Two Open Competition Science-M grants for FSE researchers

Recently, two Open Competition Science-M grants have been awarded to researchers from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Dr. Christoffer Aberg receives an M1 grant of EUR 350,000 for his project 'Chasing vehicles on cellular highways'. Prof. Albert Guskov and Prof. Dirk Slotboom receive an M2 grant worth EUR 700,000 for their project 'Syncytin-assisted membrane fusion'.

M grants are intended for innovative, high-quality fundamental research and / or studies with scientific urgency. The grants are from the Dutch Research Council ( NWO , Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, NWO).

Dr. Christoffer Aberg (Groningen Institute of Pharmacy) | Chasing vehicles down cellular highways

Peering down the microscope at a human cell reveals a world of tumultuous activity, with objects moving back and forth with no discernible purpose. How does the cell manage to get anything to the right place amidst this chaos? Towards answering this question, researchers will follow how cargo is transported within the cell using microscopy and analyse the motion using an analogy with the motion within glass. This research will help us understand how the cell transport system works, including that hijacked by viruses.

Prof. Albert Guskov & Prof. Dirk Slotboom (Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology ) | Syncytin-assisted membrane fusion

The visualization of membrane fusion triggered by pairs of membrane embedded receptors and special proteins evolutionary hijacked from the viruses will help not only to better understand this fundamental process (this is a key process during the placenta formation) but will also provide us with the clues to develop inhibitors for the cases when this process is used fraudulently by other viruses to enter the cell.

NWO Open Competition Domain Science-M

M-grants are intended for realizing curiosity-driven, fundamental research of high quality and / or scientific urgency. The grant offers researchers the possibility to elaborate creative and risky ideas and to realise scientific innovations that can form the basis for the research themes of the future.