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__The
Estonian Biocentre (EBC) was established in 1986 by the decree of
the government as a joint venture between Tartu
University and the Institute
of Chemical Physics and Biophysics to promote research and technological
development (RTD) of gene and cell technologies in Estonia. The
Estonian Biocentre functions as an independent public research institute
reporting to the Ministry of Education. In research and graduate
student training it is closely collaborating with the Institute
of Molecular and Cell Biology of the University of Tartu. |
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classified as
"precompetitive biotechnological research" although, of course,
in the present-day biomedical research there is no real borderline between
the basic research and seeking for the applications of its results. The
EBC is governed by a 9-member Scientific Council comprising researchers
from the EBC and outside and is advised by an international Advisory Board,
currently consisting of 5 members from different countries.
__In
the year 2000 the EBC was placed 3rd to 5th in the competition among 184
research labs under the EC RTD Framework Programme 5 and received a nomination
as a Centre of Excellence
in research together with additional financing. The latter allowed us
to prolong our ongoing pro-active repatriation scheme for Estonian biomedical
researchers working in the USA and elsewhere as well as to host a number
of young researchers and graduate students from different European countries.
In particular this scheme was used to facilitate the creation of research
and teaching capacity in bioinformatics, enlarge a scope in vector development
and in genomics.
Richard Villems,
Director
