In the context of the infrastructure enhancement initiative known as BIO Open Lab, approved under the 2015-2017 Research and Innovation Plan and funded by the Development and Cohesion Fund, the project aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Facilitate technical-scientific activities aimed at the enhancement and joint use of the installed facilities;
- Create a team of professionals with cross-functional expertise related to various implementation objectives, capable of managing the governance of a distributed Research Infrastructure, such as CERIC-ERIC, which brings together national and international institutions and scientific infrastructures;
- Promote collaboration networks aimed at enhancing the upgraded infrastructure and participating in competitive national and international funding calls;
- Bring researchers closer to the methods and challenges of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) approach to scientific data;
- Train a new professional role of Data Curator, dedicated to the management and curation of the scientific data produced.
The staff will focus on activities associated with the implementation objectives (OR):
Next Generation Sequencing – Trieste
- Development of a next-generation sequencing platform in the fields of genomics and epigenomics (OR1);
- Enhancement of the sequencing facility from both operational and data management perspectives, including the processing and utilization of the scientific data produced.
Mass Spectrometry – Salerno
- Development of mass spectrometry instrumentation for use in metabolomics analysis (OR2);
- Development and application of mass spectrometry techniques in omics sciences, for precision medicine and drug discovery applications.
Holographic Electron Microscopy – Lecce
- Installation of low-dose Holographic Electron Microscopy instrumentation (OR3);
- Support for technical-scientific activities required for setting up the laboratory, the holographic microscope, sample preparation, and functional testing of the machine.
Scientific Computing – Salerno
- Creation of an IT infrastructure at the University of Salerno to operate as a Scientific Computing Center, providing resources and services for data analysis and storage needs (OR5);
- Activities will focus on artificial intelligence to maximize the use of the HPC Center and analyze the data produced by other facilities, as well as resolve issues related to omics sciences.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The creation of highly skilled technical-scientific professionals capable of managing and enhancing the resources of the BIO Open Lab infrastructure in the Life Sciences sector will have a significant impact on the availability of services for both basic and industrial research. Thanks to the investment in human capital and expertise, it will be easier to access state-of-the-art facilities, managed in an optimized way.
The development of IT tools that allow advanced management of open access and a clear data policy, integrated with tools for managing and analyzing the scientific data produced, will enable much more efficient access for users.
The opportunity for new professionals to gain specialized training in various fields (from biotechnology to pharmacology to biomedicine) and on various techniques (from sequencing to mass spectrometry, from structural to computational biology) will be crucial in helping disseminate new technologies more broadly in the academic research world and stimulating the development of collaborations with national and international scientific institutions and infrastructures.
The training of new professionals capable of enhancing and integrating cutting-edge research tools and protocols at the European and international levels will provide further impetus for the creation of knowledge and innovation, embedded from the outset in the CERIC-ERIC context, which itself is part of the wider framework of “Analytical Research Infrastructures” outlined in the ESFRI Roadmap, all within a pan-European collaboration perspective for the optimal sharing of expertise and resources.
The entire European scientific community will benefit from access to a wide range of integrated facilities, supported by the presence of highly qualified personnel.