Member institutes

Biocenter Kuopio

Director: Professor Seppo Ylä-Herttuala

www.uef.fi/bck

Biocenter Kuopio (BCK) was founded in February 2007 as an umbrella organization for research groups active in molecular medicine, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research. Today BCK comprises the A.I.Virtanen Institute and 15 research groups from other faculties of the University of Eastern Finland. The research profile of BCK is on molecular medicine of major diseases of high importance for health care, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and metabolism-related diseases. The strong areas are molecular and cellular mechanisms of the diseases, disease modeling, prevention and therapy of the diseases, gene and cell-based therapy, and pharmaceutical intervention as well as in vitro and in vivo imaging.

Biocenter Oulu

Director: Professor Johanna Myllyharju

www.biocenter.oulu.fi

The mission of Biocenter Oulu (BCO) is to enhance international, high-level basic research in the focus area of biosciences and medicine of the University of Oulu, Finland. The tasks include running a graduate school and participating in a regional collaboration aiming at commercialization of new ideas and products. The research areas of BCO relate to molecular medicine, biocatalysis and genomics, with strong international profiles in matrix biology, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, lipid metabolism, control of hypoxia, development of kidney and reproductive organs, and evolutionary genomics of both plant and insect species. The research projects supported by BCO are selected for 4-year periods based on international external evaluation of their scientific merit. The evaluations ensure a dynamic mode of operation whereby projects may continue or end within BCO and new ones may begin depending on the success of their research. BCO also provides long-term support for young scientists, who, following a successful post-doctoral period, are planning to set up their own group.

The research is supported by 10 core facilities providing a continuum for studying the structure and function of proteins, the function of normal and diseased cells, and control of genes and physiological processes. All core facilities operate on an open access principle and the contact persons, services and their prices are explained in www.biocenter.oulu.fi (see core facilities). The BCO profile in BF technology platforms focuses on mouse models and structural biology. Oulu has strong expertise in ultrastructural pathology of tissues, and these services will be expanded at national level.

Biocentrum Helsinki

Director: Professor Lauri Aaltonen

www.helsinki.fi/biocentrum

Biocentrum Helsinki (BCH) is an umbrella organization coordinating the multidisciplinary research in molecular biology and biomedicine at the University of Helsinki (UH). The mission of BCH is to foster high quality research and collaboration between UH campuses as well as to support the development and operation of research core facilites. Altogether there are about 1500 scientists on Meilahti campus and 1500 on Viikki campus (altogether about 250 research groups) involved in research in these fields.

BCH provides funding for research groups selected as BCH members by the Rector through an international evaluation based on scientific excellence. In the term 2007-2010, 14 of the 28 groups are located on the Meilahti Campus (Faculty of Medicine, FIMM), and 14 on the Viikki campus (Faculties of Biological Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Biotechnology, Neuroscience Center). BCH also supports the repatriation of Finnish scientists as well as the recruitment of young foreign scientists by allocating two-year start-up grants. The scientific focus of BCH is based on the groups selected. The main emphasis of the work performed in the current groups is devoted to cell and molecular biology, cancer biology, molecular neurobiology, developmental biology, human molecular genetics, plant biotechnology and structural biology and biophysics.

BCH coordinates and supports 17 core facilities on the Meilahti and Viikki Campuses typically through a salary of one person. The Aalto University has joined BCH March 22, 2010.

BioCity Turku

Director: Professor Jyrki Heino

www.biocity.turku.fi

BioCity Turku is an umbrella organization supporting and coordinating life science and molecular medicine related research in the University of Turku and in the Åbo Akademi. The two universities share one campus area in a historical location of the city of Turku. The existence of one compact, multidisciplinary campus area is the major strength of science in Turku and, in this magnitude, also unique in Finland. The same campus additionally houses the Turku University Central Hospital, the VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) Medical Biotechnology Unit and the THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare) Turku unit. The research groups working in these organizations are also active members in the six BioCity Turku research programs: Systems biology, Receptor research, Immunology, Reproductive and developmental medicine, Diagnostics and Biomaterials. BioCity Turku core laboratories and research services are organized into three centers, namely Turku Centre for Biotechnology, Turku Center for Disease Modeling and Turku Positron Emission Tomography Centre that provide top-of-line technology services in biological imaging, genomics, proteomics and disease models.

Institute of Biotechnology

Director: Professor Tomi Mäkelä

www.biocenter.helsinki.fi/bi

The Institute of Biotechnology (BI) at the University of Helsinki is an independent research institute with a mission to increase knowledge in biotechnology and integrative biology and use this for the benefit of society. BI has research programs in Molecular Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genome Biology, and Structural Biology & Biophysics, and integrative programs in Quantitative Biology and Patterning Dynamics. Ongoing Academy of Finland Centers of Excellence at BI are in areas of virology, molecular neuroscience, cancer biology, plant signaling, and metapopulations. BI is an international, competitive and rewarding workplace, where the staff within the 29 research groups and 7 core facilities exceeds 300 and comes from 30 different countries.

BI has state-of-the-art facilities in imaging, model organisms, proteomics, genomics, bioinformatics, crystallography, and NMR. These are shared both locally as well as nationally as part of Biocenter Finland and are also popular among enterprises in the life sciences area. A high-level international Scientific Advisory Board has an important function in providing advice on scientific directions, and also regularly evaluates BI groups and other activities. The Institute of Biotechnology is located on the Viikki Campus where it forms part of the largest national life sciences alliance. The vision of the Institute is to strengthen its position as an international outstanding research institute in biosciences profiled through high impact research and renowned scientists.

Institute of Biomedical Technology (IBT)

Director: Hannu Hanhijärvi

www.uta.fi/ibt

At the beginning of 2011 the University of Tampere conducted a thorough overhaul of its organization and during this process the Regea Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Institute of Medical Technology (IMT) were united and form now the Institute of Biomedical Technology (IBT). This new institute cooperates closely with the institutes at Tampere University of Technology (TUT) engaging in the field. The aim is to create an interdisciplinary, internationally high standard research and education institute, operating on the interface of biomedicine and technology. It also aims to contribute to creating new innovations and businesses. The strong research areas of the two united Instutes are mitochondrial genetics and diseases, immune responses and disorders, cancer research from genetics to patient diagnostics, protein production and interactions, and bioinformatics for IMT and developing stem cell applications for the treatment and diagnostics of various eye, nervous system, heart, bone, cartilage and soft tissue related diseases for Regea. Regea also has a national tissue bank that meets the requirements of the national legislation and EU directives.

The Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland

Director: Professor Olli Kallioniemi

www.fimm.fi

The Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) is an international research institute focusing on building a bridge from discovery to medical applications. FIMM investigates molecular mechanisms of disease using genomics and medical systems biology in order to promote human health. The three research focus areas of FIMM are i) human genomics, ii) medical systems biology and iii) translational research and personalized medicine. FIMM is a multi-disciplinary institute combining high-quality science with unique patient materials, and state-of-the-art technologies. The FIMM Technology Centre is focusing on genomics, sequencing, bioinformatics, high-throughput RNAi screening, and translational technologies. FIMM is part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine.

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