CIBIS: Creativity in Blended Interaction Spaces
(1311-00001B)
Danish title: CIBIS: Kreativitet i interaktive digitale omgivelser
Grant holder: Professor Kim Halskov, Department for Aesthetics and Communication, Aarhus University
E-mail: halskov@cavi.au.dk
Grant: DKK 16.0 million
Total budget: DKK 25.3 million
Funding period: 2014-2018
Research training: 3 PhDs and 6 postdocs
Partners: Department for Aesthetics and Communication, AU; Department of Computer Science, AU; Department of Marketing, CBS; Designit; LEGO A/S; Ørestad Gymnasium; Viby Gymnasium; Teknisk Gymnasium Viby; The Academy of Talented Youth
One of the most valuable resources in Danish society is young people in high school, where ”innovation” has just been introduced as a subject. The research project CIBIS (Creativity In Blended Interaction Spaces) will develop a digital platform, a ”blended interaction space”, which supports the creative design processes of these young people. CIBIS is predicated on the fact that we currently – not least in creative processes – use a range of different digital devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, Smart Boards and large wall displays), but that these are rarely integrated with each other or with the use of physical materials (Post-its, pen and paper, large paper sheets). Contrary to this, a ”blended interactive space” bridges the various devices and physical materials. CIBIS aims to develop and explore the areas on which an ICT-based “blended interactive space” can support creative processes, for instance 1) smooth transition between individual and shared activities; 2) both digital and physical materials as a source of ideas; 3) transformation of ideas across devices and materials. CIBIS is a collaboration with the Academy for Talented Youth and a number of Danish high schools, among others Ørestad Gymnasium, Teknisk Gymnasium Viby and Viby Gymnasium, students from which participate in the development and testing of the ICT platform. LEGO and DesignIT, Europe’s largest strategic design firm, are contributing to the development and evaluation of the platform being created through the project.
GPCR-Nanoscreen: Nanoscale High Content Analysis Assays for G protein coupled receptors
(1311-00002B)
Danish title: GPCR-Nanoscreen: Nanoskala metode til ’high content’ analyse af G-protein koblede receptorer
Grant holder: Professor Dimitrios Stamou, Department of Chemistry, Copenhagen University
E-mail: stamou@nano.ku.dk
Grant: DKK 22.9 million
Total budget: DKK 33.6 million
Funding period: 2014-2018
Research training: 3 PhDs and 6 postdocs
Partners: Department of Chemistry, KU; Novo Nordisk A/S. In addition, the activity includes contributions from the Lundbeck Foundation
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) control fundamental physiological processes involved in a host of diseases, which has positioned GPCR proteins as the target of ~40% of all currently available drugs. In this project we will develop a new generation of nano-scale analysis assays that will improve our chances to discover new drugs targeted at GPCR proteins. These assays will be based on fluorescence microscopy imaging of single living cells and single GPCR molecules, consequently they will require minimal amounts of biological sample material reducing associated costs. They will be quicker, cheaper and more informative than the current leading technologies. Capitalizing on the expertise of our industrial partner Novo Nordisk A/S, we aim at providing important and missing information on the biomolecular interactions that regulate the function of receptors involved also in the pathology of diabetes and obesity. This is important not only from a biological perspective, but may ultimately lead to development of improved therapeutics that provide a better diabetes care, ultimately easing the society from the burden of diabetes and obesity epidemics.
