planned events and lectures, you can find all faster and well arranged in one place. Six So Mo Pro awards for CEITEC Six researchers from abroad were supported in their integration in the scientific community of CEITEC through the SoMoPro (South Moravian Programme for Distinguished Researchers) initiative, jointly funded by the European Commission and the region of South Moravia. SoMoPro grants will allow the beneficiaries to establish their independent research agenda at CEITEC while they will bring along their knowledge, experience, and contact networks from (often multiple) prestigious institutions from around the world - countries such as Austria, Belgium, Germany, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, or the United States. Most prestigious European research grant goes to CEITEC A young scientist, Pavel Plevka of CEITEC MU, has received the most prestigious European scientific grant awarded by the European Research Council (ERQ.This makes him the only scientist working in the Czech Republic who has received financial support from the ERC in the category of'Starting Grants"in 2013. ERC awards"Starting Grants"to the most talented European researchers based on the scientific excellence of their innovative research proposal. Pavel Plevka has succeeded with his project entitled "Structural Study of Human Picornaviruses"and he is only the sixth ERC "Starting Grants"recipient in the Czech Republic since 2007 and the very first in Brno. CEITEC supported the prestigious international conference MSMF7 CEITEC supported the Seventh International Conference on Materials Structure & Micromecha-nics of Fracture (MSMF7) which was held at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering BUTon 1-3 July. This three-day scientific meeting was focused on fundamental relations between structural and mechanical characteristics of materials and attracted more than 250 participants from 32 countries. During the conference, world-leading experts in the field of fatigue and fracture delivered 6 plenary and 15 keynote lectures. A further 142 oral contributions and 67 posters were presented in 10 technical sections. Participants also enjoyed the rich accompanying social programme.The conference was truly successful and led to a deepening of existing cooperative relationships as well as to the establishment of new professional contacts. Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu 17 August October CEITEC is developing a special bioactive replacement for jaw bone Scientists from the Advanced Ceramic Materials research group at CEITEC BUT, lead by Prof. Karel Maca and Dr. David Salamon, are developing special ceramic materials to replace jaw bone.They are manufacturing ceramic granules which can be filled with a unique biopolymerand in theform ofa solution use them as "ink" in 3D printers. These print ceramic implants of jaw bone to meet the specific requirements of individual patients.The research combines several technologies that are already in use and utilises them in medicine in line with current trends towards reducing treatment costs. For this research, scientists from Moravia's metropolis won an EU grant in cooperation with German, Swedish, Spanish and Chinese experts. CEITEC acquires a unique device to research complex biological processes As of September, CEITEC has unique equipment at its disposal making it possible to explore the transcription of genetic information, among other things.The biological SAXS camera is part of the newly open X-ray Diffraction and Bio-SAXS core facility.This unique laboratory equipment will contribute to the study of complex biological processes and will foster a better understanding of the causes of cancerous proliferation and, thus, contribute to treatment.The X-ray Diffraction and Bio-SAXS Laboratory is one of the core facilities of the Structural Biology research programme focused on key technology using X-ray radiation for the study of molecular structures in crystals. Scientific retreat On 3-4 October, the first CEITEC Scientific Retreat took place, designed for all CEITEC research group leaders. The objective of this event was not only to meet each other and to discuss current issues within this broad plenum, but also to inform the research group leaders how other research centres and core facilities function and to let them know about the news in the Horizon 2020 grant programme. The team of Prof. Chmelik from CEITEC BUT wins award for