1. Approved by the EGCUT board decision nr 01/14,
on December 10th 2010
Estonian Genome Center of the University of Tartu
Development Plan for 2011-2016
I Introduction
The development plan for the Estonian Genome Center of the University of Tartu
(EGCUT) for the period of 2011-2016 outlines the development goals of EGCUT for
the next six years and highlights the main directional activities to be undertaken to
reach those goals.
The development plan drafted was guided by the statute of EGCUT, current Tartu
University development plan together with its operational program and the Estonian
Human Genes Research Act (HGRA) with its legislation.
II Vision and mission
The vision of EGCUT is to become a considerable genome center in Europe that
manages and develops the EGCUT’s database, conducts internationally competitive
research, and continuing education at different levels at Tartu University.
The mission of EGCUT is to promote and advance the development of genetic
studies, gather the population’s health data and hereditary information, apply the
results of genetic studies for the improvement of public health, and to be the main
force in the development of personalized medicine in Estonia.
III Functions/Operation/Actions
Management and development of the genome bank
EGCUT keeps and manages the genome bank, periodically renewing and updating
health information as well as tissue samples (taking into account that the applicable
time period of the cohort consisting of 50,000 gene donors is between 25-30 years).
Starting from the year 2011, the EGCUT database will be augmented by additional
gene donors using other, less intensive methods. Since the collaboration with the
German National Cohort (genome bank) and the Nordic Biobank Consortium is
considered to be of particular importance, EGCUT needs to study our gene donors in
the coming period applying the same methods as these two groups.
The social network of data collectors among the family practitioners as well as
hospitals, will be maintained and utilized for occasional follow up purposes, special
projects and other occasions.
EGCUT is part of a research infrastructure, and informational enrichment is one of the
main objectives for the coming development period. The goal is to create at least
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2. 20,000 new “gene cards” with microchips, sequence at least 2,000 full “exomes” and
“transcriptomes”, and sequence 1,000 full genomes.
Providing feedback to gene donors
By 2016, arising from the Human Genome Research Act (HGRA), EGCUT will
ensure the interested gene donors the opportunity for genetic counseling to
accompany their genetic risk evaluation. For that purpose, together with the Faculty of
Medicine of the Tartu University, EGCUT will create a continuing education
program. Together with the Faculty of Medicine, EGCUT will carry out this
continuing education program in order to prepare family practitioners and other
appropriately qualified doctors for offering first line genetic counselling in the future.
The aforementioned activities are financed by several ministries of the Estonian
Government, by several Estonian and European science funding agencies, and
through the European Commission.
Linking research with the development activities
EGCUT is the leading genome center in Estonia that is conducting internationally
competitive research in collaboration with all interested institutions both locally and
internationally. EGCUT is a center identified for the Estonian and European Research
(Infrastructure) Roadmap, a partner for the Centre of Excellence in Genomics, and has
a topic for targeted financing and a grant from the Estonian Science Foundation.
Additionally, together with the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, EGCUT
is participating in the European Strategy Forum on the Research Infrastructures’
project ”Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure” (BBMRI)
and is one of the charter members of the international biobank consortium ”Public
Population Project in Genomics” (P3G). The forementioned achievements are all
prerequisites for EGCUT to be one of the significant genome centers in Europe.
EGCUT is actively participating in the research conducted in Europe by being one of
the connecting points to coordinate the biobanks in Baltic States. Similarly to other
Estonian research and development centers, the financing of the research is done
through applications for targeted financing, participation in contests of Centres of
Excellence in Research, applications for financing from Enterprise Estonia (EAS) as
well as other possible international sources including FP7 and FP8.
The results evident from the research are published in scientific journals, books and
respective internet publications. When qualified, intellectual property protection will
be applied for the new results. EGCUT research results are regularly presented at
international conferences.
Study
As EGCUT is a research and development center of the University of Tartu, with an
essential infrastructure and quality of research, creating programs for university
degrees is a natural part of the development of the genome center. EGCUT is
planning to develop, together with other interested allies, a new PhD degree program
in genomics, genetic epidemiology and biostatistics that would be in English and of
an internationally significant level. A corresponding Master’s Degree program would
be developed in the future.
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3. Strengthening the material base
To achieve the aforementioned objectives, together with other institutions of the
University of Tartu and the Estonian Biocentre, EGCUT will establish a state-of-the-
art laboratory base. This laboratory, built as part of the laboratory body of the
Estonian Biocentre at Riia 23B and equipped especially for EGCUT, will be ready to
be occupied by November 2011. Among the other state-of-the-art laboratory
equipment, the new laboratory will be equipped with automatically filled liquid
nitrogen tanks and a Hamilton robot able to automatically “pick” a DNA sample out
of the collection of 10,000.
Ensuring the functionality of the organization
EGCUT will continue to follow the standard of ISO 9001:2008. Outdated IT solutions
will be updated to enable secure data storage, aiding in the application of the data for
research as well as in the health care system. The database of EGCUT will be
integrated with other national registries, the Estonian Health Information System and
other appropriate registries and databases when necessary. Using the results rising
from the research conducted by EGCUT, the genome center will start providing
feedback to gene donors, thereby being the pioneer in personalized medicine in
Estonia.
Serving society
EGCUT collaborates with the public and private sector, both nationally and
internationally (including non-profit organizations, foundations and other
organizations), to fulfil the stated goals. The activities of EGCUT support the research
and studies carried out in the field of medicinae and realia et naturalia as well as the
application of the unique equipment and resources of the biobank. EGCUT will apply
the results from the genetic studies for the improvement of overall public health.
Outreach
EGCUT popularizes the field of genetics, promoting the field of science overall by
informing the public of new technologies and medical achievements via national and
international training programs, conferences, information days and the internet. The
goal is to raise the standards of science in Estonia in the fields of genomics, human
genetics, genetic epidemiology, biobanking, biostatistics and related specialties.
Public opinion regarding EGCUT activities is studied periodically.
IV Structure
The structure of EGCUT, in addition to what is mentioned in the statute, includes the
department of data collection, IT department, research laboratory, and the
administrative group that includes the director’s assistant, marketing and
communications manager, contracts and assets administrator and others.
The goals for the next six years include increasing the number of employees with
academic degrees, expanding the areas of specialization –for example, in addition to
Estonian scientists, attracting specialists from abroad who have been specializing in
areas lacking local specialists. These areas include genomics, genetic epidemiology,
bioinformatics, biostatistics, human genetics and genetic counseling.
EGCUT has the aim of raising the qualification of its employees, promoting
continuing education and retraining. Particular attention is paid to creating a healthy
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4. work environment for employees, periodic health checks and meeting occupational
safety standards.
V Application
The development plan is a strategic document for EGCUT and serves as the
foundation when preparing for yearly policy papers/guidance documents/orientation
documents and the associated budgets.
The director of EGCUT is the lead and responsible for the preparation of this
development plan. The EGCUT committee will review the development plan yearly
in a sitting during the 2nd quarter of the year.
The international steering committee will review the development plan as well as the
management report and provide suggestions regarding the specifications of the future
development plan.
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