NWO ENW-M grants for three FSE researchers

Three projects by researchers of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (UG) will receive ENW-M grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Prof. dr. Wiktor Szymanski, together with prof. Schelto Kruijff of the UMCG receive EUR 825,000 for developing a new, light-controlled treatment technique that simultaneously visualises the activated medicine and its effect. Prof. dr. Theunis Piersma and Dr. Alexander Belyy each receive EUR 400,000 for research on how black-tailed godwits protect their nests and young from predators and how Legionella bacteria invade lung cells.

The ENW M grant offers researchers the opportunity to develop creative, high-risk ideas and bring about scientific innovations in all disciplines of the Exact and Natural Sciences.

Unmasking a stealthy enemy: cryo-EM revealing Legionella's invasion tactics

Dr. Alexander Belyy (RUG)

Hiding in the water systems we use every day, the pathogenic Legionella pneumophila bacterium waits for the right moment to apply its sophisticated strategies to hijack our lung cells and cause life-threatening pneumonia. Our project employs advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to reveal these elusive tactics at the molecular level. With unprecedented resolution, we will visualize bacterial attacks, allowing us to gain critical insight into the methods of infection. This study promises to redefine our understanding of L. pneumophila pathogenicity and paves the way for the development of novel medical interventions to combat Legionnaires' disease.

Allies in defence: exploring godwit cooperation beyond kinship

Prof. dr. Theunis Piersma (RUG)

In this research, we study how black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa limosa) protect their nests and young from predators through acoustic communication and shared defence strategies. Typically, solitary breeders, godwits may form alliances with unrelated neighbours during the breeding season to fend off threats. Using cutting-edge tracking and acoustic technology, we’ll observe differences in cooperative behaviour across solitary and densely populated breeding areas, between partners and with others, providing new insights into their cooperation. This study aims to support conservation efforts for these culturally significant Dutch birds by improving and providing new tools for monitoring predation impacts.

Curing with light and listening to its treatment effects

Prof. dr. Wiktor Szymanski & prof. Schelto Kruijff (RUG/UMCG)

Photopharmacology enables precise pharmacotherapy in time and space by designing drugs whose activity can be controlled with light. However, without the support of modern medical imaging methods to reveal the location of the disease and the therapy activation, photopharmacology remains blind. In this project, we will for the first time synergize photopharmacology with optoacoustic imaging to create a theranostic treatment modality that allows for on-the-fly monitoring of drug activation and its outcomes. We will realize this evaluate this concept in the context of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) treatment, where it can substitute aggressive surgical therapy that results in serious morbidity.

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• Grants for twenty-one innovative research projects in the Open Competition Domain Science-M programme