best cooperation of the year On 22 October the Association for Foreign Investment - AFI, American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic (AmCham) and theTechnology Agency of the Czech Republic (TACR) awarded projects ofThe Cooperation of the Year between the companies and research spheres. The first place was taken by the Czech companyTESCAN and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at BUT Brno with a holographic camera microscope using 3D technology.The co-author of the patent is the CEITEC scientist Radim Chmelik, Experimental Biophotonics research group leader. This revolutionary prototype ofa microscope based on camera recording enables researchers to measure accurately the localization and trajectory of very quickly changing objects of research - for example cells - in 3D.This device will be found useful in biological and technical fields as well. Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu I 1 November December 4 Jiří Nantl becomes the Operational Director of CEITEC On 18 November the former First Deputy Minister of Education Jiří Nantl became the new Operational Director of CEITEC. The competence of the Operational Director includes mainly financial and project management, quality, risk management and human resources management.This experienced manager was appointed to this position based on an open selection procedure. His main task is to consolidate the management of CEITEC as a consortium of six universities and research institutes and also to prepare the institute for the period following the completion of current funding from European resources in 2015. Week of science and technology The Institute of Physics of Material AS CR, v. v. i (IPM), the CEITEC partner institution, is annually involved in the Week of Science and Technology organized by Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. In this week celebrating science and technology IPM held an Open Day on 7 November. Visitors could visit lectures for the general public led by CEITEC staff and become familiar with research equipment. Researchers presented unique devices of CEITEC IPM together with practical demonstrations of the equipment's use. The most interesting equipment presented to the public was a system for measuring electric, magnetic and transport properties in the range of 4-300 K, an axial-torsion fatigue test system and creep machines enabling testing in a range up to MOOT. Mainly secondary school students, university students, PhD students and also visitors from technological companies and other research institutions showed interest in the Open Day. The scientist Karel Říha from CEITEC has received a prestigious EM BO Installation Grant Dr. Karel Říha received an EMBO Installation Grant and is the only Czech scientist to have done so in 2013. EMBO - the European Molecular Biology Organization gives grants once a year and in 2013 has awarded it to six scientists from the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal and Turkey. EMBO installation grants are direct support to young talented scientists who are returning to their country in order to set up their own laboratories there. As a result these grants contribute to averting the negative trend of a brain drain from countries working actively on the development of basic science. Prof. Alexandra Sulcová wins the Milada Paulová Award for her lifelong contribution to science On 5 December 2013 Prof. Alexandra Sulcová, the Experimental and Applied Neuropsychophar-macology research group leader at CEITEC MU, received the Milada Paulová Award, awarded to female scientists for their lifelong contribution. The purpose of the award is to draw attention to and appreciate the scientific work of important Czech female researchers and through their example to inspire female scientists or students at the start of their careers. Alexandra Sulcová has been involved in research in the field of experimental neuro-psychopharmacology and ethopharmacology. The focus of her professional interest is the neuropsychological effects of substances contained in cannabis and generally research into the neurobiology of drug addiction and the effects of drugs on motoric skills, emotionality and cognition. Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu I 2 RESEARCH GROUPS ADVANCED NANOTECHNOLOGIES AND MICROTECHNOLOGIES Functional Properties of Nanostructures RG leadenJosef Humlíček Smart Nanodevices RG leader: Jaromír Hubálek Experimental Biophotonics RG leader: Radim Chmelík Fabrication and Characterisation of Nanostructures RG leader: Tomáš Šikola Development of Methods for Analysis and Measuring RG leader: Petr Klapetek X-ray Micro CT and Nano CT RG leader: Jozef Kaiser Optoelectronic Characterisation of Nanostructures RG leader: Lubomír Grmela Micro and Nanotribology RG leader: Ivan Křupka Plasma Technologies RG leader: Lenka Zajíčková ) I Synthesis and Analysis of Nanostructures RG leader: Jiří Pinkas I I Transport and Magnetic Properties RG leader: Bohumil David ADVANCED MATERIALS 2-1 | Advanced Ceramic Materials RG leadenJaroslavCihlář 2-2 | Cybernetics in Material Science RG leader: Pavel Václavek 2-3 | Advanced Polymers and Composites RG leadenJosefJančář 2-4 | Advanced Metallic Materials and Metal Based Composites RG leadenJan Klusák 2-5 | Advanced Coatings RG leader: Jiří Švejcar 2 STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY Bioinformatics RG leader: Hedi Hegyi CD Spectroscopy of Nucleic Acids and Proteins RG leader: Michaela Vorlíčková CryoEM RG leader: Jürgen Plitzko Glycobiochemistry RG leader: Michaela Wimmerová RNA Quality Control RG leader: Štěpánka Vaňáčová Nanobiotechnology RG leader: Petr Skládal Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy RG leader: Vladimír Sklenář RNA-based Regulation of Gene Expression RG leader: Peter Lukavsky Structural Biology of Gene Regulation RG leader: Richard Stefl Structural Virology RG leader: Pavel Plevka Structure and Dynamics of Nucleic Acids RG leader: Jiří Sponer Structure and Interaction of Biomolecules at Surfaces RG leader: Miroslav Fojta Computational Chemistry RG leadenJaroslav Koča GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS OF PLANT SYSTEMS 4-1 | Bioanalytical Instrumentation RG leader: František Foret 4-2 | Plant Cytogenomics RG leader: Martin A. Lysák 4-3 | Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Plants RG leader: Jan Hejátko 4-4 | Hormonal Crosstalk in Plant Development RG leader: Eva Benková 22 I Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu 23 4-5 I Metabolomics ■■\ i leader: Zdeněk Glatz 4-6 I Proteomics Z:\L\L 4-7 I Developmental and Cell Biology of Plants RG leader: Jiří Friml 4-8 I Chromatin Molecular Complexes RG leader: Jiří Fajkus 4-9 I Developmental and Production Biology-- Omics Approaches RG leader: Břetislav Brzobohatý 4-10 I Plant Stress Signalling and Adaptation RG leader:VanesaTognetti 4-11 | Plant Molecular Biology RG leader: Karel Říha MOLECULAR MEDICINE Medical Genomics RG leader: Šárka Pospíšilová Molecular Oncology I - Hematooncology RG leader: Martin Trbušek Molecular Oncology II - Solid Cancer RG leader: Ondřej Slabý 5-4 I Inherited Diseases I - Genetic Research RG leader: Lenka Fajkusová 5-5 I Inherited Diseases II -Transcriptional Regulation leader: Dalibor Blažek Molecular Immunology and Microbiology RG leader: Tomáš Freiberger Genome Dynamics RG leader: Eduard Kejnovský Adaptive Immunity Group Ki i leader Dmitriy Chudakov BRAIN AND MIND RESEARCH Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology ÍG leader: Petr Dubový Multi-modal and Functional Neuroimag RG leaden Ivan Rektor 6-3 | Experimental and Applied Neuropsychopharmacology RG leaden Alexandra Sulcová Behavioural and Social Neuroscience RG leader: Milan Brázdi Applied Neuroscience RG leader: Irena Rektorova MOLECULAR VETERINARY MEDICINE 7-1 | Molecular Virology RG leaden Vladimír Celer 7-2 | Molecular Bacteriology RG leaden Alois Čížek 7-3 | Parasitology RG leader: Břetislav Koudel; 7-4 I Food Safety RG leader: Iva Steinhauserov..1 7-5 I Orthopaedics and Surgery RG leader: Alois Nečas 7-6 I Animal Immunogenomics RG leader: Petr Hořín 7-7 I Animal Cytogenomics RG leader: Jiří Rubeš 7-8 I Mammalian Reproduction RG leader: Martin Anger 24 I Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu BOARDS OF CEITEC Coordination Board Coordination Board is the highest authority of the centre. It is composed of statutory representatives of partner institutions and external representatives from prominent Czech firms active in R&D and the best international research institutes. It has been operational since December 2009, from the end of 2010 it meets on a quarterly basis (March, June, September, and December).The Board approves the Governing Documents (including among others the budget of the Central Management Structure), Common Rules and Policies and makes other key decisions, such as the approval of nominations for the