Biotech Conference 2006 in Chicago

Czech firms exhibiting at BIOTECH 2006 included BioTest, a leading contract research laboratory in the Czech Republic,BioVendor Laboratory Medicine, a specialist in the production and distribution of in vitro research products for molecular and cellular laboratory medicine,I.Q.A., the first venture-funded life sciences company in Central and Eastern Europe, Innovation Centre of Biotechnology and others.

During the seminar “Biotech Ideas of the Future from the Heart of EU,” business and biotech experts from the Czech Republic, highlighted country’s academic, infrastructure and research assets, which are converging with increasing levels of foreign and domestic capital now spurring new research breakthroughs.


Mr. Peter Sebo, the Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Bacterial Pathogens of the Microbiology Institute, highlighted research projects presenting the potential of yielding advanced biotechnologies for biomedical applications within the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR). The covered topics comprised research into functional genomics, tissue engineering and stem cells, biodegradable polymers and polymeric drugs, immunotherapy tools for cancer, therapeutic and diagnostic proteins, and unique cytostatics and microalgae biotechnologies. Finally, plans for building a new Biotechnology Research Center of the ASCR were introduced, offering investment and collaboration opportunities for venture capital and biotech/pharma companies.

Mr Vladimir Viklicky, Vice Chairman of the R&D Council of the Czech Republic and Deputy Director of the Nuclear Research Institute in Rez, stressed that Czech government has made the biotechnology industry one of its priorities. Several legislative acts have been passed in order to encourage biotech companies to investment more funds in research and development.