NATIONAL REFERENCE CENTRE FOR GENOMICS
AND PROTEOMICS — MACPROGEN
Plaseska-Karanfilska D*
*Corresponding Author: Professor Dr. Dijana Plaseska-Karanfilska, Research Centre
for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology “Georgi D. Efremov,” Macedonian Academy of Sciences and
Arts, Krste Misirkov 2, Skopje 1000, Republic of Macedonia; Tel: +389(0)2 3235410; Fax: +389 (0)2
3115434; E-mail: dijana@manu.edu.mk
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MACPROGEN PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The activities within the MACPROGEN project
were organized into five work packages: Management
and Coordination (WP1), Technological Platform
and Employment (WP2), Networking and Training
(WP3), Workshops and Symposia (WP4) and
Promotion and Dissemination (WP5).
WP1: Management and Coordination covered
administrative, financial and technical management
of the project activities. The activities
within this project were coordinated by the Steering
Committee which was composed of the Coordinator
of the project and the Work Package Leaders. The
Steering Committee worked closely with the administration
and financial departments of MASA,
as well as the RCGEB Scientific Committee. The
Steering Committee met regularly each month to
enable a smooth operation of all foreseen activities
and to fulfill the objectives of the project.
WP2: Technological Platform and Employment
was headed by the late Academician Georgi
D. Efremov (until May 2011) and by Professor Dr.
Dijana Plaseska-Karanfilska (since May 2011).
The three main objectives of WP2: 1) purchasing
of equipment; 2) preparation of working protocols
and operational use of equipment; and 3) hiring of
scientists, were all successfully completed. The following
equipment was purchased: DNA microarray
system, 2-D DIGE (two-dimensional differential
in gel electrophoresis) system, Genetic Analyzer,
real-time polymerase chain reaction (ReTi-PCR)
system, Bioanalyzer, spectrophotometers, mirocentrifuges
and liquid scintillation counter. The
equipment has already been integrated into RCGEB
laboratory practices and numerous working protocols
have been developed using the new equipment.
The upgrading of the RCGEB infrastructure was
also supported by the Government of the Republic
of Macedonia by purchasing additional equipment:
2-D nano HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography),
Accuspot and a matrix-assisted laser
desorption/ionization time of flight-time of flight
(MALDI TOF-TOF) mass spectrometer.
Nine researchers, paid by MACPROGEN funds,
have been employed at RCGEB during the work on
this project: Lybomira Chakalova, Ph.D., Svetlana
Madzunkova, M.D., M.Sc., Predrag Noveski,
M.Sc., Sanja Kiprijanovska, Ivana Maleva, M.Sc.,
Biljana Atanasovska, Zvezdana Moneva, M.Sc.,
Slavica Pecioska M.Sc and Ognen Spiroski M.Sc.
These researchers have become an integral part of
the research potential of RCGEB. The Presidency
of MASA in coordination with RCGEB is making
efforts to obtain permanent positions paid for by the
Government of the Republic of Macedonia for the researchers
who were working on the MACPROGEN
project. Until this is realized, RCGEB has ensured
that funds are available for their salaries for the period
after completion of the MACPROGEN project.
WP3: Networking and Training was headed
by Professor Dr. Dijana Plaseska-Karanfilska. The
main objectives of this work package were to: 1)
foster networking and establish close collaboration
with leading EU institutions; 2) transfer of the high
throughput genomic and proteomic technologies
and scientific knowledge; and 3) foster preparation
of collaborative projects.
