The Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity Research

Co-ordinated by prof. M. Zobel
FIBIR (Frontiers In Biodiversity Research) aims to elucidate general trends in the variation of biological and functional diversity in ecosystems with different evolutionary history and under different human pressure, to distinguish the ecological and evolutionary processes behind diversity patterns, and to integrate ecological knowledge in order to develop principles of sustainable biodiversity conservation and management, and to enhance ecologically sustainable economic growth.

FIBIR consists of 5 research groups:
1) Vegetation patterns, coexistence and underlying mechanisms (prof. M. Zobel). --- This project deals with patterns in biological and functional diversity and assembly rules in differently managed ecosystems, and mechanisms underlying patterns with focus on ecological interactions and species traits.
2) Aspects of biodiversity in plants: linkage to large- and small-scale processes (prof. M. Pärtel). --- The project addresses the impact of ecosystem processes on plant genetic, species and phylogenetic diversity on wide-ranging spatial scales.
3) Specific and integrated aspects of ecology, taxonomy and biogeography of mycorrhizal and lichenized fungi (prof. U. Kõljalg). --- The project addresses biodiversity and evolution of tropical ectomycorrhizal fungi and the importance of host and edaphic factors in structuring fungal communities, with an emphasis on coevolution between fungi and plant host taxa.
4) Phylogenetic and comparative ecological research on animals (prof. T. Tammaru). --- The project involves phylogenetic research on biodiversity of selected animal groups, with the primary aim to address topical issues in the fields of evolutionary ecology, such as evolution of body size and reproduction strategies, and phylogeography.
5) Evolutionary and ecological aspects of animal behaviour: theory and applications (prof. R. Mänd). --- The project addresses mechanisms underlying life history trade-offs and causes of spatio-temporal variation of behavioral and reproductive strategies in animals, in order to understand the adaptation of animals to changing environments and to apply this knowledge in conservation biology.

The joint theoretical and analytical work of the five groups will target breakthrough results in the fields of:

1. Macroecology of biological diversity
2. Phylogenetic comparative ecology
3. Coevolution, ecological interactions and biodiversity
4. Conservation biology

The Centre of Excellence in Genomics

Co-ordinated by prof. M. Remm
The Centre of Excellence in Genomis is based on three workgroups from University of Tartu, and Estonian Biocentre, with its focus on basic and applied research of human as well as other genomes. The main objective of this consortium is to achieve, through dedicated collaboration, an added value, to be materialized and manifested in high-level scientific publications, enhanced international collaboration, creation of intellectual property and promotion of entrepreneurship in biotechnology. A particular goal will lie in applications in healthcare and in enhancement of the value of Estonian Biobank as a valuable national asset. It is an interdisciplinary research consortium with a scope extending from creating tools to analyse genomic, proteomic and metabolomic information and search for “disease genes”, to the understanding of the origin of genetic structure variation in humans.

The Centre of Excellence in Chemical Biology

Co-ordinated by prof. T. Tenson
Participating research groups are:
1) Molecular modelling (prof. M. Karelson) --- expertise in the design of novel chemical compounds and technological processes, molecular modelling of complex systems in different environments, and chemical software development, quantitative structure activity/property relationships, molecular docking, conformational analysis and quantum chemistry of molecular systems in condensed disordered media.
2) Organic synthesis (prof. M. Lopp) has organic synthesis of natural products (prostaglandins, sterols), bioactive compounds (cell-penetrating dendrimers, anti-cancer nucleoside analogues) as well as general synthetic methodology (asymmetric oxidation, organocatalysis, metal-mediated asymmetric reactions).
3) The Center for Biomedical Technologies, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu --- application of small molecules in biological systems, e.g. those connected with infectious agents.
4) Antibiotics group, (T. Tenson) --- molecular mechanisms of antibiotic action and antibiotic resistance. Inhibitors of protein synthesis and tthe mechanism of action of macrolide antibiotics.
5) RNA viruses group (prof. A. Merits) --- Semliki Forest Virus and Hepatitis C Virus, alphavirus research.
6) Small DNA viruses group (prof. M. Ustav) --- replication of small DNA viruses, viral vectors and DNA vaccination, papillomaviruses and papillomavirus based vectors. M.Ustav is involved in development of an HIV vaccine.
7) Peptide research group (prof. Ü. Langel) --- design and applications of novel cell penetrating peptides and their selective targeting, intracellular delivery of many bioactive cargos, incl. drug delivery across the blood brain barrier.

With the joint effort of these groups we expect breakthrough in:
1) Developing an infrastructural platform for research in infection related chemical biology;
2) Providing new chemical tools for research in infection biology;
3) Providing validated drug targets for development of anti-infectives.