Belgium Ghent

VIB-UGent-CMB

Center for Medical Biotechnology (CMB)

Brief overview

The VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology (CMB) is a joint venture between VIB and Ghent University. Its mission is to push the boundaries of protein-focused biomolecular and bioinformatics research and engineering technologies, to translate these novel technologies and insights into widely applicable research tools, vaccines, diagnostics and biopharmaceuticals. The focus is on innovating the analysis and engineering of biomolecular systems to investigate and alleviate human diseases such as infectious diseases caused by some of the most important human respiratory viruses and immune-system related disease.

At VIB, respiratory research is central in both CMB and IRC (VIB Center for Inflammatory Research) and both centers frequently collaborate in this topic.

Research areas

Immunology/Infection/Microbiology/Molecular biology

Host center eligibility

Global fellowships (return phase only)/European fellowships

Research infrastructure/facilities

VIB and CMB heavily invest in core facilities as these offer scientific expertise and the latest world-class technologies. Central in the core facilities is the multi-omics approach at the level of the genome, transcriptome, proteome and metabolome to gain insight in many development and disease processes. The VIB proteomics core is embedded in the center and is equipped with state-of-the-art mass spectrometers.

Research funding/resources

Research at CMB is funded by national (FWO, UGent, national charities such as the King Baudouin Foundation) and international (Horizon 2020 – both individual funding such as ERC and MSCA IF and collaborative funding such as MSCA ITN and RIA, US) funding bodies and industrial collaborations.

Links to non-academic sector

VIB has a strong international research network that places great value on international career experience and attracts on a regular basis group leaders and post-doctoral fellows from different corners of the world. In addition, VIB is experienced in receiving Marie-Curie fellows to its different laboratories: on an annual basis, several young PhD students in the framework of research training network (ITN) as well as a significant number of postdoctoral MSCA fellows are involved in VIB research.

Experience hosting international researchers, career development & training programmes, outreach activities

VIB obtained the ‘HR excellence in science’ label which demonstrates the equal opportunity policy of VIB. This is among others reflected in the ‘training@VIB’ program of VIB. All researchers – regardless of their nationality, funding or research topics – are invited to join VIB’s training program covering science topics, training in bioinformatics and transferable skills such as: technology transfer, scientific thinking, and non-scientific topics such as coaching skills (communication, problem solving, career guidance). Finally, the VIB personnel department is very well trained to provide all the necessary support for international scientists (local and international administration, housing, international schools, day-care).

HR Excellence in Research – EU award

Yes

Contacts

Links