In the Open Competition ENW-XS of the NWO, 48 applications were approved, of which Radboud researchers were the main applicants for four applications.
The Open Competition Domain Science – XS grants of a maximum of € 50,000 are intended to support promising ideas and to facilitate innovative and more speculative initiatives within the seven Domain Science disciplines. The proposed research is ground-breaking and high-risk. What counts is that all results, be they positive or negative, must contribute to the advancement of science.
A new view of the universe - detecting cosmic gamma rays with the Square Kilometer Array
Cosmic gamma rays, some of the most energetic particles known to us, let us peer into the hearts of the most incredible phenomena in the universe, such as supernovae and pulsar wind nebula. However, the highest energy gamma rays are rare and difficult to detect. In this project, we will study the prospects of using the Square Kilometer Array, the next generation radio telescope, as a gamma-ray detector. With the success of this project, we will have a completely new way to study gamma rays, and therefore the most energetic processes in the Galaxy.
Drugging Unexplored Antibiotic Targets
Resistance to antibiotics is a global threat to public health. It is estimated that by 2050, 10 million people will die annually of resistant infections. To combat this looming prospect we need to restock our arsenal of effective antibiotics. Unfortunately, all conventional approaches for antibiotic discovery have failed. Here, we propose a radically-different approach. We will exploit antibiotic targets that have been historically underexplored. By designing an innovative fluorescent assay that reports on target engagement, we will screen a large library for antibiotic activity against these unexplored targets. We expect to discover potent antibiotics with a completely new mechanism-of-action.
Degradation-driven chemotactic nanomotors for active targeting and delivery
Directional migration is essential for cellular survival, enabling movement towards nutrients and away from toxins. Inspired by this, we propose developing a degradation-driven chemotactic nanomotor to actively target and ultimately eliminate cancer cells. This innovative nanomotor offers a high-risk, high-gain opportunity to advance both our understanding of chemotaxis and the development of targeted cancer therapies. Leveraging recent advances in nanotechnology and biomedicine, this project aims to pioneer a new class of precision medicine tools, with the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment and significantly impact the field of nanomedicine.
Bring it to Shape: Engineering Vesicles for Enhanced Drug Delivery
Nanocarriers have been developed to overcome the limitations of conventional therapeutics by enabling site-specific drug delivery. However, to reach diseased sites, nanocarriers must overcome sequential biological barriers, each demanding specific shapes for efficient traversal. Thus, relying on a simple shape proves challenging in traversing all biological barriers for the successful accumulation of nanocarriers at diseased sites. Here, to integrate the benefits of different simple shapes, nanocarriers adopt a coupled shape featuring heterogeneous curvatures within a single vesicle, where distinct curvatures are customized for specific biological barriers. This research holds the potential to significantly advance the development of next-generation nanocarriers.