Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research in Montenegro Encourages Professional Development of Young Researchers
The Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research in Montenegro (CEBIMER), a project launched in January 2020, has connected researchers from the University of Montenegro and clinicians, i.e. research and clinical laboratories in Montenegro, in joint mission to be a central institution for biomedical research.
It is a three-year project focused on cooperation with the scientific diaspora and partners and on professional development of young Montenegrin researchers.
Head of chemical research in this project and teacher of the Faculty of Science Assistant Professor, Miljan Bigović, PhD, says that a large number of scientists who are engaged in the project by their scientific activity are already recognized in domestic scientific community, and their cooperation with researchers from the region and abroad is another pillar on which CEBIMER lies.
"Young researchers are included in the project - doctoral students, masters, and in some work packages, undergraduate students will also be active, who will have the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge through a serious research work. In addition to the Institute of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology "Dr. Simo Milosevic" from Igalo, which is the project holder, partners are two units of the University of Montenegro, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Medicine, then the Clinical Center of Montenegro as an umbrella health institution, FONTIS, the Center for Eco toxicological Research, as well as the Foundation for the Promotion of Science PRONA ", Bigovć explains.
The CEBIMER project is funded by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro and has 12 work packages.
"Unfortunately, the situation with the pandemic has significantly slowed down activities envisaged by the Gantt chart for previous period, for part of the work packages that are directly dependent on procurement of equipment and chemicals," Bigovic said. Researchers of the Faculty of Science are involved in implementation of four work packages, of which for implementation of biological and chemical research are directly responsible: Danilo Mrdak, PhD, Head of biological research, "DNA-microbiological and chemical barcoding" and Professor Bigovic, Head of chemical research, "Schiff's base". "The research team in the field of biology is researching the medicinal peloid from Igalo, known for its high content of minerals and biologically active organic substances, and has been used for therapeutic purposes for a long time. This is followed by research into the biocenosis, which is an integral part of it. Goal of the research team led by Dr. Mrdak is to standardize molecular-biological methods for discrimination of peloids, as well as to perform comparative analyzes and correlations of concentration for the therapy of significant active substances and the "age" of peloids. Chemical research will be oriented in order to synthesize new Schiff bases (compounds formed in the reaction of aldehydes or ketones with thiocarbohydrazide). "A good part of the compounds known and described so far from this group have already shown significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, so the idea of our team is the design of structurally new Schiff bases, their synthesis, optimization of reaction conditions and complete spectroscopic characterization of each newly synthesized molecule," Bigovic said. In second year, he adds, the synthesis of coordination compounds of selected Schiff bases with transition metal salts is planned, for which they would also examine biological activities, in cooperation with colleagues from the Faculty of Medicine, who are also part of the project. "Domestic researchers, students and a significant number of colleagues from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are engaged in both teams from the Faculty of Science," Bigović said. Bigović believes that this project will provide respectable and serious teams, which will certainly contribute to visibility of the Faculty of Science, the University of Montenegro, and CEBIMER. "We see a chance for Montenegro to position itself even better on the map of countries that place special emphasis on scientific and research work," he concluded. As a support to scientific research activities, within this project, the procurement of valuable and necessary research equipment for laboratories for Molecular Biology and Organic Chemistry at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is planned.