Croatia-Mediterranean as it once was,'' this slogan (seen and heard in advertisements all around the world these days) professes Croatia's philosophy and orientation when it comes to its role in global tourism. Crystal clear sea, medieval Mediterranean culture, warm, simple-minded folk: this antithesis of the modern, fast-paced, high-tech world indeed does sell well. However, in the shadows of the ever-expanding, strategically important, moneymaking tourism, a different kind of endeavor is taking shape in Croatia, one that is significantly more forward-looking.
A few years ago in the city of Split, a port in the southern Adriatic and famous for the UNESCO-protected palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, a molecular biology institute was founded with an explicit aim to try to bring world-class science to Croatia. Named for its geographical as well as ideological mark, the Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences (MedILS) is currently undergoing a phase of major growth and expansion. Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Miroslav Radman, a worldclass geneticist known for his fundamental discoveries such as SOS-response in bacteria or DNA mismatch repair, the first generation of us, MedILS scientists, is aiming to position the institute into a recognizable player on the world's scientific scene.
In this essay, I will describe where MedILS as an institute is coming from and where it is going, focusing on the few quite unique basic ingredients that I hope will bring about its future success. From unrelenting emphasis on fundamental research in molecular biology to our ambition for MedILS to become the ''Cold Spring Harbor'' of Europe, our aims are set high. With significant financial support of Croatia's private business sector and strong collaborative ties with top-notch scientists from all around the world, the endeavor is posed for a quick start. The countdown has started, the first research groups have moved into the building, and this is the time of the Institute's greatest transformation and growth. Will it live up to its promises, remains to be seen. But, the times are undoubtedly exciting.