Executive and Scientific Director. International Scientific Advisory Board International Scientific Advisory Board is the highest scientific advisory body of the centre that meets twice a year, at least once physically in Brno. The Board plays a crucial role in the Common Evaluation of Scientific Excellence as sets the criteria, comments on the planned research activities and gives recommendations regarding strategic positioning of the centre. Members of ISABare exclusively representatives of important international research institutes. Nominated Members - statutory representatives*: 01 Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Mikuláš Bek, Ph.D. Rector, Masaryk University 02 Prof. Ing. Karel Rais, CSc, MBA Rector, Brno University of Technology 03 Prof. Ing. Jaroslav Hlušek, CSc. Rector, Mendel University in Brno 04 Prof. RNDr. Ludvík Kunz, CSc, dr. h. c. Director, Institute of Physics of Materials 05 Prof. MVDr. Vladimír Večerek, CSc, MBA Rector, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno 06 Prof. MVDr. Břetislav Koudela, CSc Director, Veterinary Research Institute Expert Representatives*: 01 Prof. Gustaaf Borghs IMEC Fellow, Full professor at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium 02 Prof. Stefan Maier Co-Director of Centre for Plasmonics & Metamaterials, Imperial College London, United Kingdom 03 Ing. Jaroslav Doležal, CSc National Executive, Honeywell, Czech Republic Guests: Governor of the South Moravian region, Mayor of the City of Brno, Director of the South Moravian Innovation Centre 26 I Central European Institute of Technology ISAB Members*: Prof. Andres Aguilera Head of Molecular Biology Department and Scientific Vice-director, Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain Prof. Dirklnze Scientific Director and Department of Plant Systems Biology Director, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Gent, Belgium Prof. Wolfgang Knoll (Chairman) Managing Director, Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria Prof. Christoph M. Michel Director, Functional Brain Mapping Laboratory, Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland Prof. Heiner Niemann Head of Institute, Head of Department Biotechnology, Friedrich-Loeffler-lnstitut, Insel Riems, Germany Prof.Yoshio Nishi Director of Research, Center for Integrated Systems, Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA Prof. Michael Sattler Chair Biomolecular NMR-Spectroscopy, Department Chemie,Technische Universität München, Germany 9 ř As of31* December 2013 www.ceitec.eu CEITEC EMPLOYEES ^ CEITEC FOREIGN EMPLOYEES ^ NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES (HEADCOUNT) ^ NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES (FTE) 28 I Central European Institute of Technology BANGLADESH VIETNAM ^ NUMBER OF NEW FOREIGN EMPLOYEES IN 2013 Full-time equivalent (FTE) is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person (or student] in a way that makes workloads comparable across various contexts. An FTE of 1.0 means that the person is equivalent to a full-time worker, while an FTE of 0.5 signals that the worker is only half-time. Employees outside EU Employees from EU Excluding reintegrating Czech scientists and Slovaks Advanced Nanotechnologies and Microtechnologies Advanced Materials Structural Biology Genomics and Proteomics of Plant Systems Molecular Medicine Brain and Mind Research Central Management Structure www.ceitec.eu 29 CEITEC BUDGET OVERVIEW CMS m Total budget: 58 985 359 € /1 651 590 057 CZK 30 925 628 € 865 917 573 CZK 0 investment non-investment 28 059 732 € 785 672 483 CZK Budget of CEITEC organisational units for 2013 in EUR ou Investment/ Non - investment Institutional support Targeted support International Contract research Structural funds (SF) CEITEC-OP RDI SF-other Contribution to educational Q CMS Investment 0 0 0 0 55 573 0 0 0 Non-Investment 0 0 25 551 0 665 931 265 871 0 106 648 MU Investment 17 857 0 0 0 19 982 695 20 711 0 18 464 Non-Investment 1 751 470 3 083 299 1 820 947 118 536 2 511 024 3 972 104 72 484 4 605 203 BUT Investment 0 0 0 0 7 433 459 0 0 0 Non-Investment 341 151 1 151 359 144 576 147 016 1 054 097 4 020 161 0 0 MENDELU Investment 0 0 0 0 955 609 0 0 0 Non-Investment 107500 83 445 0 5 177 99 085 338 840 0 0 VFU Investment 0 0 0 0 75 193 0 0 0 Non-Investment 189791 55 714 0 12 488 65 045 0 17 857 0 VRI Investment 0 0 0 0 53 931 1 978 0 0 Non-Investment 58 529 256 500 17 071 6 230 58 144 252 