31.8.2017 Last Annual meeting of the project. We all gathered to sum up the project and make final decisions in Helsinki.
1.3.2017 Dr. Mehis Pilv, acting as an innovation officer, started his 2 month secondment in University of Helsinki.
1.2.2017 MSc. Hans Priks comes to Helsinki for the last time. This time he will spend part of his 4 month secondment in the Institute of Biotechnology and part in the Faculty of Pharmacy.
1.1.2017 Two researchers from University of Helsinki started their secondment periods in Molcode today: MSc. Arun Mahato will stay for 3 months and Dr. Jaakko Kopra for 4 months.
23.9.2016 Researchers’ Night 2016, Tartu! Today Dr. Lauri Sikk (Molcode) gave a presentation on drug design and GDNF mimetics project in Vein & Vine Café.
5.9.2016 MSc. Hans Priks from Molcode started his third secondment period in University of Helsinki, Institute of Biotechnology. He will stay in Helsinki for four months.
1.9.2016 Dr. Sidorova started her 3rd secondment period in Molcode. This time she will stay for four months!
1.7.2016 MSc. Arun Mahato started his first 2 month secondment period in Molcode, Tartu.
2.6.2016 2nd Annual project meeting in Tartu.
1.4.2016 Dr. Yulia Sidorova started her second training period in Molcode. This time she will stay in Estonia for four months.
1.3.2016 Dr. Tanel Visnapuu was recruited to University of Helsinki, Faculty of Pharmacy, to work on the project for 12 months. He will study the effects of GDNF mimetics using in vivo and in vitro methods. His background is in behavioral psychopharmacology and microdialysis. During the course of his stay in Finland he will also learn new methods such as in vitro neuronal survival assays, RET receptor assays, immunohistochemistry and cyclic voltammetry.
Dr. Lauri Sikk was recruited to to Molcode Ltd. to work on the project for 15 months.
MSc. Mikael Jumppanen from University of Helsinki, Faculty of Pharmacy, started his 4 month secondment period in Molcode, Estonia. He will be involved in improving PK properties of the molecules and he will learn the basic principles of computational chemistry and will participate in construction of quantitative structure-activity relationship models and design of novel GDNF mimetics.
1.2.2016 BSc. Hans Priks started his second two months secondment period in University of Helsinki, Institute of Biotechnology.
MSc. Ilida Suleymanova also started her second two month training period in Molcode, Estonia.
23.12.2015 1st Periodic report of the project was submitted to EU.
10.12.2015 Steering committee online meeting.
1.11.2015 BSc. Hans Priks started his first two month secondment period as technical staff in University of Helsinki, Institute of Biotechnology.
29.10.2015 gain GDNF mimetics team took part into ‘Koe Kampus! 2015’ event organized by University of Helsinki. What a nice occasion to meet students and present the project for possible future scientists.
1.10.2015 Dr. Wei Li was recruited to UoH to work on the solubility of the compounds for the next 12 months.
14.7.2015 Mid-Term review meeting, an official EU demand, took place in Helsinki. We presented our results, dissemination activities and future plans for the EU-representative visiting us. It was also an opportunity for the seconded and recruited researchers to meet each other and other participants of the project. A closed discussion was also held between the funded researchers and the EU-representative.
11.5.2015 The steering committee members of the GDNF mimetics project had a two-hour online meeting where members got an update of the status of the project from parties. Future plans were made based on the discussion.
9.5.2015 BiTa 2015 event. Several groups of students from different fields of Science came to meet us and here about GDNF mimetics project. It was nice to have so many enthusiastic young students with us!
19.02.2015 GDNF mimetics project received complimentary financial support from Parkinson’s UK to access the ability of two potential GDNF mimetics to support dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in vivo and relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in experimental animals. The work has started at the beginning of February 2015 and is expected to last until the end of September 2015.
01.01.2015 The third researcher from the University of Helsinki, MSc. Karmen Kapp started her work in Molcode Ltd. Her secondment will last until 30.4.2015. Karmen will focus on pharmacophore modelling.
8.12.2014 Annual meeting of “GDNF mimetics” team. Scientist from University of Helsinki: Institute of Biotechnology and Faculty of Pharmacy and from SME partner Molcode Ltd. met in Helsinki to discuss project’s achievements and future plans.
05.12.2014 Technology transfer completed. Cells performed as expected, cell stock has been formed and in stored in Molcode.
01.12.2014 An experienced researcher MSc. Girinath G. Pillai was recruited by Molcode Ltd. to carry out the design of novel GDNF mimetics. He will work on the project for the next 12 months.
01.11.2014 The first day of technology transfer. Today we started to cultivate cells which in response to treatment with GDNF or GDNF mimetics produce luminescence that can be easily detected by laboratory equipment. We will assess their performance and form a stock of these cells in Molcode’s Ltd. Later we will use them to assess activity of newly designed GDNF mimetics. Estimated time required for technology transfer is 1.5 months. M.Sc. Hans Priks and Dr. Gunnar Karelson, both researchers working for Molcode Ltd., are carrying out experiments together with the seconded fellows MSc. Ilida Suleymanova and Dr. Yulia Sidorova from University of Helsinki.
30.10.2014 GDNF mimetics team took part into ‘Koe Kampus! 2014’ event organized by University of Helsinki. What a nice occasion to meet students and present the project for possible future scientists.
07.10.2014 The second scientist from University of Helsinki, Msc. Ilida Suleymanova, joined Molcode’s team today. She will work in Molcode Ltd until 07.01.2015. During this period she will be involved in preparation of datasets for modelling procedure. She will also be involved in technology transfer.
01.09.2014 The first scientist from University of Helsinki, Dr. Yulia Sidorova arrived to Tartu to work in Molcode Ltd. She will stay in Estonia until 28.2.2015. During the secondment she will learn the basic principles of computational chemistry and will participate in datasets preparation, construction of quantitative structure-activity relationship models and design of novel GDNF mimetics. She will also coordinate the transfer of cell-based high through put assay developed in laboratory of Prof. Saarma to Molcode Ltd.
01.03.2014 The first scientist from Molcode Ltd., Dr. Gunnar Karelson, arrived to Helsinki to work in laboratory of Prof. Mart Saarma in the University of Helsinki. His secondment will last until 16.05.2014 During this period Dr. Karelson will learn the basics of molecular neuroscience and principles of work with immortalized cells.
25.11.2013 Kick-off meeting of GDNF mimetics project took place in Estonian Academy of Sciences Building, Tallinn, Estonia.