The aim of the project is to build a long-term base of applied research, through the concentration of research capacities from seven research organizations in the field of biotechnology in veterinary medicine, animal production and related fields. In terms of impact, the project is intended to contribute to ensuring the sustainable production of quality and safe food of animal origin in the context of the implementation of the policy of reducing the consumption of antibiotics, improving the welfare of farmed animals, maintaining biodiversity in the landscape and the principles of circular economy. The results generated in the project in the form of new or innovative products or services should increase the competitiveness of the participating enterprises.
Consortium Members
Biotechnology in Prevention and Therapy
- development of experimental vaccines
- development of non-invasive drug delivery systems
- development of veterinary parasitology – antiparasitic drugs, increasing the bioavailability of active substances
Biotechnology in Diagnostics
- development of ELISA tests for the quantification of antibodies for the detection of infections with potentially emerging pathogenic agents
- optimisation and validation of diagnostic methods
- detection of antigens and pathogens, e.g. the introduction of methods to detect the genomes of viruses in the environment for the purpose of monitoring the epidemiological situation in the form of an “early warning system“
- bioinformatics
Nutritional Biotechnology
- use of probiotic cultures for gut and other microbiota modulation
- use of waste processing for the production of alternative protein sources
- use of egg melange containing specific IgY
- use of herbal extracts as prebiotics or as sources of biologically active substances
Biotechnology in Reproduction
- application of the latest methods in genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology
- application of new culture materials mimicking the environment of the female reproductive system
- introduction of a range of micromanipulation techniques in livestock and pet breeding
INTERNAL MEMBERS
- MVDr. Martin FALDYNA, Ph.D. - chairman, Director of the Veterinary Research Institute
- Ing. Ildikó CSÖLLE PUTZOVÁ, Ph.D., MBA - technology Transfer Manager, Vice-Director of the VRI
EXTERNAL MEMBERS
- prof. Dr. Ing. Jan MAREŠ - rector of Mendel University in Brno
- prof. MVDr. Vladimír CELER, Ph.D. - vice-Rector for Research, Science, and International Relations at the University of Veterinary Sciences Brno
- doc. Dr. Ing. Josef KUČERA - executive Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Czech-Moravian Breeders Association, a.s
- MVDr. Jiří BUREŠ - director of the Institute for State Control of Veterinary Biologicals and Medicines
INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS
- Univ. prof. Dr. Jürgen ZENTEK - Free University of Berlin, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Nutrition
- Antonina MRUK, MSc. - BioMar, representative of the industry
- Secretary of the Centre - Ing. Jan ČÁSLAVSKÝ - Veterinary Research Institute
3. 2. 2025
On 30 January 2024, the full periodic report of the project for the year 2024 was submitted to the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. I would like to thank all partners for their exemplary cooperation and for providing the necessary documents for its preparation. Thank you
13. 12. 2024
On 11 December 2024, a meeting of the Council of the National Centre for Biotechnology in Veterinary Medicine (NaCeBiVet) was held at the Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, v. v. i. One of the main points of the meeting was the discussion of the Annual Report on the Council's activities for 2023 and 2024, which was approved unanimously by the members present. The meeting also presented the activities implemented by the Centre under the strategic project for 2024 and their outputs were thoroughly reviewed. Key points included the planning of the Central European Veterinary Congress, which will take place on 29 April 2025. Efforts to effectively commercialise the Centre's outputs in collaboration with commercial partners were also highlighted. The Council also discussed the current ongoing projects in the areas of biotechnology, which total twenty, with 2024 bringing the expected applied results. The implementation plans discussed the procedures for bringing these results to the market and the possibilities of collaboration with the application sponsor. Members were informed about the ongoing collection of 2024 sub-project descriptions, which will be subsequently sent for evaluation. Finally, a discussion was initiated on the launch of the third round of the internal call for sub-projects for 2025. This will take into account the budgets of the Centre and the absorption capacity of the research teams.
21 October 2024
On 10 October 2024, a thematic workshop with a panel discussion focused on advanced methods and new trends in reproduction in dairy cattle breeding was held at the National Centre of Competence NaCeBiVet. The event was a follow-up to the workshop on assisted reproduction and brought an expert discussion on current requirements, barriers and opportunities for cooperation in the field of reproductive biotechnology in cattle breeding in the Czech Republic.
Participants of the workshop included representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, farm owners, breeders, representatives of the Czech-Moravian Breeders' Society, field workers focused on embryo transfer and experts from research institutions such as VÚVeL and the Research Institute of Animal Production v. v. i.
The discussions included presentations of the tasks currently being carried out within the NaCeBiVet sub-projects, which were focused on practical outcomes for breeders. Participants shared their experience with the application of reproductive biotechnology in the Czech Republic, compared it with practices in neighbouring countries and discussed global trends.
One of the main topics was the demand for in vitro embryo production services. The discussion pointed to the lack of capacity in services for breeders, including embryo preparation and follow-up services in genomic procedures in breeding and embryo transfer.
