SEE-DRUG


“SEE-DRUG ” is a FP7 - RESEARH POTENTIAL project that aims to the upgrade the Structural Biology capacities of UPAT and to the Establishment of a Center of Excellence for Structure-Based Drug Target chracterization efforts in South-Eastern EU region.


The overall strategic objective of the FP7-REGPOT-CT-2011-285950 - SEE-DRUG project is to permit the UPAT to achieve a regional centre of excellence status, using a Chemical/Structural Biology as a core component, thus contributing to the S&T and socio-economic development of the parent organization. This will be accomplished by the establishment of a multi-disciplinary platform of high-level scientific research that focuses on the development of bioactive molecules targeting important biochemical processes in cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The collaborating groups have a demonstrable track record of expertise, experience and competitiveness in each of their respective research fields and each contributes valuable, distinct and complementary competences to SEE-DRUG.

The above targets will be achieved when the existed S&T Infrastructures and expertise (Figure 1) can be integrated in a unique scientific platform in Greece and SouthEastern EU region consisting of the following modules:

Overall, the SEE-DRUG project objectives aim to strengthen and broaden the scientific reach and socio-economic impact of the University of Patras (UPAT) through the creation of a Regional Centre of Excellence for Structural Biology that emphasizes the characterization and development of bioactive molecules with therapeutic potential.

Figure 1. Work flow diagram in the SEE-DRUG project.

The SEE-DRUG strategy is essentially based on four core activities: Exchange of technological know-how and scientific expertise, Appointment of experienced, skilled researchers, Upgrading of the UPAT S&T Infrastructure and Organization of Workshops and Conferences. This plan will incur two important long-term benefits: a) it will significantly improve the level of the research capacity of UPAT at the whole organization level, and b) it will attract high-level scientific expertise that will likely be associated with UPAT and SouthEastern EU region well after the end of the project. This combination will ensure the establishment of a centre of excellence in Structural Biology with emphasis on therapeutic molecule development, accessible to the entire SEE region research community. It is also bound to create new links among EU Centres of Excellence, scientists, industrial and regional stakeholders in Achaia and the Western Greece region, overall contributing to the socio-economic development and public awareness for research in health-related research. In particular, the SEE-DRUG project Action Plan