Detection and evaluation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma by microfluidic chip technology
Provider: AZV
Duration: 2016 – 2019
Researcher: Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project Number: AZV 16-29738A
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Description: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent one of the promising diagnostic targets in monitoring of lung adenocarcinoma progression and malignant transformation. Here we propose a microfluidic chip (MLC Chip) which will enable to isolate (count) population of CTCs from peripheral blood sample of histologically proved adenocarcinoma stage IIb-IV patients and to sort them on their respective phenotype (epithelial/mesenchymal) on the level of the individual cells with the possibility of subsequent cell release for cultivation and/or gene expression profiling. The MLC Chip with filtration and single-cell sorting unit will be presented along with the novel types of binding proteins for EpCAM and N-Cadherin markers for CTCs on-chip capture. The overall goal is to evaluate the clinical relevance of different CTC phenotypes on early diagnostics of lung adenocarcinoma, correlate their occurrence with the carcinoma stage and progression, divide a population of patients in high/low risk groups, predict diagnosis and finally to adjust a medical treatment for individual patients.
Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Future (NanoEnviCz)
Provider: MŠMT
Duration: 2016 – 2022
Researchers: Jan Malý, Ph.D., Marcel Štofik, Ph.D., Dr. Dominika Wróbel, Doc. Ing. Zdena Kolská, Ph.D.
Project Number: LM2015073
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Description: NanoEnviCz integrates infrastructure capacities of several research organizations in the Czech Republic in the field of comprehensive interdisciplinary research on a wide range of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. The equipment and expertise portfolio provided by NanoEnviCz covers various areas of research on nanomaterials, surfaces and nanocomposites as environmental protection materials and other related applications. NanoEnviCz research infrastructure services include controlled synthesis of nanostructured materials, their complex chemical, structural, morphological and surface characterization, optimization of their functional properties, monitoring of their potential toxicity and environmental hazards, and the development of their applications for advanced technologies. The NanoEnviCz research infrastructure creates an effective multi-purpose platform for partner research organizations involved in its operations and activities, as well as users from academia, industry and government organizations. NanoEnviCz provides open, centralized access to all the capabilities of this “distributed” research infrastructure for both domestic and foreign users.
LIGMIG – optimalization of energetic biomass production process in terms of lignin content
Provider: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 4/2019 – 3/2021
Researcher: Mgr. Hana Malinská, PhD
Project number: TJ02000172
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partner: Wekus spol. s r.o.
Description: The aim of project is application of selected stress factors to Miscanthus x giganteus plants to increase plant resistance while optimizing lignin levels in biomass for subsequent energy use. The experimentally verified variants selected in the laboratory will be tested in real conditions in cooperation with the application garant to produce larger quantities of modified biomass and verify its properties for energy use.
Functionalization of nanofibrous structure
Provider: MŠMT OPPIK
Duration: 2018 – 2020
Researcher: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project number: CZ.01.1.02/0.0/0.0/17_107/0012271
Faculty: Faculty of Science UJEP
Description: The project focuses on the development of functionalized materials suitable for wound dressing. Materials will provide controlled release of drugs – analgesics, antibiotics, or additivation of biologically active substances eg. enzymes. The project builds on the applicant’s previous activities and cooperating R&D organizations in the field of wound dressing materials development. The project uses new procedures for the preparation of nanofibrous structures containing modified chitosan. This technology is the subject of the patent CZ 307059.
Completing and upgrade RI Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for environment protection and sustainable future
Provider: MŠMT OPVVV
Duration: 2016 – 2020
Researcher: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001821
Faculty: Faculty of Science UJEP
Description: The proposed project directly linked to the existing NanoEnviCz VI infrastructure program is complementary to the critical instrument and equipment. Positioning new instruments research potential VI and incentives for the successful division of scientific goals for synthesis, comprehensive characterization, optimal setting of functional properties and clarification of the application of nanomaterials in environmental protection and their potential hazards.
