GRANT CHALLENGE
THE GRANT CHALLENGE
For several years Labena Ltd. has been an active partner and supporter in regional science development. With our knowledge and expertise, we provide solutions for diagnostic, research and development laboratories throughout Southeastern Europe. We decided to go one step further and collaborate even closer with a broader research community.
In 2017 we announced our first Grant challenge that was devoted to digital droplet PCR technique (ddPCR). We were surprised by the positive response among the scientific community. The applications came from independent researchers as well as from recognized academic and clinical institutions throughout the region. Researchers from different areas like basic biochemistry, ecology, clinical diagnostics, and others, got the chance to solve their scientific problems with the use of ddPCR technology. At the same time, we got the opportunity to test the technology on various biological samples.
Results from these joint projects were presented on major scientific meetings and congresses in the region and their scientific publications are being prepared. These projects were the start of long-lasting collaborations, which still stand to this day. We are grateful to all the scientists that were guests in our Molecular biology laboratory for sharing their priceless scientific stories from which we learn every day.
This year Labena and 10xGenomics are giving you the opportunity to win a Grant challenge for projects conducting single cell analysis. We will grant a project which will give scientists insight into the depth of their scientific topics. 10xGenomics is a cutting-edge technology for single cell analysis which helps you reveal the full complexity of cellular diversity at the single cell resolution. We encourage groups or individuals to write a proposal for a project, taking the opportunity to make novel discoveries using this new technology, and take advantage of unique capabilities that 10xGenomics single cell analysis has to offer.
There are many areas where the performance of these technique has better sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness in basic research and especially in clinical diagnostics development.
If you have a good idea with a scientific background to challenge 10xGenomics single cell analysis, take some time to submit your project proposal.
The Grant Committee will select a proposal where you will be given an opportunity to collaborate with our team of experts to review, start and complete your project. You will get the access to consult with a senior scientific technical advisor from 10xGenomics to help you with a design of an experiment, so will get the most from your information.
This is the time and place to upgrade your research.
PRIZES
GRANT CHALLENGE PRIZES
As mentioned above, this year we decided to offer in our Labena 10x Grant Challenge a new technology for 10xGenomics single cell analysis. Our grant committee will select the three best project applications, grant them with chemicals and give them opportunity to conduct the single cell analysis. Each prize covers all the necessary kits for analysis of 4 samples.
The wet-lab experiments will be performed in our BIASeparations CRO laboratory in Ljubljana, where you will get a full scientific and technical support when conducting your experiment.
*Accommodation and travel costs will be covered by Labena Ltd.
COMMITEE
GRANT COMMITTEE
Boštjan Čeh, MBA
Head of Business Development at Labena d.o.o.
Boštjan Čeh holds a Masters of Pharmacy and has completed Executive MBA at the London Business School. Boštjan is an experienced senior commercial leader with over 13 years of high-performance track record across multiple leading pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Novo Nordisk and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. In his last role, at Otsuka, he led a European cross-functional team of over 15 colleagues and was responsible for P&L for the commercial launch of a medicine worth up to €350m of peak annual revenue. Boštjan also co-founded a start-up and supports pharmaceuticals and life-sciences industry with commercial and strategic advisory services. Leading teams and organizations on a mission to solve problems that will improve people’s quality of life and the way we live, is his passion.
Uršula Prosenc Zmrzljak, PhD
Head of Molecular biology Laboratory at Labena d.o.o.
Uršula Prosenc Zmrzljak is a head of molecular biology laboratory at Bia Separations CRO, Labena d.o.o. and a driving force of various industry and research projects. She has more than 17 years of experience in molecular biology and extensive knowledge of various molecular biology techniques that she gained at the Faculty of Medicine Ljubljana, INSERM Montpellier, UT southwestern Dallas, Hungarian Academy of sciences Budapest, Hvidovre hospital Copenhagen and INEP Belgrade. With numerous collaborators she conducted research projects involving basic as well as applied scientific aspects. Among others, her expertise includes oncology molecular diagnostics which she acquired during her work at the Oncology Institute Ljubljana. Uršula Prosenc Zmrzljak holds a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular biology from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Mario Dananić, MBA
Business Development Manager – Life Science at Labena d.o.o.
Mario Dananić works as a business development manager and is responsible for sales in the LifeSciences segment as well as creating new business opportunities for Labena. His extensive knowledge of the medical, chemical, genomics and pharma industries makes him excellent at project development and management. He holds an MSc degree in chemistry from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Marina Panek, PhD
Application specialist at Labena d.o.o.
Marina Panek is an application specialist at Labena d.o.o. She has more than 7 years of research experience in various molecular biology techniques with a focus on the isolation of human and bacterial DNA; DNA testing by PCR methods and gel electrophoresis; human gut microbiota analysis; next-generation sequencing; data analysis; blood sample processing and serum biomarker analysis. As an application specialist in Labena d.o.o. she offers pre-and post-sale support for all Labena life science customers. Marina Panek holds a Ph.D. degree in Biomedicine and Health from the School of Medicine, University in Zagreb, Croatia.