"Although it appears that there is interest in these services, probably not to the extent that it would fully cover the needs of a commercial workplace," said Assoc. Anger, the guarantor of the research direction. "For this reason, it is crucial to link research and practical service in order to provide services in this area in an efficient and sustainable way." Adds Assoc. Anger.
At the end of the workshop, the participants agreed that effective cooperation between research institutions and breeders can support the development and application of modern reproductive biotechnology in dairy cattle breeding in the Czech Republic.
About the research direction Biotechnology in Reproduction of the National Centre of Competence NaCeBiVet:
It focuses on supporting research and development in the field of reproductive biotechnology and its application in livestock breeding, especially cattle, with the aim of increasing the efficiency and sustainability of animal breeding through innovative solutions.
2 September 2024
On 26 August 2024, the Project recipient received information from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic via data mailbox regarding the "Approval notification for partial projects" that had been recommended for funding by the Centre Board. These include 3 partial projects.
25 June 2024
The National Centre for Biotechnology in Veterinary Medicine NaCeBiVet is - like the other centres - a leading force in the effort to define the future direction of research and development in their area of focus. In the case of the NaCeBiVet Centre, this is in the field of veterinary medicine and the breeding of farm and pet animals. One way to identify needs is to moderate an internal discussion between consortium members and other relevant interest groups. And this is exactly what was done on 25.06.2024, when a thematic workshop "Advanced Diagnostic Methods in Veterinary Medicine" was held in the large meeting room of the Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, v.v.i. as part of the sub-project Management Centre and its strategic agenda.
The whole programme was divided into three panels. The legislative panel summarized information on the legal framework for the approval of veterinary technical products, including diagnostics. This was followed by a presentation of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) rules and recommendations for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in animals. The fact that, unlike human medicine, veterinary legislation is harmonised at European Union level is relevant to the whole field.
The methods of diagnosis of a relatively large number of diseases is determined centrally. The second panel focused on new developments in the field of technologies used in diagnostics, which were appropriately complemented by the experience of application personnel with the development process from the idea to the implementation of the product on the market. The third panel, which formed part of a follow-up overall discussion, presented current opportunities in diagnostics in cattle, pig and fish farming. Properly set up diagnostic procedures are a prerequisite for understanding the current situation in the individual farms and the subsequent preventive or therapeutic measures. Although diagnostics have advanced significantly over time, both technologically and in terms of interpretation, there is still room for improvement. And if the aim of the workshop was to stimulate a discussion between representatives of regulatory authorities, researchers, producers and end-users on the formulation of new ideas for strategic decision-making and for joint research and development projects targeting weaknesses, it can be concluded that this has been achieved.
17 May 2024
Within the 2. Call for project proposals within the NaCeBiVet project, a total of 3 proposals were submitted, which met the formal requirements and were subsequently forwarded to the members of the Centre's Council for evaluation. A meeting of the Centre Council was held on 15 May 2024. The project proposals were presented with emphasis on the need to address the problem, the setting of the results and their subsequent application in practice. The approval of the acceptance/rejection of project applications for funding will be communicated to the Centre Council members by the end of May 2024. Subsequently, the accepted projects will be forwarded to the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic for evaluation.
15 January 2024
On 13 December 2023, the 2nd Ordinary Meeting of the Council of the Centre of the National Centre for Biotechnology in Veterinary Medicine Project, as the highest decision-making and controlling body, took place in the large meeting room at the headquarters of the Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, v. v. i. The Director of the VIRVeL and also the project investigator started by presenting to the individual Council members an overview of the ongoing sub-projects in the context of their relationship to the individual directions of the Centre's research agenda, and the related change requests from the principal investigators were discussed.
In the next item on the agenda, a management and strategic sub-project aimed at coordinating the delivery of the Centre's research agenda was presented for subsequent approval. After discussion, the project was approved by all members. At the end of the meeting, the dates and parameters for the announcement of the next calls in 2024 and the schedule of the Council members' meetings were discussed.
The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format.
2 November 2023
On 1 November 2023, the Principal Investigator of the project, MVDr. Martin Faldyna, Ph.D. and the Project Manager Ing. Jan Čáslavský participated in the meeting of authorized consultants and project managers of the National Competence Centres (NCC) in Prague at the registered premises of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TACR). The meeting was held with the aim of familiarizing the NCC project investigators with the requirements for the monitoring reports, the possibility of transferring the support between different years of the project, the methods of reporting publication results and, above all, a discussion on the strategic partial projects. The meeting was conducted in a pleasant atmosphere. During the session, the requirements for reporting financial indicators in the monitoring reports and other matters essential for the smooth implementation of the project were clarified.
28 June 2023
On 27 June 2023, the Project recipient received information from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic via data mailbox regarding the "Approval notification for partial projects" that had been recommended for funding by the Centre Board. These include 17 partial projects.
13 June 2023
On Thursday, 8 June 2023, Doc. Ing. Luděk Stádník, Ph.D. from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, who serves as an authorized consultant for the NaCeBiVet project within the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, visited the Veterinary Research Institute. It was an informal meeting with the Director and the project management team to discuss the details of mutual cooperation and establish communication channels.
