RESEARCH

Research-Development-Innovation capacity development plan
for the period 2026-2029

Strategic vision: Strengthening the Center's position as a pole of interdisciplinary excellence at the intersection of life sciences, nanotechnology and medicine, moving from fundamental research to applicable solutions for health and the environment.

1. The role and research potential of the Center

Between 2026 and 2029, the Center aims to leverage its existing research infrastructure and expertise accumulated in the previous period (demonstrated by 34 WoS-indexed papers) to become a major regional player in two key areas: Green Nanomedicine and Patient Safety. The Centre's potential lies in its unique ability to integrate the synthesis of new nanomaterials with testing their biocompatibility and analyzing therapeutic risks through advanced pharmacovigilance studies. This holistic approach ("from bench to bedside and back") allows complex public health and environmental issues to be addressed.

2. Impact, needs, and opportunities in the market

• Need: There is a need to reduce pollution and toxic effects in the environment using protocols and materials that ensure these goals are achieved. There is a real need for devices that can detect the presence of harmful particles in water and air. The pharmaceutical and medical device markets are facing increased pressure to reduce toxicity and increase sustainability. There is an acute demand for green chemistry methods and real-world data on the post-marketing safety of drugs.

• Opportunity: The exponential growth in the use of real-world evidence databases (such as EudraVigilance) provides an opportunity to provide consulting services and safety reports for the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the development of nanomaterial-based biosensors meets the need for rapid and inexpensive diagnostics.

• Impact: The center's activity will generate solutions for reducing the amount of toxic particles and pollutants in the air and water, improving quality of life. On a biomedical level, it will provide new biomaterials with antimicrobial properties, reducing the burden of antibiotic resistance.

3. Justification of skills and solutions needs (Human Resources). 

To support the transition to advanced technologies, the following needs have been identified:

• Required skills: 

Advanced data analysis; advanced techniques for characterizing nanomaterials at the atomic level; expertise in intellectual property law.

• Solutions:

Training: Internal workshop program for the use of advanced statistical analysis software and participation in specialized courses in new spectroscopic techniques.

Hiring/Attraction: Recruitment of postdoctoral researchers specializing in condensed matter physics and bioinformatics.

4. The exploitable nature of the research-innovation idea 

The research carried out has a high degree of technological transferability:

• Protocols for advanced sensors for monitoring water and air quality, for detecting specific molecules in biological fluids.

• Protocols for the green synthesis of nanoparticles (from extracts of Quercus, Juglans, etc.) can be patented and licensed to the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

• Pharmacovigilance reports can form the basis of partnerships with regulatory agencies or pharmaceutical companies for monitoring the safety of biological and oncolytic drugs.

5. Atracting talents

The center will implement the "Young Innovators in Health & Tech" program, providing access to top-tier publishing infrastructure (Q1/Q2) and personalized mentoring for doctoral students and young researchers. The interdisciplinary work environment (physicists, pharmacists, biologists, doctors) is a magnet for young people who want to transcend the traditional boundaries of disciplines.

6. Creating international and interdisciplinary collaborations

• Interdisciplinarity: Continuing the integration of Physics teams (material characterization) with Pharmacy/Medicine teams (biological applications), a model validated by joint publications in 2024-2025.

• Internationalization: Expanding the network of collaborators (already existing with partners in Portugal, Turkey, Dubna, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra (Italy), etc., according to publications) by applying to Horizon Europe-type projects, targeting consortia on the topic of "Safe-by-Design Nanomaterials."

7. Contribution to improving legislation or standards 

Pharmacovigilance studies conducted at the center (based on EudraVigilance databases) will be disseminated to the National Medicines Agency, contributing to the updating of package inserts and treatment guidelines for high-risk drugs (e.g., antineoplastic agents, immunosuppressants). In addition, ecotoxicity studies will provide data for standardizing the permissible limits of nanomaterials in the environment.

8. Contribution to improving quality of life

The center's activities directly impact quality of life by:

• Early detection of toxic particles in water and air.

• Early detection of drug risks, reducing hospitalizations caused by adverse reactions.

• Development of water purification solutions (using magnetic nanomaterials), ensuring a cleaner environment.

• Safer and more effective natural skin care and therapeutic products.

9. Covering an untapped niche of knowledge 

The center occupies the specific niche of convergence between sustainable nanotechnology and clinical safety. The center will provide solutions for the early detection of toxic particles in water and air. While many groups focus only on synthesis or only on clinical studies, our Center covers the entire chain: from green material synthesis to physical characterization, biological testing, and pharmacological impact analysis in the population, offering a rare integrated perspective at the national level.