Scanbalt Newsletter June 2004

CONTENTS:

• Gdansk University to host summer school<_o3a_p />
• 1^st Announcement Gene Summer School, Tartu, Estonia<_o3a_p />
• Stockholm Bioregion appoints new CEO<_o3a_p />
• FP6 Boosting Baltic – Now a reality<_o3a_p />
• BioMoBil – A new Polish network for ScanBalt/Interview with Prof. Skladanowski, Coordinator<_o3a_p />
• Hormos Medical Corp. obtain FDA clearance for dietary ingredient<_o3a_p />
• 3^rd ScanBalt Forum
• Finnish company information added to ScanBalt company database<_o3a_p />
• Scandinavian Life Science Database is launched ! <_o3a_p />

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• Gdansk University to host summer school, 11-18 July 2004 <_o3a_p />

The Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk will host its 10th Biotechnology Summer School on 11 – 18 July 2004 in Gdansk-Sobieszewo. PhD and master students will gather from different parts of Poland and from other countries in ScanBalt BioRegion as well. The main themes of the Summer School will be: Application of genomics and microarrays in molecular diagnostics of cancer, Biotech applications in agriculture and horticulture and Biotech industry in Poland. Read more here .

1^st Announcement Gene Summer School, Tartu, Estonia, 17 – 18 September, 2004 <_o3a_p />

• An annual international high-level scientific conference including the Connect Estonia biobusiness workshop and an exhibition on genetics and genomics. This provides an excellent opportunity to establish and renew contacts in the newly enlarged European Union. Gene Forum 2004 focuses on interdisciplinary areas within genomics and genetics of complex diseases, genetic epidemiology, pharmacogenomics and business, population genetics, human genetics and bioethics. Read more here.

Stockholm Bioregion appoints new CEO<_o3a_p />

• Maj-Inger Nilsson, Associate Professor, has been appointed CEO of the Stockholm BioRegion association. Dr. Nilsson has an extensive experience from international pharmaceutical industry as well as from promoting and funding EU research projects. Read more here.

ScanBalt Project Boosting Baltic FP6 – Now a reality<_o3a_p />

• ScanBalt is pleased to announce that the EU project application Boosting Baltic FP6 has now been signed as a contract with the European Commission. ScanBalt is a partner in this exciting project with four new EU member states – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland; and also with Germany and Sweden. The project will run for 2½ years and will host its kick off meeting this summer. Frank Graage, leader of the Steinbeis Transfer Center Technology Management Northeast in Rostock and coordinator of the Boosting Baltic FP6 project says: “Boosting Baltic FP6 is a fantastic opportunity to realize the potentials in cooperation with the new EU member states in our Baltic sea region”. Read more here .

BioMoBil – A new Polish network for ScanBalt<_o3a_p />

The Centre of Biosafety Research and Molecular Biomedicine (BioMoBil) in Poland is the newest network to join the ScanBalt metaregion. Based in Gdansk it is formed from University research groups and is coordinated by the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology. BioMoBil performs basic and applied research in the areas of biotechnology, biomedicine and environmental protection.
For an interview with Professor Sklandanowski, the coordinator of BioMoBil, please click here.
To read more about BioMobil, click here.

Hormos Medical Corp. obtain FDA clearance for dietary ingredient<_o3a_p />

Hormos Medical Corp., a Finnish biopharmaceutical company, has obtained new dietary ingredient (NDI) clearance from the FDA to market HMRlignanTM containing dietary supplements in USA. HMRliganTM can be used to reduce the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.HMRlignanTM is an innovation based on a number of inventions by scientists from University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Hormos Medical. It is covered by patents owned by Hormos Medical. Read more here.

3^rd ScanBalt Forum<_o3a_p />

We would like to invite you to the 3rd ScanBalt Forum – The Competence Region. The Forum will take place in Turku Science Park, Finland on 25th and 26th of August 2004. The Forum will create the future of the ScanBalt Competence region by establishing Scientific Platforms and Public-Private Partnerships. The aim of the Forum is to promote networking, to create new contacts and collaboration for mutual benefit and funding of activities within biotechnology in the ScanBalt Competence Region. The focus of the 3rd ScanBalt Forum is both scientific and entrepreneurial. The programme is built on the ScanBalt ongoing projects or project ideas with renowned speakers. See the announcement and registration details here.

Finnish company information added to ScanBalt database<_o3a_p />

An important aim of the ScanBalt website is to be the entrance to the entire ScanBalt bioregion. A number of projects have been initiated to identify capacitieswithin the competence region. This part of the website continues to grow and the searchable list of companies has now been extended to include Finnish bio companies. Search the database here.

The Scandinavian Life science database is launched!
The leading regional actors in Scandinavia are now joining forces. As a first step we are establishing the Scandinavian Life Science Database – a comprehensive database of Scandinavian companies active in the Life Science area. This joint database will be a powerful tool as it is based on multiple local and regional databases- now merged together into a common interface. The database will be under continuous development and more companies and better search possibilities will be added further on. The aim is to make a future version of the database that includes the entire ScanBalt bioregion. Read more here.<_o3a_p />

EU CALLS,POLICY AND INFORMATION

EU focus
Framework programme 7
Researchers mobility
Science and technology partnerships with Latin America
EU Information
Stem cell research
Cardiovascular research
Breast cancer
Genomics to marine research
EU Web tools
Pharmaceutical ingredients online
Major projects library, new with search function
EU calls
Get ready for third call in Life Sciences this summer
Interact second call
EU Events
Cystic fibrosis
Reproductive organs
Swedish prosperity
“Brain drain, brain gain, new challenges”
twin studies
Information on marine research in FP6
EU-NIS partnering event in bio-informatics
Medicinal chemistry
Biotechnology crossroads

EVENTS JUNE – JULY 2004

2004-06-07 Kick Off Conference Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
2004-06-09 2^nd Oulu Summer Schoolin Bioprocess Engineering
2004-06-09 Russia’s Biotechnology Business
2004-06-14 ScanBalt Chairmanship meeting, Gothenberg
2004-06-16 European Venture Market
2004-06-20 ISPIM 2004 Conference
2004-06-21 Phytopharm 2004
2004-06-27 Human Reproduction and Embryology
2004-07-11 10^th Biotechnology Summer School

Deadline for the next issue of ScanBalt news is 25th July

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Editor: Peter Frank