Cancer nanomedicine – from the bench to the bedside (NANO2CLINIC)
Provider: COST
Duration: 9/2018 – 9/2022
Researcher (for UJEP): Dr. Dominika Wróbel
Project number: CA17140
Faculty: Faculty of Science UJEP
Partners: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA17140/#tabs|Name:parties
Web: http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA17140?
Description: By promoting scientific exchanges, technological implementation and innovative solutions, the Action will provide a timely instrument to rationalize and focus research efforts at the EU level in dealing with the grand challenge of nanomedicine translation in cancer, one of the major and societal-burdening human pathologies. By virtue of its quality, the Action network will also generate research core teams of excellence for funding applications, patent filling and discovery of major scientific impact. The network will also be actively devoted to raising awareness on the high potential on nanomedicine through publications in international peer-reviewed journals, and presentations at open events.
H2PLAZMON – Advanced plasma technology for producing, storing, and using “green” hydrogen
Provider: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 9/2018 – 8/2024
Researcher (for UJEP): Doc. Ing. Zdeňka Kolská, Ph.D.
Project number: TK01030128
Faculty: Faculty of Science UJEP
Partners: University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (prof. Ing. Václav Švorčík, DrSc., lead beneficiary); University of West Bohemia (doc. Ing. Aleš Hamáček, Ph.D.); LISS, akciová společnost (Ing. Robert Lovecký)
Description: The project is aimed at implementing innovative technologies based on plasma-induced processes when producing, storing, and using the so-called “green” hydrogen – hydrogen obtained from renewable resources. The project expects to use plasma resonance in complex solutions of the issue of hydrogen technologies, meaning when producing H2, as well as when storing and utilizing it. Concretely, the attention will be given to the implementation of plasmon-enhanced photolysis of water, plasmon-assisted synthesis of substances for solid-state storing of hydrogen based on covalent organic frameworks (COFs), implementing plasmons in fuel cells as potential replacement of catalytic platinum, and significant decrease in working temperature of fuel cells.
New composite materials for environmental applications (NKMEA)
Provider: OP VVV
Duration: 4/2018 – 3/2021
Researcher: prof. Ing. Pavel Janoš, CSc.
Project number: CZ.021.01/0.0/0.0/17_48/0007399
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: VSB TU Ostrava (main researcher)
Description: The main objective of the project is to develop, prepare, characterize, optimize the preparation, and analyze the usability of special composite materials able to detect or eliminate dangerous substances from the environment in different states of matter in the area of the Ostrava agglomeration. These materials will contribute to the elimination of old loads, impacts of industrial and other accidents, cleaning of certain types of waste water and air, decontamination of certain areas, etc. Thereby, they will make possible to increase the quality of life and lowering health risks, increase the safety of residents, and increase the attractiveness of the Ostrava agglomeration for its inhabitants, thereby lowering the number of people leaving the region due to the low quality of the environment in the region. Other objectives of the project are analyzing practical uses of research results of the project, implementing joint activities with the partners leading towards long-term application of the results, starting and developing cooperation between research teams and the application sector, acquiring infrastructures needed for implementing research intents, and disseminating the results of research activities and their outputs.
Center for advanced chemical technologies implemented in the Ústí nad Labem/Chomutov agglomeration (CACTU)
Provider: OP VVV
Duration: 1/2018 – 12/2023
Researcher: doc. Dr. Ing. Pavel Kuráň
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_049/0008397
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Description: The main objective of the strategic project CACTU is to create a partnership with a crucial subject in the application sector (UNIPETROL RPA s.r.o.), as well as finishing building open research infrastructure at joint workplaces of UJEP, UniCRE (Unipetrol výzkumně vzdělávací centrum, a.s.) a UNIPETROL RPA s.r.o. (consortium 3U), which will guarantee long-term cross-sector cooperation between research and the application sector in the area of chemical and related technologies, focusing on research of chemical processes of transforming material sources in regions into so-called green chemicals.
Research and development of technology of obtaining zinc raw material using waste and developing innovative products from recycling (ZINEK 2)
Provider: OP PIK
Duration: 1/2018 – 10/2020
Researcher: Ing. Miroslav Richter, Ph.D.
