Researchers of the Faculty of Science have benefitted greatly from NWO’s Chemistry Innovation Fund. Both Aletta Kraneveld (Pharmaceutical Sciences) and Peter van der Sluijs (Chemistry) have been awarded a LIFT subsidy, and Andries Meijerink (Chemistry) has received a CHIPP subsidy. They will work with an external firm to conduct research that should lead to innovative applications. Aletta Kraneveld will join with Nutricia Research to study how mother’s milk sugars bind to the cell. Peter van der Sluijs will work with biotech firm Galapagos to research the transport of the defective protein that causes Cystic Fibrosis, and how it can be influenced by substances that Galapagos has developed to correct the defect. Meijerink will collaborate with Kees Hummelen (RUG) and Marie Anne van de Haar from Seaborough Life Science to develop new nanomaterials for more effective light therapy to treat skin conditions.
Molecules that work together to fight Cystic Fibrosis
Peter van der Sluijs (Universiteit Utrecht) in cooperation with Katja Conrath (Galapagos)
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common incurable genetic disease. It is caused by changes to the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene, or CFTR.
In healthy people, the CFTR protein functions as a channel in the cell membrane for the export of salt from the cells. In CF patients, however, the protein does not attach to the cell membrane in a functional form. In this project, Van der Sluijs and Conrath will study how mutant and functional forms of the CFTR protein reach the cell membrane.
They will also examine how substances developed by Galapagos affect the transport of CFTR to the surface of the cell. These are new substances that should preferably be used in a combination of three in order to repair the defect to CFTR. Scientists are as yet uncertain how these substances work, but a better understanding is vital in order to optimise the therapy.
LIFT
LIFT stands for ‘Launchpad for Innovative Future Technology’, and is one of the public-private partnership projects by NWO’s Chemistry Innovation Fund. The project grants range from 130,000 to 300,000 Euros, of which 1/4 is provided by the companies involved. A total of seven projects have been honoured with subsidies.