INCT 2014: National Institute of Science and Technology in Bioanalysis

Abstract

Analytical Chemistry, in the last years, has directed great efforts to the development of analytical methods for the analysis of samples and/or analytes of biological interest. The huge impact of the researches in this area provided a race towards the development of methods for the chemical analyses of substances of live organisms. With the engagement of analytical chemists in the development of methods for biological, biochemical and clinical purposes, not only a very big increase in the works in this area was verified, but also the emergence of research groups working specifically in the area of analyses of biological samples. The importance of these works led to the birth of the area of bioanalytics, being a great focus of actuation of analytical chemists. In the country, however, bioanalytics is very incipient and some researchers work with different analytical techniques to develop methods of bioanalysis, despite the fact that this area is of great strategic importance to the country. Even in front of this strategic importance, little has been done so as to develop analytical tools for the diagnosis of diseases, disorders, pharmacological action, among others. In was in this context that the National Institute of Science and Technology of Bioanalytics - INCTBio was created in 2009, with the goal of carrying out coordinated works with exchange of information between the researchers in different areas of actuation so as to seek for the consolidation of the area in the country. Among the concerns in the creation of the institute of bioanalytics, there was the formation of human resources and the diffusion of the area in society, as well as the transfer to society of the benefits provided by the development of analytical tools for the improvement of life quality, be it in the speciation of biological molecules of interest, in the development of analytical methods that can provide fast and mostly real-time results, or in the use of mathematical tools when it is necessary to interpret complex data, among others described in the detailing of the lines of research inserted in this proposal. During the last 05 years of existence of the INCTBio, the group counted with the partnership and collaboration of 39 researchers from 22 different institutions. Initially, we sought to select the best researchers to be part of the group, taking into consideration the regional issue, institutions and young researchers. One of the goals of the group was the consolidation and strengthening of young researchers and recent institutions without great tradition in research. Today, these groups have been consolidated and many of them have become reference in bioanalytics in the country, impelling the development of science in regions that were forgotten in the scientific scenario. The development of projects inside the INCTBio adjusted to the emergent necessities, focused on the strategic interest of the country, as it was emphasized by the advisor of the fourth report: “Faced by the fact that the group of the project includes the majority of the exponents of the Instrumental Analytical Chemistry of the country, both in the employment of techniques and equipment of latest generation, and in the development of devices and patentable methods for clinical analyses of national interest, the fact that the fourth report proves important advances in the original project and points to new researches in the more biological area (metabolomics) and discoveries resulting from the work already realized and published, does not surprise”. The scientific production of the Institute in these 05 years was extremely intense, being “admirable” in the advisor’s words. In total, 563 articles were published (without considering the articles of 2014-2015), and of these, 66 were in national journals and 497 in international ones. It is worth emphasizing that the number of published articles followed an ascendant, year to year, presenting an increase superior to 400%, going from 46 articles in 2009 to 200 articles in 2013, having an average impact factor of 3.1 of all the publications. The formation of human resources was one of the main points of interest of the Institute, permitting bioanalytics to become a solid and strong area in the country, guaranteeing the continuity of the scientific development in this strategic area, and once more, citing the advisor of the fourth report: “Without doubt, the scientific production of the group of researchers of the INCTBio is admirable. In this report, the publication of 259 articles in journals of medium and high impact in the areas of Analytical Chemistry, Materials and Biotechnology, the requirement of 05 patents, nearly 200 participations in national and international congresses, 09 book chapters and 12 awards are pointed. 04 projects were established together with companies and the covenant with the INC-DF”. Apart from the productions already mentioned, the INCTBio contributed with 10 book chapters, 08 patents and products were required and 02 were licensed, and it received 12 awards. In the period from 2009 to 2013, the INCTBio formed 110 specialists in the area of bioanalytics, being 67 masters and 43 doctors, and apart from these, it counted with the collaboration of approximately 50 post-doctoral students and contributed to the academic formation of 112 Scientific Initiation students, attracting more and more graduate students to this theme. (AU)