On 9 September 2021 our first LNM PhD student Antonela Petrović successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled: “Revealing molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in neuroprotection and neuroregeneration after central nervous system injury”. Her PhD defence was part of the “3rd PhD days” hosted by the Department of Biotechnology, with the participation of distinguished guests. More about this memorable event can be found here.
On 27 July 2021 our MSc students Carla Marion and Perina Šiljeg successfully defended their master’s theses entitled “Quantification of expression of markers of the central
nervous system of postnatal opossums (Monodelphis domestica)” and “Identification of cortex cells during postnatal development of M. domestica”, respectively.
On 23 July 2021 Marta Pongrac successfully defended her master’s thesis titled: „In vitro regeneration of primary cell cultures of cortex from postnatal grey short-tailed opossum Monodelphis domestica“ in front of the committee composed of Assoc. Prof. Ivana Munitić, Assoc. Prof. Dinko Mitrečić, Prof. Miranda Mladinić Pejatović (co-mentor) and Assist. Prof. Jelena Ban (mentor).
All lab members participated in the online meeting “3D cell culture & organoids”. Jelena Ban presented our work entitled “Monodelphis domestica – derived neurospheres: new mammalian 3D in vitro cell model for CNS development and regeneration studies”. More information about this event can be found here.
Our master students Marta Pongrac and Matea Ivaničić participated at the 10th Student congress of Neuroscience NeuRi 2021 that took place in Rijeka, 23th – 25th April 2021. Their poster entitled “Research of neuroregenerative mechanisms on primary cortical cell cultures derived from Monodelphis domestica” by Marta Pongrac, Matea Ivaničić, Antonela Petrović, Ivana Tomljanović, Jelena Ban and Miranda Mladinić Pejatović was awarded as the best poster presentation.
This year’s BAW Rijeka moved to online platforms due to unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. As in the previous year, our goal was to acquaint the public with the work of Department of Biotechnology’s neuroscientists through a series of lectures aimed at general public, with emphasis on younger audience. Benefits of such an arrangement is the ability to stream our lectures directly to the primary and middle schools, without any risk of health hazard.
More than 100 people joined in to listen to this year’s lecture schedule, which was held from 15. to 19. March.
Due to the unfavorable climate regarding COVID-19 cases, Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), together with the British Neuroscience Association have created the first ever FENS Virtual Forum, that took place instead of the 12th Forum of Neuroscience, and was open from 11 to 15 July 2020.
Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology participated with their poster, which was displayed in the virtual lobby, and awarded with a certificate.
The live version of the Brain Awareness Week will be held as soon as the circumstances allow major gatherings. Until that time, Department of biotechnology puts a paramount on safety and responsibility.
Department of biotechnology is proud to participate in this year’s Brain Awareness Week (BAW), an international movement sponsored by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and DANA fundation.
This year’s BAW Rijeka will be held in Interpretacijski centar dr. Andrija Mohorovičić, also known as MOHO Center. Situated in Andrija Mohorovičić’s birthplace in Volosko near Rijeka, MOHO Center aims to bring both the scientific and cultural events to the broader audience.
The objective of this year’s BAW is to acquaint the public with the work of Department of Biotechnology’s neuroscientists through a series of events aimed at general public, with emphasis on younger audience:
Monday, 16. 3.
18:00-19:00 – „Od vinske mušice do ljudi“ („From fruit flies to humans“), interactive workshop, doc. dr. sc. Rozi Andretić Waldowski
19:00- 20:00 – „Da li i kako geni kontroliraju ponašanje“ (Do our genes control our behaviour), lecture, doc. dr. sc. Rozi Andretić Waldowski
Tuesday, 17. 3.
18:00-19:00 – „The love-hate relationship between the brain and the immune system“, interactive talk, doc. dr. sc. Ivana Munitić
Wensday, 18. 3.
18:00-20:00 – „What are mental illnesses, and where do they come from?“, interactive lecture, doc. dr. sc. Nick Bradshaw
Thursday, 19. 3. – children’s day
18:00-19:00 – „Što sve može moj mozak?“ („What exactly can our brains do?“), interactive play for children, doc. Dr. sc. Jelena Ban and mag. biotech. Zrinko Baričević
19:00-20:00 – „Mozgalice“ („Brainiacs“), interactive workshop for children by „Putujući znanstvenici“, Department of biotechnology’s student organization
Friday, 20. 3.
18:00-19:00 – „Neuroetika: od neuroznanosti do socijalne prakse“ („Neuroethics: from neuroscience to social practice“), interactive talk, Associate professor Luca Malatesti (Department of philosophy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka)
All lectures are designed as following: 30 min. lecture + 15 min. Q&A + 15 min. quiz with prizes.
Find out more at MOHO center and Department of biotechnology facebook page.
Department of Biotechnology’s Bachelor’s and Master’s graduation ceremony was held on Friday, February 21, 2020.
Congratulations to all our alumni, and in particular to our lab members:
Sanja Mikašinović, master in in Biotechnology in medicine, summa cum laude
Antonela Hršak, Bachelor of biotechnology and drug research
Matea Ivaničić, Bachelor of biotechnology and drug research, summa cum laude
Marta Pongrac, Bachelor of biotechnology and drug research, magna cum laude
A new Master of biotechnology in medicine emerged from the Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology on 23rd September 2019. Sanja defended her thesis titled “Expression of stem cell markers in primary cell cultures and fresh-fixed tissue preparations deriving from nervous tissue of postnatal opossums” in front of the committee comprised of Assist. prof. Rozi Andretić Waldowski (head), Assist. prof. Nicholas Bradshaw, Assist. prof. Jelena Ban (co-mentor) and prof. Miranda Mladinić Pejatović (mentor).
Sanja graduated with flying colors, to the delight of the whole Laboatory.
