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The objective of the project was to adapt university study programmes to the needs of the health service in the area of the use of AAC techniques in omics through an exchange of experiences at the European level.The rapidly increasing incidence of civilization diseases is the main reason for the increase of morbidity and mortality in Europe and quantitative/qualitative research into identifying biomarkers of civilization diseases in the context of omics – addressed by this project – is one of the possible remedies. Omics are disciplines that explain the biochemical bases of an organism’s functioning through the characterization/quantification of pools of biological molecules. As single compounds are ineffective biomarkers, omics give new opportunities for a more detailed understanding of diseases. This improves efficiency and monitoring, and leads to personalized therapies. Advanced Analytical Chemistry (AAC), an instrumental basis for all pharmaceutical/biomedical examinations, allows to apply the premises of omics in practice.Omics development at European universities is imbalanced. Although AAC/omics is usually included in theoretical/practical classes at PhD courses, the number of specialized units/teams with access to dedicated equipment needed for a comprehensive approach is limited. There is also a lack of AAC-qualified academics, didactic materials or a system for an exchange of experiences at all levels. Thus, only few PhD students can be fully trained in AAC, instrumental analysis, or data handling, or acquire the skills necessary to integrate AAC with the needs of health service, hospital diagnostic labs, business or labour market. The project was implemented in an international consortium of three universities. These are: Medical University of Bialystok (Bialystok, Poland), CEU San Pablo University (Madrid, Spain) and University of Aveiro (Aveiro, Portugal). The aims of the project were achieved by preparing the academic staff of the 3 partner universities for educating PhD students in AAC techniques in omics, leading to modifications in study programmes and the creation of Open Educational Resources (manuscript, e-materials). The activities included partnership-based learning/training/teaching, and involved an exchange of experiences and good practices, creating a stable and active network of cooperation, and personal and social development of project participants.The Learning/Training/Teaching Activities organized as part of the project played a key role in aspects related to training of the researchers/teachers involved in the project and preparing the project’s IOs. The first series of activities (Learning Activities) were organized to provide the researchers/teachers with the necessary theoretical and practical skills in AAC. These were followed by Training Activities with PhD students (workshops) whose purpose was to expand on the previous sessions in a researcher/teacher-PhD student context (an international teaching cooperation). The last series of activities (Teaching Activities), in addition to providing a further extension of the earlier ones, were aimed at testing the manuscript and e-materials and introducing all the necessary modifications.Implementation of the project gave the unique opportunity for the 3 partner universities to combine the knowledge and experience of their scientific and administrative teams. An additional result of the project implementation was an exchange of good practices and skills and an extension of cooperation between the 3 institutions, which opened possibilities for future joint investigations. Moreover, the project created a rich multidisciplinary environment, facilitating the sharing of knowledge between each of the team members at a high academic level. The impact of the project will extend to both the scientific community and patients, leading to a better therapeutic possibilities in the area of civilisation diseases. The methodology of project implementation is based on the circular model. 4-5 persons from each of the universities were involved in the project, specialists both in AAC and in project management, in addition to liaisons in other departments of the partner universities’ departments accessory to the administrative aspects of the project.The transnational cooperation in the project stemmed from its highly specialized nature, global relevance, and the unique path of development of its subject area. Therefore, to realize the project’s objectives, a collaboration in a wide group of international experts, competent in various aspects of AAC and omics, was absolutely essential. As the level of development of AAC and multiomics varies throughout Europe, the project facilitated an exchange of knowledge, experience, and good practices. This is an EU-level added value, i.e. outcomes impossible to achieve by one institution, or even various institutions from a single country.
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