Six leading EU institutions were our partners
since the beginning of the project: 1) University
of Copenhagen, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for
Functional Genome Research, Copenhagen,
Denmark; 2) Hannover Medical School, Gynaecology
Research Unit, Hannover, Germany; 3)
University of Barcelona, Faculty of Medicine,
Department of Physiological Sciences, Human
Genetics Laboratory, Barcelona, Spain; 4) University
of Verona, Department of Mother and Child, Biology
and Genetics, Section of Biology and Genetics,
Verona, Italy; 5) University of Copenhagen, Division
of Genetics and Bioinformatics, IBHV, Copenhagen,
Denmark; and 6) Institute Paoli Calmettes, Molecular
Oncology Department, Oncogenomic Group,
Marseille, France. However, during the work on this project we
have established close collaboration with other institutions,
namely: 1) Mondor Institute of Biomedical
Research, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil,
France; 2) Institut Cochin, Inserm, University
Paris Descartes, Paris, France; 3) K.U. Leuven,
Labaratory for Cytogenetics and Genome Research,
Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical
Sciences Group, Leuven, Belgium; 4) Vienna
University of Technology, Institute of Chemical
Technologies and Analytics, Vienna, Austria;
5) Clinical Proteomics Center, Luxemburg; 6)
Columbia University, Department of Pathology and
Cell Biology, New York, NY, USA; 7) Mabritec
AG, Riehen, Switzerland; 8) University Medical
Centre Ljubljana, Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Division of Medical Genetics,
Ljubljana, Slovenia; 9) Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences, Institute of Experimental Morphology
and Anthropology with Museum Sofia, Bulgaria;
10) University of Glasgow, College of Medical,
Veterinary and Life Sciences, BHF Glasgow
Cardiovascular Research Centre, Institute of
Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Glasgow,
Scotland, UK; and 11) Academy of Athens,
Biomedical Research Foundation, Biotechnology
Division, Athens, Greece.
Knowledge transfer was achieved through the
training of MACPROGEN researchers in the new
technologies. Several visits of researchers from
RCGEB to EU laboratories were organized. These
proposed to ensure that RCGEB researchers are
familiarized with the new technologies [microarray,
2-D DIGE, mass spectrometry (MS)] through
practical experience. Several expert visits were also
organized. Some of them were primarily aimed to
establish closer professional contacts and facilitate
collaboration. In other cases, the main objective was
to present and promote MACPROGEN along with
the RCGEB. Since the starting date of the project,
researchers on the MACPROGEN team have applied
for a total of 17 research projects, of which,
seven were successful and four are awaiting decisions.
Work on funded projects has commenced in
accordance with the respective grant agreements.
WP4: Workshops and Symposia was headed
by Dr. Katarina Davalieva. The objective of
WP4 was the organization of three Genomics and
Proteomics Workshops and a Final Conference. The
first workshop was organized in November 2010,
the second in June 2011 and the third in March
2012. The theoretical part of the workshops included
lectures given by scientists from the partnering
institutions; the lectures were attended by the
members of the Macedonian Biochemical Society
and Macedonian Society of Human Genetics. The
practical part of all three workshops was mainly attended
by RCGEB scientists and collaborators, but
on the first workshop 24 scientists from different
Macedonian research institutions also participated.
The practical part of all three workshops included
demonstration of protocols using the major new
equipment.
The Final Conference took place at Ohrid,
Republic of Macedonia, at the end of March 2012.
Ten scientists from 10 different EU institutions
participated, in addition to all RCGEB employees
and several collaborators from the Republic of
Macedonia.
WP5: Promotion and Dissemination was
headed by Dr. Emilija Sukarova-Stefanovska. The
objectives of this work package were to: 1) promote
the activities and potential of the National Reference
Centre for Genomics and Proteomics; 2) increase
and strengthen the collaboration with institutions
from the country, the wider region and the EU; and
3) increase the participation of scientists from the
Republic of Macedonia in FP7. These objectives
have been accomplished as planned. The website
of the National Reference Centre for Genomics and
Proteomics (www.manu.edu.mk/macprogen) was
launched during the second month and has been
regularly updated to reflect the progress of project
activities. Leaflets containing relevant information
on MACPROGEN have been published three
times and distributed during events, such as meetings,
lectures, etc. Meetings with clinicians, health
professionals and research scientists from several
institutions have been periodically organized to
discuss the Centre’s policies for achieving optimal
translation of its potential. During the work on the
MACPROGEN project, RCGEB scientists have
participated in several scientific meetings and published
36 conference abstracts. The MACPROGEN
researchers have also published 25 papers in international
and national journals.
Project Impact. The introduction of novel
genomic and proteomic technologies at RCGEB “Georgi D. Efremov” has already resulted in
strengthening of Macedonian and regional research
capacities. Experienced scientists, some of them
trained in EU countries, have joined the RCGEB
team. Contemporary research projects in collaboration
with leading EU institutions have been initiated.
It is very much hoped that the modernization
of research along with intensified collaboration will
further stimulate promising young scientists to establish
their research in the Republic of Macedonia.
It is expected that the improved infrastructure and
research environment will have long-lasting effects,
such as enhanced levels of science communication
and high-impact publications.
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