499 0 0 IPM Investment 0 163 407 0 137 373 0 91 709 0 69 885 2 310 158 116016 0 0 0 0 0 0 ALL Investment 17 857 0 0 0 30 866 616 22 690 0 18 464 Non-investment 2 611 847 4 767 689 2 099 855 359 331 4 569 342 8 849 475 90 341 4 711 851 TOTAL 2 629 704 4 767 689 2 099 855 359331 35 435 959 8 872 165 90 341 4730316 Budget of CEITEC organisational units for 2013 in CZK (exchange rate: 1 EUR = 28 CZK) OU Investment/ Non - investment Institutional support Targeted support International Contract research Structural funds (SF) CEITEC-OP RDI SF-other Contribution to educational activities Other CMS Investment 0 0 0 0 1 556 038 0 0 0 Non-investment 0 0 715421 0 18 646 075 7 444 401 0 2 986 151 MU Investment 500 000 0 0 0 559 515 455 579 917 0 517 000 Non-investment 49 041 157 86 332 379 50 986 527 3 319 008 70 308 677 111 218 905 2 029 541 128 945 689 BUT Investment 0 0 0 0 208 136 848 0 0 0 Non-investment 9 552 222 32 238 044 4 048 135 4 116453 29 514 705 112 564 521 0 0 MENDELU Investment 0 0 0 0 26 757 046 0 0 0 Non-investment 3 010 000 2 336 451 0 144 951 2 774 389 9 487 519 0 0 VFU Investment 0 0 0 0 2 105 391 0 0 0 Non-investment 5314 139 1 560 000 0 349 656 1 821 246 0 500 000 0 VRI Investment 0 0 0 0 1 510 065 55 395 0 0 Non-investment 1 638 800 7 182 000 478 000 174 426 1 628 043 7 069 959 0 0 IPM Investment 0 4 575 396 0 3 846 430 0 2 567 854 0 1 956 766 64 684 417 3 248 447 0 0 0 0 0 0 ALL investment 500 000 0 0 0 864 265 261 635 312 0 517 000 Non-investment 73 131 714 133 495 304 58 795 937 10 061 260 127 941 583 247 785 305 2 529 541 131 931 840 TOTAL 73 631 714 133 495 304 58 795 937 10 061 260 992 206 844 248420 617 2 529 541 132448840 30 | Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu | 31 GRANT SUBMISSIONS CEITEC has significantly increased the number of submitted project proposals. Although we are successful in attracting mainly national grants, the share of international grants and their financial volume are constantly increasing. The figure shows the financial amount of grant submissions in 2013 and the amount of those approved as of 31 March 2014, distinguishing between national and international ones. PUBLICATIONS Number of publications divided according to their quartile rankings* 401 2011 2012 2013 Number of publications with international collaboration 179 2011 2012 2013 The number of CEITEC publications* has been steadily increasing since 2011 when the institute was established.The quantity and the quality is improving from year to year. In the first quartile** we have reached a great increase during the period - from 34% of our publications in 2011 to 48 % in 2013. At the same time, the level of publications with lower impact decreased-from 39 % in 2011 to 24 % in last year in third and fourth quartile. The data show that internationally collaborative publications, i.e. where CEITEC is not the only country of the affiliations in the author list, are more often in the best 10 % journals in their respective fields (Tier 10). Only the publications published at the Web of Science are included in the statistics. Quartile rankings are derived for each journal in each of its subject categories according to which guartileofthe IF distribution thejourna occupies for that subject category. Q1 denotes the top 25% of the IF distribution, Q2for middle-high position (between top 50% and top 25%), Q3 middle-low position (top 75% to top 50%), and Q4 the lowest position (bottom 25% of the IF distribution). www.ceitec.eu 33 il European Institute of Technology CORE FACILITIES The CEITEC core facilities offer the research community access to cutting--edge equipment. Our goal is to be a central hub for shared resources that provide the academic and industrial scientific investigators the use of instrumentation and also technology development and services. The core facilities are being established in two locations in Brno: The campus of Masaryk University in Brno-Bohunice, the centre of life sciences and biomedicine, benefits from being near the Faculty Hospital and the IN BIT Biotech incubator. The Brno University of Technology campus in Brno Pod Palackého vrchem, the centre for material sciences and advanced technologies, neighbours the Czech Technology Park and INMEC innovation park. CEITEC CORE FACILITY OVERVIEW Cryo-electron Microscopy and Tomography CEITEC OPEN ACCESS Josef Dadok National NMR Cen- Nanobiotechnology Core Facility All CEITEC corefacilities are available to external users (academia and companies). Czech and international researchers from universities and research institutes interested in accessing core facilities can benefit from support of CEITEC - open access project funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. In 2013, 20 research projects were implemented in frame of open access. In total, six projects were implemented by foreign researchers/institutions and 14 projects were implemented by Czech research institutions and universities. In terms of differentiating the type of users, 16 projects were implemented from the university environment and four projects from research centres. Total amount of 7 mil CZK was distributed to external users via open access. CORE FACILITIES IN 2013 Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization David Skoda Head of core facility david,skoda<5>ceitec,vutbr,cz * News in 2013 New instruments were delivered, installed and are currently in operation: UV Direct Write Laser system - Heidel berg Instruments DWL 66 F5 Scanning Electron Microscope/e-beam writer -Tescan Mira3 + Raith interferometric lithographic table WireBonderTPT-HB16 NIR/VIS/UV (VUV) Spectroscopic Ellipsometers --J.A.Woolam IR-Vase,V-Vase NIR/VIS/UV/(VUV) Optical spectrometry - Bruker Scanning Probe Microscope + microRAMAN + + PhotoLuminiscence system - NT-MDT - NTegra Spectra, Solaris 3 Vacuum FTIR - Bruker-Vertex80v, Hyperion 3000 Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope --Nanonics-MV4000 ^ About facility Core facility Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization forms an essential part of the instrumental base for materials science and advanced technology research within CEITEC. To keep all related technologies and analysis methods close to each other, the equipment of the core facility is centralized into the one specially arranged laboratory. Depending on the fabrication and analyzis process the laboratories are separated into isolated rooms with appropriate cleanness (100-100 000). a. Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope - Nanonics - MV4000 The core facility is equipped with the wide spectrum of instruments divided into three closely related parts: nano/micronanolithography processes, special nano/microfabrication processes and complex analysis of nano/microstructures (morphology, composition, structure and electrical, magnetic, and optical properties generally). 34 I Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu Structural Analysis Laboratory X-ray Diffraction and Bio-SAXS Core Facility Q ^ About facility Ondřej Man Head of core facility ondrej,man(5)ceitec,vutbr,cz * News in 2013 New instruments were delivered, installed and are currently in operation: X-ray powder Diffractometer - Rigaku Innovative Technology - Rigaku SmartLab 3 kW X-ray Diffracto meter with rotating Cu anode - Rigaku Innovative Technology- Rigaku Smartl_ab9 kW The core facility of Structural Analysis Laboratory is equipped with top-class instruments for transmission and scanning microscopy, microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Its priority is to focus on the study of the microstructure, submicrostructure and local chemical analysis of new advanced ceramic and polymer materials and composites based on those materials. Another research area is nanocrystalline thermal barrier coating prepared by thermal spray processing and materials with ultra-fine grain obtained via SPD (Severe Plastic Deformation), in particular by the ECAP method. Biomolecular Interactions and Crystallization A Aboutfaciiity Michaela Wim měrová Head of core facility michaela.wimmerovaifflceitec, muni.cz * News in 2013 The analytical ultracentrifuge was upgraded by interference optics allowing analysis ofa broader spectrum of samples. The automatic system for isothermal titration calorimetry, Auto ITC200, became fully operational. The core facility provides services leading to structure characterization of biomolecules and to study (bio)molecular interactions in a real time using mainly biosensor and calo-rimetry-based methods. It is equipped with the instrumentation to set up crystallization conditions of biomolecules and their complexes, basic characterization of physical properties of the molecules (analytical ultra-centrifugation, dynamic light scattering, CD spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry), and to study thermodynamics and/or kinetics of interactions (isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, CD spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation). The core facility is part of Czech National Affiliated Centre of INSTRUCT. 