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_107/0012435
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: COTTEX Trade s.r.o. (main researcher)
Description: The project focuses on researching and developing new technologies for material use of zinc waste created when industrially processing zinc. These are primarily materials in the form of zinc skimming, drops, dry matter, ashes, particulates from filters, dust, scales, and agglomerated dust particles, which are materials contaminated by other unwanted components, such as the compounds ZnAl, ZnO, ZnPb, Cl, and Ca. Afterwards, development will be implemented of innovative zinc products with the use of produced recycled materials.
Allothermal facility for using sewage sludge
Provider: OP PIK
Duration: 1/2018 – 10/2020
Researcher: doc. Ing. Karel Svoboda, CSc.
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_107/0012490
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: MPS Gradior s.r.o. (main researcher)
Description: The objective of the project is to implement advanced activities of industrial research and experimental development, whose output will be a worldwide unique prototype of an allothermal facility for using sewage sludge. The result of the project will be a prototype that surpasses the technical parameters of know solutions because – thanks to its complex changes of the principle of the technology – it will provide a highly innovative combination of allothermal pyrolysis and allothermal gasification with a subsequent combustion of primary pyrolysis gases.
MATEQ 2018 – Development of an excellent research team
Provider: Ústí nad Labem Region
Duration: 01/2018 – 12/2018
Researcher: prof. Pavla Čapková, DrSc.
Project number: 17/SML1267/SOPD/OKH
Faculty: Faculty of Science, Faculty of Environment
Partners: Ústí nad Labem Region
Description: Strengthening human resources for excellent MATEQ research team that is a part of a large research infrastructure – NanoEnviCz. The support will be in two directions: 1. keeping young researchers in the MATEQ team; 2. supporting researchers cooperating with the industry in the region in applied research. A smaller part of the support is directed at PR activities that are a crucial part of the research strategy. The project team includes researchers from two UJEP faculties: the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Environment. Both faculties closely cooperate on research projects as a team.
Project supported by Ústecký kraj.
UniQSurf – Center of organic surfaces and hybrid functional materials
Provider: Operational Programme Research, Development and Education
Duration: 4/2018 – 12/2022
Researcher: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_048/0007411
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Description: The project is aimed at pre-application research and development of functional surfaces and hybrid materials for biomedical application, bioanalytic methods, catalysis, and sorption processes. The project focuses on developing micro devices for testing medicine on 3D cell cultures, developing bioadhesive and antiadhesive surfaces, and new hybrid materials for organocatalysis, separation processes, and gas sequestration.
ZEBRACHIP – microfluid chip for automated massive in vivo testing of biological effects of active substances
Provider: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 1/2018 – 12/2019
Researcher: Mgr. Michaela Liegertová, Ph.D.
Project number: TJ01000077
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Partners: DRAKISA s.r.o.
Description: The project’s objective is to develop a new tool for automated and highly parallelized in vivo studies of biological effects of substances on the fish model Danio rerio. A prototype will be developed of a microfluid device that enables cultivation of fish embryos with automatable approach to implementing, controlling crucial conditions of cultivation, managing substance flow, and evaluating the development of embryos by collecting picture documentation. The goal will reached via following tasks: (i) design and modeling of the device’s design; (ii) study using 3D print technologies for creating prototype devices; (iii) developing a unit for controlling cultivation conditions; (iv) testing the functionality of the device for automated filling of embryos, cultivation, and continuous collection of picture documentation; (v) verifying system parameters on modeled toxicity tests.
INVUST Development of device infrastructure for scientific and technical doctoral programs at the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem
Provider: OP VVV
Duration: 1/2018 – 7/2022
Researcher: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_017/0002678
Faculty: Faculty of Science, Faculty of Environment
Description: The project is aimed at modernizing the infrastructure for research relevant for teaching at the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. As a part of the complementary project STUVIN, innovations are planned of current and creation of new study doctoral programs Applied material physics, Applied nanotechnology, Environmental analytical chemistry, and Landscape restoration. This project is aimed at creating necessary infrastructural basis for accrediting these programs and implementing all objectives of the STUVIN project.
