EU-Projects at TUM
The Technische Universität München is strongly involved in EU projects. In the 6. Framework Program, the TUM participated in 134 projects; in the 7. Framework Program, there are already over 100 participations, nine projects are currently coordinated at the TUM. A hightlight are the ERC Grants.
In addition the project "ALIAS" funded by the program "Ambient Assistant Living" of the EU is coordinated at TUM.
ERC - European Research Council
Prof. Dr. Franz Pfeiffer
Chair for Physics-Biophysics
Project:
X-Ray Bioimaging
In conventional x-ray imaging, contrast is obtained through the differences in the absorption cross-section of the constituents of the object. The technique yields excellent results where highly absorbing structures such as bones are embedded in a matrix of relatively weakly absorbing material, for example the surrounding tissue of the human body. However, in cases where different forms of tissue with similar absorption cross-sections are under investigation (for example, in mammography or neurology), the x-ray absorption contrast is relatively poor.
Consequently, differentiating pathologic from non-pathologic tissue in an absorption radiograph obtained with a current hospital-based x-ray system remains practically impossible for certain tissue compositions. The goal of this research project is to overcome these limitations by developing and applying the potential of x-ray phase-contrast imaging for pre-clinical, biomedical x-ray imaging applications. The anticipated results of this project shall provide the scientific basis for future routine exploitation of biomedical x-ray phase contrast imaging through academic research and biomedical imaging device manufacturers. While I envision that the method will ultimately be applicable and beneficiary for several x-ray medical diagnostics applications (i.e., including computer tomography on humans), this project will focus on the first successful implementation of x-ray phase-contrast bioimaging for pre-clinical, small-animal applications.
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Dietz
Physik Department - Experimental Biophysis (E22)
Project:
DNA ORIGAMI DEVICES
Adhesive interactions between macromolecules are ubiquitously found in biology. Regulatory processes in biology depend on temporary physical inter-biomolecular interactions whose strengths are regulated by the internal state of the cell. Obtaining quantitative insight the dynamic strength of interactions between bio-molecules has remained a difficult task. Single-molecule approaches can provide detailed insight into intra-molecular interactions in bio-molecules. Yet, protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions have remained largely inaccessible.
We propose to enable the single-molecule study of protein and protein-DNA interactions by taking advantage of the fine positional control afforded by DNA origami to overcome critical experimental challenges. As a first case study we plan to employ the DNA origami devices to study the single-molecule mechanics protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions that are relevant in the regulation of the galactose metabolism in yeast.
We also seek to take steps towards a high-throughput single-molecule protein-DNA and protein-protein interaction assay to open access to a quantitative and combinatorial study of many different inter-macromolecular interactions, as well as to study the effects exerted by additional inhibiting or activating ligands. The proposed project will open up novel opportunities for a systematic study of macromolecular interactions in biology and is likely to deepen our understanding of regulatory processes in biology. Lessons that will be learned may suggest new ways to the rational design or identification of compounds that can prevent disease-causing interactions.
Prof. Dr. Stephan A. Sieber
Chair for Organic Chemistry II
Project:
ANTIBACTERIALS
After decades of successful treatment of bacterial infections with antibiotics, formerly treatable bacteria have developed drug resistance and consequently pose a major threat to public health. To address the urgent need for effective antibacterial drugs we will develop a streamlined chemical-biology platform that facilitates the consolidated identification and structural elucidation of natural products together with their dedicated cellular targets. This innovative concept overcomes several limitations of classical drug discovery processes by a chemical strategy that focuses on a directed isolation, enrichment and identification procedure for certain privileged natural product subclasses.
This proposal consists of four specific aims:
1) synthesizing enzyme active site mimetics that capture protein reactive natural products out of complex natural sources,
2) designing natural product based probes to identify their cellular targets by a method called activity based protein profiling,
3) developing a traceless photo-crosslinking strategy for the target identification of selected non-reactive natural products, and
4) application of all probes to identify novel enzyme activities linked to viability, resistance and pathogenesis.
Moreover, the compounds will be used to monitor the infection process during invasion into eukaryotic cells and will reveal host specific targets that promote and support bacterial pathogenesis. Inhibition of these targets is a novel and so far neglected approach in the treatment of infectious diseases. We anticipate that these studies will provide a powerful pharmacological platform for the development of potent natural product derived antibacterial agents directed toward novel therapeutic targets.
