Current Issue

2008-12-18

Current Issue: Brief overview of Czech Biotechnology

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in the middle of Europe. The Czech does not belong to the pioneers of the molecular biology but some of laboratories and research centers are European-class institutions, showing very good results in the field of modern biotechnology. Furthermore the appearance of the Czech biotech industry and research has improved over the past few years. The main centers of the biotechnology, molecular biology and pharmaceutical research and development are located in Prague and other university cities: Brno, Olomouc, Hradec Králové, Plzeň and České Budějovice. The majority of the research facilities belong either to the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (AS CR), to the universities or to the Ministry of Health. By the beginning of 2008 in Czech Republic were 308 biotechnology research bodies and 39 biotechnology companies.

RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

STRUCTURE OF GENOME AND REGULATION EXPRESSION

The significant area of interest of biotechnology research in the Czech Republic is the structure of the genome and regulation of expression. The leading role in this field plays the Centre of Integrated Genomic. The Centre consists of selected laboratories of the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Institute of Physiology AS CR, Charles University and the College of Chemical Technology in Prague. Apart from that three other institutes of the AS CR are studying the structure and function of the nucleus and interaction of the nucleic acids and proteins: the Institute of Biophysics in Brno, the Institute of Experimental Medicine and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague.

PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

In the plant biotechnology especially in molecular biology and genetic modifications main role play the Institute of Experimental Botany, the Institute of Molecular Biology of Plants AS CR, the Institute of Entomology and the Institute of Crop Production.

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY

Leading research centers in molecular and cellular biology are the Institute of Animal Physiology and the Genetics Institute of Molecular Biology AS CR. Gene therapy of tumors and DNA vaccines are in development at the laboratories of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, the Medical Faculty of Charles University, the Institute of Molecular Genetics and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR in Prague.

MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Fundamentals of modern biotechnology are being assessed at the Centre of Molecular and Gene Biotechnology, which includes laboratories at the Institute of Microbiology, the Institute of Molecular Biology, the Institute of Chemical Technology and five biotech and pharmaceutical enterprises: Biopharm, Envisan-Gem, Galena, Immunotech and Vidia. These groups are engaged in the biosynthesis and biotransformation of bioactive compounds, development of new recombinant proteins with immunosuppressive effects for therapeutic use and monoclonal antibodies for diagnostics.

PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH

Czech pharmaceutical research is concentrated at the Research Centre of Structure and Mechanisms of Action of Potential Drugs, which includes laboratories at the Pharmaceutical Faculty of Charles University in Hradec Králové and two enterprises: Zentiva and Generi Biotech. The work at the Centre focuses on anti-inflammatory drugs, chiral compounds, gene therapy, and gerontology therapeutics isolated from plants. Development of a vaccine against boreliosis is underway at Bioveta (Ivanovice Na Hané) and new drug dosage forms are in progress in the Galenic Lab (Ostrava). Chondroprotectives and alimentary supplements based on collagen hydrolysis for protection and regeneration of the locomotor system are in development at Orling (Ústí nad Orlicí).

BIOTECHNOLOGY R&D COMPANIES

The most frequently activity of Czech biotechnology companies according to the type of company is R&D company (41%). Czech biotech companies mostly use DNA/RNA& as a biotechnology technique. Namely they are genomics, pharmacogenomics, gene probes, genetic engineering, DNA/RNA sequencing, synthesis and application, gene expression profiling, and use of antisense technology. The majority of them are small companies (max. 50 employees) and very small companies (max. 5 employees). Only two companies CPN and BioVendor can be qualified as medium size companies, with the amount of employees between 50 and 250. The average age of the companies is about 7 years, the oldest being Vidia, founded in 1991, the youngest being four companies founded in 2006. The location of the companies corresponds to the pattern of highly knowledge-demanding activities. The most of them are located in county capitals (5 in Prague, 4 in Brno, one each in Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Zlín and České Budějovice), or near them (5 in Vestec by Prague, 1 in Říčany). Most of the companies have the legal statute of limited company (Ltd.) Majority of them have been created by being separated from public R&D institutions (as a spin-off), and close bonds to the academic field can be therefore expected. Half of employees work in R&D, which corresponds to the values typical for "biotechnologically developed" countries.

RESEARCH

Research activity of biotech companies is crucial for the quality of their products and services. A great part of R&D is conducted in cooperation with other subjects (universities, institutes, other companies). Similar importance is assigned to expert publications, whereas the other source of codified knowledge, patent documents and licenses, is less substantial. Workforce and informal contact with e.g. colleagues from other companies are considered very important.

COOPERATION

Research cooperation is a fundamental way of technology transfer between the members of biotechnology sector. The key role is played by three main types of participants - universities, research institutions (and other institutions, like hospitals), and other companies. The most frequent and most important form of cooperation is a joint R&D conducted under government or European grant projects, or own projects financed by companies. The cooperation with academic institutions is also realized in form of lectures for universities - the companies often use them for presentations and recruitment or new employees. Directly linked to this is also the involvement of companies and their experts into the graduation theses of university students or young employees of research institutes.The leading provider of finances for R&D is the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) (supported 24 projects with a total amount of almost 1 billion CZK), followed (in terms of money provided) by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (9 projects) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (20).

WORKFORCE

Biotechnology R&D demands high professional quality of workforce, therefore it is a field where many people of university education, especially in chemistry and biology ones, found their job. 50% of all R&D employees are fresh graduates. Similar value, however, is made up by the employees that entered the companies with some years of practice (45%). The most of them came from state institutions, like research institutes and hospitals. The companies also let the students be involved since as soon as their second year of university study - an approach that allows them to identify the talented individuals for further cooperation. The companies in fact tutor and bring up their own qualified future employees.

PATENTS AND PUBLICATIONS

The companies in research are holders of 44 patents registered by the European Patent Office (EPO), 15 Czech patents and 11 international (PCT) patents. There are also 19 utility designs valid in the Czech Republic. All patents were filed between 1999 and 2007. These patents make only a few percent (2.1%, resp. 7.5%) from all EPO and PCT patents filed by applicants from the Czech Republic in this period. The analysis of publication activity that considers the previously stated premises shows that there is information available on total of 369 journal articles in journals monitored by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), published by the companies, resp. by the scientists collaborating with the companies. In average, there would be almost 20 articles per one company, published in scientific magazines.

Michal Pawlak
Based on the Report of Czech Biotechnology published by South Moravian Innovation Centre

About South Moravian Innovation Centre
The South Moravian Innovation Centre was established in 2003 as an association of legal bodies. Its founders are the South Moravian Region, the City of Brno, the University of Technology, Masaryk University, the Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry and the Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University in Brno.The mission of the Centre is to provide effective and sustainable support to creation and development of innovative enterprises in the South Moravian region.