STUVIN Studies, research, and innovation – developing scientific and technical doctoral programs at the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem
Provider: OP VVV
Duration: 5/2017 – 9/2022
Researcher: Doc. Ing. Josef Trögl, Ph.D.
Project number: CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_018/0002735
Faculty: Faculty of Science, Faculty of Environment
Description: The objective of the project is to create two new and develop two current scientific and technical doctoral programs. The development includes expanding the topics, involving new teachers, developing doctoral schools with three departments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and intensify faculty cooperation between the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Environment. The need to develop the programs is based on the increase of research activities, primarily activities of the research infrastructure NanoEnviCz.
Research of zinc waste and development of zinc products
Provider: Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness
Duration: 5/2017 – 3/2020
Researcher: Ing. Miroslav Richter, Ph.D. EUR ING
Project number: CZ.01.1.02/0.0/0.0 /16_084/0010353
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: Cottex Trade s.r.o. (main researcher)
Description: The objective of the project is to research processing of zinc byproducts and zinc incrusts – zinc waste created during thermic spraying, so called heat metallization by zinc – in industry, and develop zinc products “Fine Zinc Powder” and “Zinc Shot” by directly re-processing the waste.
Producing biochar via thermic decomposition of sludge from industrial water plants
Provider: OP PIK
Duration: 5/2017 – 10/2019
Researcher: doc. Ing. Karel Svoboda, CSc.
Project number: CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_084/0010363
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: Agmeco LT, s.r.o. (main researcher)
Description: The project is aimed at environmentally friendly solutions to one part of the issue of waste management, which is sludge from industrial water plants. This project provides a technical solution of re-processing the sludge by a simple thermic (pyrolytic) process into substances usable in agriculture as fertilizer. An expected result of the project is the creation of a functioning prototype to verify all characteristics of the actual thermolytic unit, as well as the products created via this thermic process.
Developing sedimentation in dams as anthropogenic barriers in rivers
Provider: Czech Science Foundation
Duration: 2017 – 2019
Researcher: RNDr. Tomáš Matys Grygar, CSc.
Project number: GAČR 17-06229S
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: Palacký University Olomouc (main researcher)
Description: The goal of the project is to discover the material balance of dams and understand the effects of dams of rivers on the distribution of sediments in river basins, including the rate of anthropogenic pollutants in them, based on a multi-disciplinary study of geomorphology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry of dam sediments.
Innovative water cleaning using magnetic sorbents
Provider: Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness
Duration: 3/2017 – 9/2019
Researcher: doc. Ing. Pavel Kuráň, Dr.
Project number: CZ.1.1.02/0.0/0.0/15_019/0004779
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: MikroChem LKT spol. s r. o. (main researcher), ASIO, spol. s. r. o.
Description: The goal is to develop production of reactive magnetic sorbents from inexpensive materials for the use in remediation technologies to eliminate selected pollutants from contaminated waters.
Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma using microfluid chips
Provider: Czech Health Research Council of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic
Duration: 4/2016 – 12/2019
Researcher: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project number: 16-29738A
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Partners: Krajská zdravotní, a.s.
Description: Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are one of the important diagnostic markers for monitoring metastatic progression of lung adenocarcinomas. The project is aimed at developing a microfluid chip (MLC) that allows to isolate (quantify) populations of CTC cells in samples of peripheral blood of patients with a histologically proven lung adenocarcinomas – stages IIb-IV – and divide them according to their phenotype manifestations (epithelial/mesenchymal) on the level of individual cells with the possibility to then release them from the chip for in vitro cultivation or for the purposes of analyzing gene expression. The MLC chip will consist of filtration and cell sorting units with immobilized binding proteins for capturing cells using surface membrane markers EpCAM and N-cadherin. The main objectives of the project are to evaluate clinical relevance of various phenotypes of CTC cells for timely diagnosis of lung adenocarcinomas, to corelate them with the stage of the disease, to divide patients into high/low risk groups, to predict diagnosis, and finally to adjust treatment from the perspective of individual needs of patients.