36 I Central European Institute of Technology * News in 2013 Jaromír Marek Head of core facility jarom ir.marekifflceitecmuni.cz The core facility was ceremonially opened on 13 September 2013. New instruments were delivered, installed and are currently in operation.: Rigaku HighFlux HomeLab™ robotized macromolecular diffraction system with ACTOR sample changer optimized for work at Cu-KQ wavelength Rigaku HighFlux HomeLab™ universal, dual wavelength (Mo-Kq and Cu-Kq) diffractometer Rigaku BioSAXS-1000 5AX5 camera for small angle X-ray scattering from solutionsof biological macromolecules ^ Aboutfaciiity The core facility is equipped with top--class instruments for diffraction experiments with single crystal samples focused on determining the 3-D structure of (macro)molecules down to atomic resolution. Applicable molecular mass ranges from 102 up to 106, where the lower value covers molecules significant for nanotechnology, materials science or pharmacology and the upper limit covers biomacromolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins and their complexes. The core facility also provides for automated screening of crystallization conditions and optimisation of protein crystals growth. The core facility is part of Czech National Affiliated Centre of INSTRUCT. X-ray diffractometer from Struct Analysis Laboratory AutolTCfrom Biomolecular Intel and Crystallization core facility Rigaku BioSAXS-1000 from X-ray Diffraction and Bio-SAXS core facility www.ceitec.eu 37 Josef Dadok National NMR Centre Cryo-electron Microscopy and Tomography ig * News in 2013 Radovan Fiala Head of core facility radovan Jňala@ceitec,muni,cz On 23 January 2013, operations at the "Josef Dadok National NMR Centre"core facility were ceremonially launched. NMR spectrometer for high-resolution spectroscopy in liquids with 850 MHz magnet and cryoprobe (AVANCE III TM 850 MHz) was delivered, installed and is currently in operation. From 27 June 2013 is the core facility in full operation with all instrumentation. ^ About facility The core facility provides for investigation of biomolecular structure and dynamics by NMR spectroscopy, and the development of novel methodologies for biomolecular NMR spectroscopy (the development of new pulse sequences with improved sensitivity and resolution, the development of methods providing additional structural restraints, the improvement of strategies for three-dimensional structure calculations and analysis of relaxation data in terms of biomolecular dynamics). The Core Facility is part of Czech National Affiliated Centre of INSTRUCT ^ NMR spectrometers from Josef Dadok National NMR Centre 38 I Central European Institute of Technology Jürgen Plitzko Head of core facility juerqen.plitzkoifflceitecmuni.cz * News in 2013 New instruments were purchased: Transmission electron microscope 300 kV Transmission electron microscope 200 kV ^ About facility Modern electron microscopy in structural biology on a cellular and molecular level is performed by cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is the only method to address pleio-morphic structures such as cells and organelles in a close to native state, while cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is applied to the study of single particles, primarily larger macromolecular complexes, which have been isolated and purified by biochemical methods. Both methodologies provide information on the cellular and molecular level and are therefore ideal for in-depth structural-functional analysis in combination with state of the art biochemical characterisation. The main activities of the core facility will be centred on the application of cryo-EM and cryo-ET, implementation of the required image processing capabilities, and exploration of suitable cryo-preparation techniques. The Core Facility is part of Czech National Affiliated Centre of INSTRUCT FEI Titan Krios (300 kV} with FEI Eagle CCD (top} FEI Tecnai F20 (200 kV} with FEI Falcon DDD (bottom} www.ceitec.eu Proteomics Core Facility Zbyněk Zdráhal Head of core facility zbynekzd ra ha I (Sceitec.m u n i.cz * News in 2013 New hybrid mass spectrometer Qtrap 6500 for targeted proteomics was installed in January Joint proteomics meeting with colleagues from proteomic lab of Medical University of Vienna was organised in