EXMAD - Extreme Sensitive Magnetometry using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond
(1311-00006B)
Danish title: EXMAD - Ekstremt følsom magnetometri ved brug af nitrogen-vakance-centre i diamant
Grant holder: Professor Ulrik Lund Andersen, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark
E-mail: ulrik.andersen@fysik.dtu.dk
Grant: DKK 13.9 million
Total budget: DKK 19.0 million
Funding period: 2014-2018
Research training: 4 PhDs and 2 postdocs
Partners: DTU Physics; DTU Electro; Ulm University; Leipzig University; Unisensor A/S
Detection of extremely small magnetic fields with nanometre precision presents an outstanding challenge in many of the natural sciences, such as biology, material physics, medicine and chemistry. Commercial magnetic field sensors have a lot of shortcomings, and the most sensitive ones are very expensive and can only be used under well controlled conditions. The goal of this project is to develop highly sensitive and resilient magnetic field sensors that can measure extremely low magnetic fields with high spatial resolution in a natural environment, i.e. at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure. The sensor technology is based on ultra-pure diamond crystals containing nitrogen-vacancy centres, the electron spin of which can be read out optically through fluorescent photons. The sensitivity of these sensors will be enhanced by new methods of efficiently reading out the spin. We will combine the diamond-sensor with metallic nanowires or photonic fibres to efficiently collect the fluorescent photons and thus achieve a sensitivity of less than 1 picotesla per second. The sensor will be tested for detailed measurements of biological cells at Hvidovre Hospital, and a chip-based version will be developed in collaboration with the company Unisensor ltd. The sensor technology developed in this project will have a wide range of practical applications in very diverse areas e.g. measuring geomagnetic fields, detecting hidden weapons or narcotics and studying the dynamics of biological cells.
Neuro24/7 - Neurotechnology for 24/7 mental state monitoring
(1311-00009B)
Danish title: Neuro24/7 - Neuroteknologi til 24/7 måling af hjerneaktivitet
Grant holder: Professor Lars Kai Hansen, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark
E-mail: lkh@imm.dtu.dk
Grant: DKK 6.8 million
Total budget: DKK 7.6 million
Funding period: 2014-2016
Research training: 3 postdocs
Partners: DTU Compute; Department of Engineering, AU; Rigshospitalet; HypoSafe A/S; University of California; Imperial College London
Continuous monitoring and analysis of mental states will enable a new industry of services improving not only quality of life, but also support new dimensions in personalized medicine. In the Neuro24/7 project we will investigate tools for long term monitoring of brain activity based on two comfortable devices developed by the Danish company HypoSafe and Aarhus University, respectively. The HypoSafe device consists of an implanted electrode, while the “ear-EEG” device monitors electric brain waves in the ear. As these comfortable devices only involve a few electrodes, they must be supplemented by imaging devices. The project will therefore continue the development of the DTU “smartphone brain scanner”. The combined system will also take into account personal data collected in the smartphone and neuroinformatics databases, to increase the precision of mental state recognition. In the project we will establish a foundation and better documentation of mental state definition and recognition, based in comfortable EEG devices. By an initial short phase of imaging EEG investigation and analysis, we define states that subsequently may be recognized and quantified with comfortable devices. The project will in this way enable a new form of neuroscience, in which brain activity is monitored for weeks and months, hopefully resulting in better services, diagnosis, and treatment.
MorphoMap: Genome-scale Mapping of Signaling Networks Underlying Cell Migration
(1311-00010B)
Danish title: MorphoMap: Genomisk kortlægning af signalerings-netværkene i cellevandring
Grant holder: Professor Rune Linding, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark
E-mail: linding@cbs.dtu.dk
Grant: DKK 20.1 million
Total budget: DKK 26.3 million
Funding period: 2014-2017
Research training: 2 PhDs and 2 postdocs
Partners: Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, DTU; Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), KU; Harvard Medical School; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Symphogen; PerkinElmer; Silicon Graphics Inc
The biosciences are in an era signified by the identification of most of the cellular components. Future developments will therefore depend on technological and theoretical innovations which can combine this knowledge into a holistic understanding of living cells. The cellular signalling networks are for instance central to the progression of cancer as well as to normal human tissue formation. Therefore we want to identify the networks which support the ability of cancer cells to spread, with the purpose of developing new targeted therapeutic strategies. Using the latest technologies within microscopy, mass-spectroscopy and gene sequencing we will determine the link between the inner workings of the cell and its morphology during cell migration. To find the effect of molecules that inhibit the process, either at the genetic or protein-signalling level, these data will be computationally integrated using supercomputing and advanced algorithms. Based on the resulting models we will predict, validate and develop new drug candidates against cancer metastasis. The project is based on a unique, cross-disciplinary and international collaboration between leading academic and industrial research groups in the United States, Europe and Denmark and will create the starting point for a wide strategic research program focusing on general integrative and systems-based analysis of all types of cells and cell tissues.