Kick off meeting

The TwinPrebioEnz project has successfully started by the Kickoff Meeting held in Belgrade at Faculty of Technology and metallurgy:

• Saturday, September 17, 2022, General Assembly of TwinPrebioEnz formation

Members of General Assembly are:

1. Dejan Bezbradica, FTM, project coordinator,
2. Koen Venema, representative of UM,
3. Jose Miguel Palomo, representative of CSIC,
4. Ellen van den Bogaard, representative of RadboudUMC

After constitution of General Assembly schedule of activities for next two days of meeting was discussed.

• Sunday, September 18, 2022, Participants: Ellen van den Bogaard (RadboudUmc), Jose Miguel Palomo (CSIS), Koen Venema (MU), Dejan Bezbradica (FTM), Milica Simović (FTM), Marija Ćorović (FTM), Rada Pjanović (FTM), Ana Vukoičić (FTM), Katarina Banjanac (FTM), Ana Milivojević (FTM)

Session 1: Concept of TwinPrebioEnz project and presentation of consortium members

Presentation of project objectives, ideas behind formation of consortium and research topics of Serbian team were presented by Dejan Bezbradica (TwinPrebioEnz). Prof. Ellen van den Bogaard gave presentation of Radboud University medical center with special focus on research group from Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology and their research on dissecting disease mechanisms of complex inflammatory skin diseases. Presentation of CSIC structure and scientific impact was given by Prof. Jose Miguel Palomo. He described in more details activities of four research groups participants of this project – two groups from Department of Biocatalysis of ICP, one group with expertise in bacterial biotechnology from ICTAN and one group from Department of Bioactivity and Food Analysis of CIAL. Presentation of Gut Microbiology lab of the Centre for Healthy Eating & Food Innovation at Maastricht University – campus Venlo was given by Prof. Koen Venema. He thoroughly described in vitro models that mimic the gastrointestinal tract. Focus was on the colon model TIM-2 and different dynamics of process with respect to type of food and the most interesting research results of group from UM were presented.

Session 2: WP4 „Joint research focused on enzymatic production of prebiotics“

Marija Ćorović gave presentation on general plan of utilization of complementary expertise of consortium members in joint research activities. She also presented the most important results of FTM’s team so far in research of skin and gut prebiotics.

Session 3: WP2 „Enhancing scientific excellence of the FTM in the field of in vitro analysis of gut and skin microbiota“

Discussion was focused on agreeing dates of seminars, workshops, summer schools and trainings for period until mid-term report, definition of structure of these events and budgetary issues.

Session 4: WP5 „The enhancement of mobility and scientific potential of early career scientists“

Discussion was focused on type and number of short-term staff exchange (STSE) missions of young scientists and site-expert visits, with budget estimations.

• Monday, September 19, 2022, Participants: Ellen van den Bogaard (RadboudUmc), Jose Miguel Palomo (CSIS), Koen Venema (MU), Dejan Bezbradica (FTM), Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović (FTM), Milica Simović (FTM), Rada Pjanović (FTM), Nikola Nikačević (FTM), Mirjana Kijevčanin (FTM), Mirjana Kostić (FTM), Ivona Radović (FTM), Katarina Banjanac (FTM), Ana Milivojević (FTM), Ana Vukoičić (FTM)

Session 5: WP1 „Strengthening the research management capacity of FTM“

Representatives of FTM administration (Mirjana Kijevčanin, Vice-Dean of Scientific Cooperation, Mirjana Kostić, Vice-Dean of Financial Operations, and Ivona Radović, coordinator of Erasmus and Tempus projects) and Bojana Obradović, coordinator of ongoing Twinning project (ExcellMatter) of the FTM joined project research team were present for this session. Prof. Bojana Obradović gave presentation of consortium, specific objectives and goals of project ExcellMatter, with special focus on goals of WP dedicated to strengthening of FTM’s research management. She presented activities within this WP in ExcellMatter so far and suggested joint organization of activities between two projects.

Prof. Ellen van den Bogaard gave presentation on her vision of strengthening research management capacity of the FTM, based on experience of her institution and information about current research management status of the FTM obtained in communication with project team.

Session 6: WP3 “Enhancing scientific excellence of the FTM in the field of protein engineering”

Prof. Jose Palomo gave presentation on planned activities within WP3 until mid-term report and estimation of budget for these activities. Discussion was focused on agreeing terms of seminars, workshops, summer school, STSE missions and trainings for period until mid-term report.

Session 7: WP6 “Networking between the consortium and SMEs”

Prof. Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović gave presentation on agenda of WP6, which includes formation of network on virtual platforms, regular posting within the group and promotion and expansion of the network.

Session 8: WP7 “Project management and dissemination of results”

Project coordinator informed members of General Assembly about plan of dissemination of results and budgetary issues.

Visit to FTM’s laboratories