December More than 4000 samples were processed in 2013 ^ About facility The core facility provides services in the field of mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Activities of the core facility cover all the steps of proteomic analysis - protein isolation, separation of protein mixtures, protein characterisation by mass spectrometry and bioinformatic data processing. The core facility provides the academic community and other subjects with access to advanced proteomic technologies based on shared resources and highly trained staff. The Core Facility is part of Czech National Affiliated Centre of INSTRUCT Genomics Core Facility Boris Tichý Head of core facility boris,tichy(5)ceitec,m uni.cz News in 2013 The core facility was ceremonially opened on 25 September 2013. New instruments were delivered, installed and have been put into operation. Cell analysis system - Olympus 5canAR Benchtop"next-gen"seguencers - Roche G5 Junior and lllumina MiSeg ^ gPCR machines - Roche LC480 ^ About facility Main activities of the core facility include application of new high-throughput methods in basic and applied research, and the development and optimisation of methods for genomic analyses. The core facility offers a combination of high-end equipment and expertise for the complete experimental workflow from advanced sample preparation to complex genome analysis. Precise sample preparation techniques (cell sorting, microdissection) followed by a combination of various complementary approaches in the analysis of the genome (massive parallel sequencing, microarrays, quantitative PCR) will make it possible to perform even very complex experimental designs, including single cell genomics or diseased vs. healthy cells genome and transcriptome analyses. The Core Facility is part of Czech National Affiliated Centre of INSTRUCT Multimodal and Functional Imaging Laboratory 9 Ivan Rektor Head of core facility ivan,rektor(5)ceitec,muni,cz * News in 2013 Tenders for almost all eguipment were started. Some of them were finished in the end of 2013 and at the beginning of 2014. ^ About facility The core facility provides for methodologies for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of human, animal and plant tissues with spatial resolution reaching to 0.25 mm, with the main application in functional (fMRI) and multimodal imaging (combination of electrophysiology with MRI) of the brain. Basic as well as applied research in medicine (human and animal) including pharmacology, molecular and cell biology requires in vivo insight into live organ sand tissues as a very important part of a multi-level and multidisciplinary approach. Modern MRI methods make it possible not only to visualise the anatomical structures of living things, but also to discover their functional organisation and the chemical mechanisms underlying health and disease. Currently, effort is being put into tracking their dynamics, to multimodal imaging (such as by combining MR with electrophysiology or transcranial magnetic stimulation), and to visualizing biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels using molecular MRI by employing targeted contrast agents, spectroscopic imaging, diffusometry or relaxometry. The intended infrastructure will be also used for technological and methodological research aiming to improve existing imaging methods or to develop new methods and data processing strategies for the study of animate as well as inanimate matter, thus establishing a bridge between the life and material sciences. The core facility aspires as a node of EuroBiolmaging consortium. LC-MS/MS system with high resolutior meter Orbitrap Elite from Proteomics a ■nass spectro- A EGI High Density EEG system from Multimodal and Functional Imaging Laboratory 40 | Central European Institute of Technology www.ceitec.eu | 41 Published by: CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology Editor: Pavla Vyhnánková Layout & Design: Jakub Maca Photography: Archive of CEITEC Petr Francán Pavel Nesvadba Tomáš Skoda CEITEC has made its best effort in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, CEITEC does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, whether such errors are the result of negligence, accident or other causes. All rights reserved. 2014 CEITEC. CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology O Zerotfnovo näm. 9,601 77 Brno Czech Republic 0 (+420) 549 494 369 1^1 info@ceitec.cz www.ceitec.eu