HCEMM: Flagship Project of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology

HCEMM is a seven-year project aimed at establishing a new Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (hence the initials) in partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

HCEMM is drawn from leading Hungarian academic institutions including the University of Szeged, Biological Research Centre and Semmelweis University in Budapest, as well as the EMBL.

The center of excellence is a flagship project of the Ministry of Technology and Innovation (MIT), but it is also much more than that. It seeks not to compete, but to cooperate; the goal is to create a scientific ecosystem by being the institute to guide and support basic research targeting molecular medicine and translation of scientific results to clinical applications.

The focuses of the research are immuno-inflammatory diseases, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and genomic instability and cancer. Altogether, 11 groups operate with more than 80 researchers ensuring a critical mass of excellent scientists.

To ensure scientific excellence and autonomy, the selection procedure of the principal investigators of the researchers’ groups are based on the best practices of EMBL. Independent external reviewers evaluate the research projects of the group infected people.

leaders, where the only aspect of the selection is internationally tracked scientific excellence.

HCEMM, which is also member of the for both academic and industrial

National Laboratories’ network, has also joined the global effort to fight COVID-19 by starting projects aiming at understanding how the evolution of the coronavirus influences the development of the current pandemic and to help advance treatments.

URGENT NEED

HCEMM had already established a partnership within the first two months of the pandemic with premier Hungarian scientific institutions excelling in virology and nanobiotechnology. As their joint research results have indicated, there is an unmet need to fight against the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

In this field, Semmelweis University, the National Biosafety Laboratory and the University of Veterinary Science Budapest have partnered with HCEMM. The consortium is initiating a research project developing immune modulating compounds and a special throat sample test to stratify infected persons with an increased risk of HCEMM also partners with BRC in high-throughput bioinformaticsbased speedy and sensitive testing of

HCEMM provides scientists with cutting edge technologies, opportunities for cross-fertilization and autonomy as well as the freedom to conduct innovative research. Its Advanced Core Facilities (ACF) offer services “long haul” post-COVID-19 syndrome.

R&D partners, while society also benefits through the technology and knowledge transfer processes.

ACFs are established in Szeged and Budapest, so that they provide the best support to the HCEMM’s founding institutions located in these two cities, with the aim of extending its activities across the entire country and in Europe in the near future.

In 2020-2021, further research groups will join the project to strengthen the impact of its excellent research.