The Novo Nordisk Foundation awards grants worth DKK 75 million for research infrastructures. Three of the six grants were awarded to DTU researchers.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation just awarded grants worth DKK 75 million for the purchase of advanced research equipment to strengthen the research infrastructure of biomedicine, clinical research, biotechnology, and the scientific and technical fields at Danish universities and in hospitals.
According to a press release issued by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, three of the grants were awarded to researchers from DTU, while researchers at Odense University Hospital, Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen each received one grant.
All six grants enable the researchers to establish advanced research infrastructures that will pave the way for new knowledge in their field. In all six cases, the equipment must also be widely available to the scientific environment, including industry.
Fighting diseases in humans, animals, and plants
Among the grant recipients are Professor Lone Gram from DTU Bioengineering. She has received funds for the development of a technology platform that can be used to, e.g., investigate the possibility of using microorganisms to replace antibiotics and pesticides in fighting diseases.
The platform will be used to understand how microorganisms communicate and interact in microbiological societies, so-called microbiomes.
The platform will help increase our knowledge on the chemical signal substances they use, thus enabling us to develop and apply their potential in the field of health and disease fighting in humans as well as in animals and plants.
New step towards personalized medicine
The second grant recipient is Jan Henrik Ardenkjær-Larsen, Professor at DTU Health Tech and Head of the HYPERMAG basic research centre. He has received funds for developing a unique infrastructure called HyperNMR.
Among other things, hyperpolarization makes it possible to use NMR for nanoscale trials or for metabolic processes such as those that occur in the body.
Hyperpolarization can magnetize bioprobes, which can be used as trace elements in MRI scans. When injected into a patient before an MRI scan, the MRI signal is boosted by a factor of more than 10,000. Advanced medical imaging is an important tool for diagnosing, assessing, and following up on diseases and is a major step on the path to personalized medicine. Furthermore, the method can be used to monitor metabolic processes in intact cells, tissue, and organs.
Will accelerate biomedical research in Denmark
With a grant for DTU Screening Core (DTU SCore), the third grant recipient, Professor Mads H. Clausen from DTU Chemistry, can establish a platform for automated testing of small molecules to determine if the substances are biologically active. This type of research forms the basis for basic discoveries within chemical biology and can also be the starting point for the development of new medicines.
With the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s investment, DTU Chemistry will be able to build expertise that can benefit researchers from DTU, from other universities, and from the private sector. The goal is to accelerate biomedical research in Denmark.