Technology driven innovations

Technology-driven innovations are a prerequisite for internal collaborations. In fact, such innovations are strong integrating factors between research groups from different disciplines. Within the theme Molecular Life and Health, the following enabling technologies are key for the research activities and the collaborations between groups and institutes:

Bioimaging

Groups at GBB and Zernike have state-of-the-art facilities in optical microscopy, ranging from time-lapse imaging, single-molecule tracking (SMT), super-resolution optical imaging (PALM, STORM, STED), total-internal reflection fluorescence for single-molecule dynamics (smFRET), etc. The expertise and facilities in optical microscopy are probably the best in the Netherlands and complement those of the Electron Microscopy groups

Structural Biology

New developments in structural biology are key for a strong Molecular Life and Health theme. X-ray crystallography and Electron Microscopy (EM) are essential methods for research at GBB, GRIP, Stratingh, Zernike and UMCG/ERIBA. Technological innovations in nanocrystallography and X-ray free-electron lasers, and in single-electron detectors for EM, allow more complex proteins to be analyzed at a higher resolution and a much higher success rate.

Advanced mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry at the highest level is available for state-of-the-art molecular research. For instance, proteomics and metabolomics analyses are mass spectrometry-based and are essential elements for numerous research groups.

Organic Synthesis

Understanding cellular processes demands tools for spatiotemporal analysis that are offered by chemical biology rather than molecular biology. The field of chemical biology, a focal point for Groningen acknowledged by the Sector plan Physics & Chemistry, is heavily based on the availability of chemical probes and tracers to label or inhibit biomolecules. Also in studies on metabolism, the availability of intermediates and the structure elucidation of metabolic products are of key importance. FSE plays an important role in this area, with a large and high profile effort in organic synthesis and synthetic method development. Multiple collaborations have already been established.