MOLIPEC

Molecular Life of Plants ERA Chair

NEWS

OUR TEAM

IPMB International Advisory Board (2023-2027)

First meeting of IPMB International Advisory Board: from left to right Guido Grossmann, Julia Santiago Cuellar, Bert De Rybel, Jiří Friml and Asaph Aharoni, 23 May 2023; Photo: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Biology Centre CAS, Jakub Hardt
  • Jiří Friml (Chair), Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria; Developmental and cell biology
  • Asaph Aharoni, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Metabolomics, microbes interaction, bioinformatics
  • Susana Coelho, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany; Algal development and evolution
  • Bert De Rybel, VIB Gent, Belgium; Development biology and biochemistry
  • Xiaoqi Feng, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria; Plant reproduction, epigenetics
  • Guido Grossmann, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cellular morphogenesis, growth regulation, cell-to-cell communication
  • Julia Santiago Cuellar, University of Lausanne, Switzerland; Structural plant biology, biophysics, membrane signalling

ERA Chair in plant molecular biology

Jiří Friml, ERA Chair in plant molecular biology, 23 May 2023; Photo: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Biology Centre CAS, Jakub Hardt

Jiří Friml is recognised as a leading plant biologist in Europe and worldwide. He belongs to the most cited developmental and cell biologists also beyond the plant field. He has a comprehensive experience from working at top European research institutions, including Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany; University of Tübingen, Germany; Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Gent, Belgium. He is currently located at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). He has an excellent reputation as a mentor, who has brought up more than a dozen of successful, independent PIs in plant biology. As member of many advisory boards around the world and head of central life science support facility at ISTA, he has ample experience with science management. He has been an EMBO member since 2010; and received many international awards, for example The Otto Hahn Medal, EMBO Young Investigator Award, Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize, Odysseus Award, Körber European Science Award, EMBO Gold Medal, Erwin Schrödinger Prize, Neuron Award for Lifetime Contribution to Science. Importantly, he is motivated to share his research and leadership experience with BC, to implement highest European standards and drive forward development of BC for the future.

ERA Chair research groups

Recruitment of two new group leaders is still in progress.

ERA Chair support team

  • Alexey Bondar, Bioimaging Facility Specialist
  • Jan Kadlec, Growth Facility Manager
  • Tomáš Kocábek, IPMB Lab Service Manager
  • Markéta Kubátová, Outreach Manager
  • Alena Matyášová, Bioimaging Facility Technician
  • Tomáš Mozga, Project Manager
  • Daniela Procházková, Communication Manager

BASIC INFO ABOUT PROJECT

MOLIPEC: Molecular Life of Plants ERA Chair
Project holder: Jiří Friml
Beneficiary: Biology Centre CAS, www.bc.cas.cz
Project number: 101087030, CORDIS
Duration: 01 Jan 2023 – 31 Dec 2027 (60 months)
Call: HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-01
Budget: EUR 2,575,000

 

Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences (BC) together with Prof. Jiří Friml (Institute of Science and Technology Austria, ISTA) are implementing the project “MOLIPEC: Molecular Life of Plants ERA Chair” to create a research centre of excellence in plant molecular biology to increase research quality and capacity at BC, in the Czech Republic and within ERA. Modern plant biology has pioneered many major discoveries in all areas of biology. Further molecular insights are essential for developing sustainable agriculture and plant-based industry, all critical to human survival. The MOLIPEC project comprehensively addresses five most important areas for BC improvement: (1) The International Advisory Board under ERA Chair direction strengthen research and leadership at BC from an international perspective. (2) Centralised facilities provide professional research and administrative support, improving efficiency and economical savings. (3) Outstanding talents are recruited to establish two new independent research groups complementing current plant research topics. (4) Mentorship program and career development plan improve R&I knowledge and skills, free circulation of knowledge, and cooperation with business. (5) Targeted communication and dissemination of research results with societal relevance ensure international attractiveness and visibility of BC.

 

Acknowledgement: Many thanks to Anna Vosečková and Lenka Chvojková from the Technology Centre Prague for all their consultation, advice and support. Many thanks to the European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency for the opportunity to develop plant research in the Czech Republic.

 

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

CONTACT

Biology Centre CAS
Institute of Plant Molecular Biology


Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic


https://molipec.bc.cas.cz
https://www.bc.cas.cz/en/

 

Phone: +420 38 777 5525
E-mail: tomas.mozga@umbr.cas.cz