The CutCancer project aims to strengthen and increase the research and innovation capacity and excellence of the National institute of Biology (NIB) in Slovenia. This will be achieved through targeted twinning activities with three internationally renowned institutions; Swansea University from the UK, Stockholm University from Sweden and VU Medical Center Amsterdam from the Netherlands, all of which poses specific, unique and complementary knowledge and expertise that is highly desired and needed at NIB. Together with ongoing substantial infrastructural improvements and significant research equipment upgrades, CutCancer will enable implementation of cutting-edge approaches and methodologies (including advanced in vitro 3D cell models, spatial and single-cell analyses), facilitating frontier research in the field of preclinical 3D cancer research. CutCancer will encompass the development of synergies between research institutions, fostering networking and participation in future Research and Innovation processes. CutCancer aims to go beyond the purely scientific aspects and raise the management and administrative capacity of NIB to reach top level. Twinning activities will include specific hands-on training, expert visits, webinars, workshops and summer schools, job shadowing and exchange of best practices, targeting strategically selected research and administrative areas. Results will be disseminated at international and regional conferences and targeted events for relevant stakeholders ranging from the scientific community to the health sector, professional networks, students and general public. The CutCancer´s strategic action plan will ensure that the project leads to long-term collaborations within the consortium and beyond. This will include future research projects coordinated by NIB, as well as the sharing of infrastructure and innovations brought by the newly implemented methods, approaches and strategies, targeted during the CutCancer project.

Recent advances in nanotechnology have already provided excellent platforms to reshape many areas of biocatalysis and healthcare, and yet many challenges are still being faced to produce artificial nanozymes with better catalytic efficiency. Pending achievements include having enhanced enzymatic robustness and stability while keeping the key aspects of natural enzymes such as high specificity, low toxicity and bioavailability. Consequently, there is currently a real demand for better-designed nanozymes capable to solve these challenges for the different industrial and health requirements. NESTOR project aims to develop atomically-designed nanozymes based on versatile iron-oxide-based materials, to assess their true toxicological impact and to theoretically model the microscopic mechanisms of their enzymatic-like reactions (e.g., catalase-like, peroxidase-like, etc.) and to achieve a product-oriented enzymatic activity with minimum toxicological impact, a highly relevant societal concern. The outcomes from NESTOR project are expected to provide a better control of enzymatic reactions inside living entities together with the additional properties from the new materials such as magnetic actuability, imaging or heating. These research goals are embedded in the motivation of establishing a dynamic network with NESTOR, aimed to train the next generation of materials scientists, theoretical physicists, chemists, toxicologists and medical doctors in a highly interdisciplinary research environment so they can benchmark upcoming challenges concerning the new biomedical and environmental challenges to come. This next generation of open-minded scientists with true knowledge of multidisciplinary work will be an essential actor in the complex interactions between nanotechnologies and society that lay ahead.

Noč ima svojo moč [The Night has it might] (NOCMOC) [NIGHTMIGHT] project combines a strong awareness campaign embedding a major media campaign and a citizen science project with activities spread all over Slovenia. The core objectives of the NOCMOC project is to raise awareness about the research and its benefits, overcome stereotypes, stimulate curiosity all over Slovenia and excite youngsters to take up the research careers. The awareness campaign will comprise national TV broadcasts, radio broadcasts, press presence and a social media campaign, reaching 100.000 people. The innovative awareness campaign will be based on the Citizen Science Project – Chestnut tracking. We expect, over 1.000 groups, families and individuals will participate in the Citizen Science Project and experience the research methodology-hands on, and above all contribute to the basic research methodology of the real research project. The NIGHT activities will take place in 25 cities across Slovenia and will bring together over 30 research-related institutions to raise awareness about research and innovation, its social and economic benefits as well as its variety of careers. Over 30.000 visitors from different target groups will take part in the NIGHT activities spread all over Slovenia. Activities will combine science festivals on the main square of four cities, science shows, simulations, research days in primary and secondary schools, lectures and workshops in public spaces such as libraries, retirement homes and museums, science espressos, EU corners, open doors at the research institutions, science centre and cultural institutions and many more - altogether over 200 individual activities in 24 hours from day until night.