Agnieszka Ciesielska, PhD
10x Genomics Science and Technology Advisor
Agnieszka is science and technology advisor for 10x Genomics. She helps the customers with project design and advises on the technology and chemistry in the experiments to get the best possible results for each individual scientific question. She has extensive experience with field application support for different brands of manufacturers and service providers from the field of molecular biology (BioRad, Thermo Scientific, Eurofins…). She holds a PhD degree in molecular biology and genetics from the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Nedeljko Milosavljević, PhD
External reviewer, Center for Technology Transfer of the University of Belgrade
Dr. Nedeljko Milosavljević is an experienced technology transfer professional, successfully leading the Center for Technology Transfer of the University of Belgrade for the last 11 years. To create a unified TT mechanism for a non-integrated university consisting of 31 faculties and 11 institutes, he combined his previously gathered experience as a researcher (PhD in Chemical Engineering) with knowledge and experience in the TT field, gained at reputable Institutions such as the University of Oxford, University of Ohio, University of Haifa, as well as from private TTOs like Ascenion. He was vice president of the Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals -ASTP and a board member of HEPTech. Currently, he is a Co-Director of Founder Institute Serbia, a member of the International Board of the Association of University Technology Managers – AUTM (USA), an International Board member of the International Technology Transfer Network – ITTN (China), an international partner in the World Business Angels Investment Forum – WBAF, board member of the Youth Entrepreneurship Council and a board member of the Science and Industrial Cooperation Council.
Besides being a researcher and registered technology transfer professional, he also a co-founder of start-up Dr Knight ltd, established for further development and commercialization of the innovation created within his PhD research. During the years, he has had the opportunity to mentor, support, judge, and train numerous teams and individuals, and with an international team of peers to create a multilingual web-based platform designed to stimulate students’, researchers’ and teachers’ ability to use the results of their research and to start and carry out entrepreneurial projects.
Furthermore, Dr. Milosavljević is a senior consultant and business developer for Oxentia, an expert for the European Commission and World Intellectual Property Organization.
ELIGIBILITY
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Applications are opened to all scientists from Labena region – Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro. Scientists from academic and clinical institutions, pharma and other life-science industry and independent researchers are eligible to apply. We strongly support young scientists (PhD students and post-docs). The quality of application is the most important selection criteria to us. We support scientists that have a firm project plan and vision where the Labena 10x Grant could help them to fill in the missing gaps or push their research further.
If you are not sure, whether you are eligible, we encourage you to contact the application and sales support in your local Labena. They will be happy to help.
IMPORTANT DATES
Application deadline:
18.11.2022
Interviews with the finalists:
28.11. – 02.12.2022
Announcement of the winners:
06.12.2022
Executing of the experiments:
12.12.2022 – 31.03.2023
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be assessed based on their scientific or diagnostic merit, relevance for the scientific and general public interest and the feasibility of the project to be performed within the given time and number of samples.
We will support projects on samples that originate from cell-culture or PBMCs, that have viability 85% or higher, require Single Cell 3’ chemistry and are available until mid-November 2022 the latest. The Labena 10x Grant will cover the costs of sequencing library preparation for 4 samples. Sequencing is performed by a third party; therefore, it is not covered in the Labena 10x Grant. Grant receiver can solely choose the NGS service provider.
ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Labena Ltd. was established in 1993 as a provider of laboratory equipment for the fields of pharmacy, medicine, and life sciences. Since then, we have expanded our knowledge and expertise to include high-end services, one of which is also provided by our Molecular biology laboratory situated in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The well-equipped laboratory enables various molecular biology techniques which among others also includes the technology for single-cell analysis.
Single cell analysis has been a revolutionary breakthrough in biology. Understanding cellular diversity has enabled significant insights into intracellular mechanisms and their applications to health and disease.
But for many researchers, single cell has been out of reach due to technical, cost-per-cell, and scalability challenges. 10xGenomics Chromium X technology makes single cell analysis easy, reliable, and scalable thanks to its proprietary Next GEM technology. The key to this technology is the ability to generate hundreds of thousands of single cell partitions, each containing an identifying barcode for downstream analysis. Combined with an innovative reagent delivery system and turnkey software analysis tools, we enable the discovery of previously inaccessible biological information.
The areas that have already shown the best benefit from single cell analysis are: Oncology, Immunology and Neuroscience.
Deep insight into tumor heterogeneity, fine resolution of immune system to the single cell level and gaining new perspectives on neural complexity are fields where most of the citations in scientific literature are present. But there is no reason that other areas of research shouldn’t benefit from single cell analysis.
By working in accordance with GMP and FDA guidelines we are already a trusted partner in ongoing industrial and research projects. Our aim is to keep providing solutions and support in the area of single cell analysis to a brother scientific community, either as a service of validating or developing a new diagnostic test or simply as a partner in your next research project.
PRIVACY POLICY
GRANT CHALLENGE - PRIVACY POLICY
Information collected from you during the application process will be used for the following purposes:
– for the evaluation procedures of the Labena 10x Grant Challenge;
– for Labena and 10x Genomics marketing purposes;
– to improve our products and services;
– to improve the customer experience;
Your personal information will not be sold or provided to any third party for their marketing use without your consent. However, you acknowledge that we may share information provided within the Labena Group and 10x Genomics to support our business and marketing solutions.