Four researchers from Leiden University have been awarded NWO Open Competition grants in the Science domain. This is for research into subjects such as immune cells in tumours, antibiotic resistance and magnetic semiconductors.
Two of the grants are from the Open Competition Science-M programme and two are from the Open Competition Science-XS programme. M grants are for innovated, high-quality, funamental research or studies involving matters of scientific urgency. XS grants are for speculative, ground-breaking research and give researchers the opportunity to explore a promising idea.
Open Competition Science-M
Pept(o)Body: Precision Chemistry to Control Nanoparticle Size, Shape and Surface Functionality
Matthias Barz & Sebastian Pomplun (Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research)
The combination of advanced solid phase peptide synthesis and controlled living polymerisation methods enables the Pept(o)Body project to develop monodisperse synthetic nanoparticles, in which size, shape and spatial arrangement of surface functionality can be controlled with molecular precision. This novel methodology provides access to fully synthetic antibody mimetics bearing the ground-breaking potential to reduce the costs of immune therapies, make them broadly available or establish the next generation of antibody-drug conjugates with superior therapeutic efficacy.
Prevention of hungry immune cells in tumours to cure cancer
Bart Everts (LUMC) & Sander van Kasteren (Leiden Institute of Chemistry)
Immune cells need a lot of food to generate the energy they need to fight diseases such as cancer. However, in tumours, food often stolen by tumour cells, leaving little for the immune cells. This may prevent the immune cells from being able to properly clear the tumour. We do not yet know how exactly this 'hunger' changes the behaviour of these immune cells. This project will first measure how much immune cells in tumours actually get to eat and then see whether by making them more efficient eaters they have again enough energy to fight tumours.
Open Competition Science-XS
Smashing the Von Neumann bottle-neck with two-dimensional magnetic semiconductors
Semonti Bhattacharyya (Leiden Institute of Physics)
As our society embraces digital transformation, the demand for computation escalates, currently consuming 10% of global electricity, surpassing aviation. This demand is set to rise further with advancements like artificial intelligence. Without a paradigm shift, the growth of computing, hence the societal progress will be constrained byavailable electricity. The inefficiencies in power usage in computing are tied to the Von Neumann architecture, the basis of modern computers. This proposal aims to develop a fundamental computing building block to break from this architecture,enabling new approaches like in-memory computing, vital for advancing computational efficiency amidst escalating demands.
Evolving new weapons to beat antibiotic resistance
Daniel Rozen (Institute of Biology Leiden)
Antibiotics are made by bacteria in nature to kill competitors for access to food and space. By recreating these competitive conditions in the laboratory, this project will evolve new or more active antibiotics to kill drug resistant pathogens. The project's strategy is inspired by the natural coevolutionary 'arms race' in soil between antibiotic-producing bacteria and their resistant competitors. It also exploits the incredible capacity of bacteria in the laboratory to evolve novel solutions to complex ecological challenges. This innovative strategy offers the potential to discover new drugs to tackle the global health crisis of antibiotic resistance.
