Institute of Experimental Medicine CAS

Institute of Experimental Medicine ASCR, v.v.i. (IEM) is part of the Czech platform of the European research infrastructure for translational medicine (EATRIS, www.eatris.cz) which integrates academic research institutes and workplaces of the public application sphere in order to ensure optimization of the translational R&D process in the process from basic research to clinical research and clinical practice.

In the field of translational research, IEM has the appropriate infrastructure and expertise in the following research areas:

Regenerative medicine - stem cells and tissue engineering
Neurosciences - neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuropathology
Genetic ecotoxicology and research of malignant diseases

The main directions of research include the study of morphological and electrophysiological properties of glial cells, arrangement of biological membranes, research of mechanisms of sound stimulus processing in mammalian auditory system, mammalian embryogenesis, changes of cell nucleus plasticity and genetic regulation of embryonic development, study of mechanisms of glutamate receptor function in mammalian central nervous system. system (CNS), CNS diseases, brain and spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases, research into the toxic effects of fine particles and nanoparticles in the environment on the human body and the molecular characteristics of cancer. The development and preparation of tissue replacements, especially biodegradable and nanofiber-based ones, is also underway, focusing on the possibilities of practical use of the results.

IEM is an accredited institute for work with genetically modified organisms (in the first and second risk categories), embryonic stem cells and for the use of experimental animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs). Animal models are developed for the study and treatment of eg spinal cord injury, stroke and ischemia, Alzheimer's disease, ALS and aging or healing defects of the skin, bones, cartilage and cornea. Breeding facilities include conventional or IVC systems.

To support applied research and competitiveness in biomedicine, the Innovation Biomedical Center (IBC) was built in 2007–2008, which has become a member of the Society of Science and Technology Parks of the Czech Republic (www.svtp.cz) and the CzechBio Association since 2008. Currently, clean rooms (class A / B) and laboratories of the IBC building are used by Bioinova, s.r.o., which specializes in the development of drugs for modern therapies based on mesenchymal stromal cells. Bioinova is a certified manufacturer of aseptic products and prepares somatic cell preparations for clinical use according to standards of good manufacturing practice (GMP). UEM is also involved in the development and preclinical testing of new therapeutic methods using modern ATMP therapy products (stem cells, biomaterials) for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

IEM has the expertise and technologies that enable basic and applied research projects in the field of advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) development.

The institute is part of the consortium of the BIOCEV project - Biomedical and Biotechnology Center of the ASCR and Charles University (www.biocev.eu/cs), which was established as one of the new centers of excellence within the Operational Program Research and Development for Innovation. Furthermore, IEM is a partner of the NanoEnviCz infrastructure (Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for environmental protection and a sustainable future).

IEM cooperates with leading Czech institutions, especially with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Faculties of Medicine of Charles University, with the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University in Brno, with the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Hradec Králové and Pilsen, with the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM ), with the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the ASCR, in the framework of interdisciplinary cooperation with the Institute of Physics of the ASCR. Researchers of the department participate in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of students and the department also provides doctoral study programs. These ties were strengthened by the establishment of three joint colaborations - with the Department of Neurology of the 2nd Medical Faculty of Charles University, the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and the Institute of Physics of the ASCR.

 

EATRIS - devices provided and provided by IEM for use by external entities / EATRIS - devices provided and provided by IEM for use by external entities

Fully equipped laboratories for genomic and proteomic analyzes: MiSeq Illumina Sequencer, iScan Illumina Microarray Analyzer, Apogee A-50 Micro Cytometer, QuantStudio ™ 6 Flex Real-Time PCR System, StepOne Plus Real-Time PCR System, Bugbox Plus, Zetasizer Nano ZS, Agilent Fragment Analyzer, Roche LightCycler® 480 Real-Time PCR System

Cell Culture Laboratories (BSL2)

Histological laboratories

Electrophysiological laboratories (Patch clamp)

Laboratories with calcium imaging and neurosurgery equipment (Neurostar Stereotaxic Robot)

Wide range of behavioral tests with appropriate analysis (MotoRater, Morris Water Maze, von Frey)

Imaging technologies for live and fixed specimens: Zeiss LSM 5 Duo Confocal Microscope, Olympus FV1200 MPE, Two-photon Microscope (Ultima IV), Electron Microscope (Philips Electron Optics), Leica DMI 6000B Fluorescence Microscope with TissueGnostics Image Analysis, Lightsheet Microscope (LaVision ), Olympus SpinSR10 Spinning Disk Confocal Super Resolution Microscope

Contact person : RNDr. Pavel Rössner, Ph.D. (pavel.rossner@iem.cas.cz)

Ing. Jan Prokšík (jan.proksik@iem.cas.cz)