17 May 2023
A total of 17 partial projects were submitted for evaluation under the first internal Call for Proposals. The projects underwent formal evaluation and met all the specified requirements outlined in the Call for Proposals. Subsequently, they were forwarded to the members of the Centre Board for further evaluation. The Centre Board meeting took place on 4 April 2023, with active participation from Principal Investigators of the partial projects. They presented the fundamental aspects of the topic being addressed. The Centre Board evaluated the projects and categorised them into two groups. The first group comprised projects recommended by the Board for funding, while the second group consisted of projects that were returned to the Investigators for amendments.
A specific period was allocated for amending the partial projects that had been returned. Subsequently, the amended projects were submitted to the Centre Board for consideration. Following a discussion, the Board deemed the amendments sufficient and recommended funding of the partial projects.
An overview of the approved partial projects is provided under the tab "Partial projects and results".
9 February 2023
On 31 January 2023, the first meeting of the consortium members of the National Centre for Biotechnology in Veterinary Medicine (NaCeBiVet) project, supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, took place.
The event was hosted by the recipient, the Veterinary Research Institute, on its premises in Medlanky, Brno.
17 January 2023
On 31 January 2023, the first meeting of the NaCeBiVet project consortium will be held, including meetings with partners for the proposed partial projects. The meeting will take place on the premises of the major recipient, i.e. the Veterinary Research Institute.
Partial project 001: Management of the NaCeBiVet Centre and its strategic agendas
Time span: 1. 1. 2023 - 31. 12. 2028
Total cost: 14 786 749 Kč
Partial project 002: Careful management of mammary gland health in dairy cattle
Time span: 1 July 2023 – 31 December 2028
Total cost: 9,617,096 CZK
Partial project 003: Optimisation of in vitro culture and micromanipulation of bovine oocytes and embryos
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 16,243,750 CZK
Partial project 004: Probiotic products for poultry
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 26,260,000 CZK
Partial project 005: Innovated system for detection and culture of rotaviruses from domestic pig herds
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 13,336,800 CZK
Partial project 006: Development of innovated feed additives for poultry
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 15,281,356 CZK
Partial project 007: A healthy colony microbiome as a barrier to bee diseases
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2026
Total cost: 6,022,625 CZK
Partial project 008: A formulation containing cannabinoids for a veterinary product intended for the symptomatic treatment of arthritis
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2026
Total cost: 8,793,104 CZK
Partial project 009: Early warning system for serious viral and bacterial diseases in honey bees and procedures for implementing follow-up measures in and around hives
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 22,574,370 CZK
Partial project 010: Development of prophylactic products against honey bee pathogens
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December - 2028
Total cost: 29,523,750 CZK
Partial project 011: Development of a rabbit plague vaccine based on recombinant technologies
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 27,000,000 CZK
Partial project 012: Effect of selected feed additives on the health, production parameters and internal environment of livestock and fish
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 36,885,275 CZK
Partial project 013: Development of new delivery systems for antiparasitic drugs in ruminants
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2026
Total cost: 10,818,064 CZK
Partial project 014: Developmental kinetics of embryos produced by in vitro fertilisation as an indicator of their implantation potential, embryo gender, aneuploidies and potential for further use
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2026
Total cost: 10,171,875 CZK
Partial project 015: A polyvalent vaccine against Streptococcus suis in pigs
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 13,636,196 CZK
Partial project 016: Development of a veterinary "Point of Need" platform using LAMP technology
Time span: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 19,779,800 CZK
Partial project 017: Novel methods for the evaluation of semen quality in breeding bulls
Time span: 1 May 2023 - 31 December 2028
Total cost: 8,400,000 CZK
Partial project 018: Optimisation of transvaginal sonographic oocyte aspiration and intrafollicular oocyte transfer in cattle.
Time span: 1 May 2023 – 31 December 2028
Total cost: 11,290,800 CZK
Partial project 019: Antibacterial herbal preparations for the prevention or treatment of mastitis in dairy cows.
Time span: 1 July 2024 – 31 December 2028
Total cost: 17,500,000 CZK
Partial project 020: Nutritional veterinary feed supplement to optimize the composition of the intestinal microbiome of dogs.
Time span: 1 July 2024 – 31 December 2028
Total cost: 8,100,000 CZK
Partial project 021: Promotion and evaluation of udder health at the end and beginning of lactation and introduction of a veterinary product for newborn calves.
Time span: 1 July 2024 – 31 December 2028
Total cost: 22,002,000 CZK
Principal Investigator:
MVDr. Martin FALDYNA, Ph.D.
e - mail: martin.faldyna@vri.cz
phone: 777 786 695
Project Manager:
Ing. Jan ČÁSLAVSKÝ
e - mail: jan.caslavsky@vri.cz
phone: 601 072 809
Finance Manager:
Ing. Jiří ALBL
e - mail: jiri.albl@vri.cz
phone: 533 332 202
Technology Transfer Manager:
Ing. Ildikó CSÖLLE PUTZOVÁ, Ph.D., MBA
e - mail: csolle.putzova@vri.cz
phone: 777 509 019
Assistant to the Project Manager:
Pavla DOBROVSKÁ
e - mail: pavla.dobrovska@vri.cz
phone: 606 776 303