Hi-tech materials for cosmic applications
Provider: Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness
Duration: 1/2016 – 12/2019
Researcher: prof. Ing. Pavel Janoš, CSc.
Project number: CZ.1.1.02/0.0/0.0/15_019/0005028
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: TOSEDA s.r.o. (main researcher), ROKOSPOL a.s.
Description: The goals are industrial research, experimental research, and implementation (production) of hi-tech materials for cosmic application according to the program focus of the European Space Agency (ESA). Close cooperation will take place with a small enterprise, the university, and the production enterprise. The results of their activities will lead to the implementation of higher-grade innovations.
New Phytotechnology for Cleaning Contaminated Military Sites
Provider: NATO Science for Peace and Security
Duration: 6/2016 – 4/2021
Researcher: Prof. Ing. Valentina Pidlisnyuk, DrSc.
Project number: NATO SPS MYP G4687
Faculty: Faculty of Environment, KTEV
Partners: Kansas State University (USA), National University of Life and the Environmental Sciences, Kiev (Ukraine), National University Lvivska Polytechnika (Ukraine), Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Almata (Kazakhstan), University of Zagreb (Croatia).
Web: http://military-site-cleaning.cz/
Description: The objective of the project is to research cultivation of energy crops (primarily Miscanthus x giganteus) in locations contaminated by military activity with the goal of researching the current decrease of contamination, improving the soil properties, renewing ecosystem functions, and producing energy biomass.
COMNID Supporting result transfer from applied research to new technologies and services
Provider: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 01/2016 – 12/2019
Researcher: prof. Ing. Pavel Janoš, CSc.
Project number: TG02010049
Faculty: Faculty of Environment
Partners: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry CAS, General University Hospital Prague
Web: http://ctt.ujep.cz/COMNID.html
Description: The objective of the project is to create joint infrastructure and mechanisms for commercializing results in the area of material research, development of new materials, and their application primarily in the field of environmental protection or medicine. Transforming and harmonizing activities of current systems of commercializing research results of individual participants of the project will help create a unified system for transferring ideas from the stage of fundamental research, applied research, until their implementation in the form of new products and services.
Polymer nanofiber antibacterial filtration medium
Provider: Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness
Duration: 9/2015 – 6/2018
Researcher: prof. RNDr. Pavla Čapková, DRSc.
Project number: CZ.1.1.02/0.0/0.0/15_019/0001680
Faculty: Faculty of Science, Faculty of Environment
Partners: NANOVIA s. r. o. (main researcher)
Description: The objective is to develop new filtration nanotextiles with antimicrobial properties for use in e.g. air-conditioning or surgical masks according to the needs of the partner Nanovia s.r.o Litvínov.
New carbosilane dendrimers for biomedical application – interaction with biomolecules and biomembranes
Provider: Czech Science Foundation
Duration: 2015 – 2017
Researcher: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D.
Project number: 15-05903S
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Partners: The Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals (main researcher)
Web: http://www.icpf.cas.cz/cs/nove-karbosilanove-dendrimery-pro-biomedicinske-aplikace-interakce-biomolekulami-biomembranami
Description: The project is aimed at developing new types of glycodendrimers based on carbosilane cores of surface decorated (oligo)saccharides and studying their interaction with model lipidic dual layers and biomolecules (anti-sense oligonucleotides, amyloid and prion peptides) using complex biophysical methods and computer modeling. Using synthetic approaches, a library of dendrimers will be created that differ in generation, modification type (maltose, maltotriose, maltohexaose) and charge (negative, positive, neutral). The interactions of dendrimers with red blood cells, model lipidic membranes, and cell lines will be studied with the goal to reveal their toxicity and mechanism on a molecular level. The interactions between dendrimers and amyloid and prion peptides will be also studying, and as well as with anti-sense oligonucleotides, to define their biomedical potential.