The Research Council of Norway has awarded NOK 10 000 000 to Jonas Paulsen and Cinzia Progida from the Department of Biosciences, and the project is a collaboration with NTNU. The research project is titled: A novel nanotopography-based approach for reshaping nuclear morphology and gene transcription.
- I am super happy that we got support for the project, and very exited to get started. This is a gutsy basic science project where we will combine bioinformatics, nanotechnology and cell biology in ways never tried before, says Jonas Paulsen.
A nanotopography-based research project
The cell nucleus acts as a control center for the cell, playing a vital role in how cells respond to physical forces from their environment. However, our understanding of these responses remains incomplete due to a lack of proper tools for manipulating cells and their nuclei. To tackle this challenge, we are developing advanced nanostructured surfaces. Placing cells onto these surfaces allows us to deform the cell nucleus and explore how specific genes react to controlled mechanical inputs.
Recent progress in nanofabrication, experimental techniques, and computational tools has made this innovative approach possible. This research is significant because it could lead to improved treatments for diseases like cancer, where altered mechanical responses in cells are a critical factor.
- This grant enables us to delve deeper into untapped areas of mechanobiology, where the aim is to understand the complex relationships between mechanical dynamics and biological responses in cells. Ultimately, this holds promise to better understand diseases like cancer, where cells' response to mechanical inputs is often compromized, says Jonas Paulsen.
Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal
The Call "Researcher Project for Scientific Renewal" by The Research Council of Norway received 569 applications, and approved 65 of them, of which 7 were from the University of Oslo.
The funding is intended to support scientific renewal and development in research that can help to advance the international research front. This call is therefore targeted towards researchers who have demonstrated the ability to conduct research of high scientific quality. Which disciplines and research areas the call is open for, are specified under each thematic area and topic.