Prof. Dr. Daniel Cremers
Chair for Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Project:
CONVEXVISION
Optimization methods have become an established paradigm to address most Computer Vision challenges including the reconstruction of three-dimensional objects from multiple images, or the tracking of a deformable shape over time. Yet, it has been largely overlooked that optimization approaches are practically useless if they do not come with efficient algorithms to compute minimizers of respective energies. Most existing formulations give rise to non-convex energies. As a consequence, solutions highly depend on the choice of minimization scheme and implementation (initialization, time step sizes, etc.), with little or no guarantees regarding the quality of computed solutions and their robustness to perturbations of the input data. In the proposed research project, we plan to develop optimization methods for Computer Vision which allow to efficiently compute globally optimal solutions. Preliminary results indicate that this will drastically leverage the power of optimization methods and their applicability in a substantially broader context.
Specifically we will focus on three lines of research:
1) We will develop convex formulations for a variety of challenges. While convex formulations are currently being developed for low-level problems such as image segmentation, our main effort will focus on carrying convex optimization to higher level problems of image understanding and scene interpretation.
2) We will investigate alternative strategies of global optimization by means of discrete graph theoretic methods. We will characterize advantages and drawbacks of continuous and discrete methods and thereby develop novel algorithms combining the advantages of both approaches.
3) We will go beyond convex formulations, developing relaxation schemes that compute near-optimal solutions for problems that cannot be expressed by convex functionals.
Prof. Dr. Eckehard Steinbach
Chair for Media Technology
Project:
ProHaptics
During the last decade, audio-visual communication has shaped the way humans interact with technical systems or
other humans. During the next decade, haptic communication has the potential to further augment human-to-human and
human-to-machine interaction. With recent advances in Virtual Reality, Man-Machine Interaction, Telerobotics, Telepresence,
and Telemanipulation, the processing and communication of haptic signals are rapidly gaining in relevance and are becoming
an enabling technology for many novel fields of application. The objective of this proposal is to investigate fundamental
methods and technologies for the efficient processing and communication of haptic signals. We will develop a mathematical
model of human haptic perception which will be instrumental in ensuring that introduced distortions stay below human
perception thresholds. One of the main goals of this work is to leverage the model of human haptic perception for efficient
lossy compression of haptic signal streams. We will study haptic signal processing and communication both from a theoretical
point of view but also experimentally by designing, implementing and evaluating haptic interaction testbeds. The performance
of the proposed haptic processing and communication methods will be analyzed both objectively and subjectively. With our
work plan, we see the opportunity to establish a de facto standard for future haptic data communication.
Prof. Dr. Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz
Medical Clinic and Policlinic (Cardiology)
Projekt:
CHD-IPS
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common congenital heart disease (CHD) occurring 1 in 3000 births. Genetic studies have identified numerous genes that are responsible for inherited and sporadic forms of TOF, most of which encode key molecules that are part of regulatory networks controlling heart development. The identification of two populations of cardiac precursors, one exclusively forming the left ventricle and the second the outflow tract, the right ventricle and the atria, has suggested a new approach to interpret CHDs, in particular in TOF, not as a defect in a specific gene, but rather as a defect in the formation, expansion, and differentiation of defined subsets of embryonic cardiac precursors. The LIM-homeodomain transcription factor ISL1 marks the second population of cardiac progenitors, but little is known about its downstream targets, and how causative genes of CHDs affect cell-fate decisions in the ISL1 lineage.
The main goals of this research program are:
(1) to decipher the functional role of Isl1 downstream targets identified by a genome-wide ChIP-Seq approach;
(2) to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from controls and patients affected by severe forms of TOF characterized by defects in heart compartments known to derive from ISL1 cardiac progenitors;
(3) to direct these iPS cells to ISL1+ cardiovascular precursors and identify cell-surface makers enabling their antibody-based purification; and
(4) to use TOF-iPS-derived ISL1+ progenitors as an unique in vitro model system for deciphering molecular mechanisms that govern the fates and differentiation of this progenitor lineage and determine the pathological phenotype seen in TOF.
This work will shed light on the molecular mechanisms of ISL1+ cardiac progenitor lineage specification and will give important new insights into the mechanisms of how alterations in transcriptional and epigenetic programs translate to a distinct structural defect during cardiogenesis.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Heiz und Prof. Dr. Ulrich Boesl-von Grafenstein
Chair for Physical ChemistryProject:
ASC3
The objective of the present scientific proposal is the implementation of a novel approach in selective and asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis. We aim to exploit the structure and chirality of small, supported metal and bimetal clusters for triggering selective and enantioselective reactions.
Our Ansatz is beyond doubt of fundamental nature. Although chemistry and in particular catalysis evolved on a largely empirical basis in the past, we strongly believe the complexity of the challenges at hand to make this a less ideal approach. In consequence, developing selective and asymmetric cluster catalysis will be based on a detailed molecular understanding and will not only require intense methodological developments for the synthesis and characterization of asymmetric catalysts and the detection of chiral and isomeric product molecules but also make use of innovative basic science in the fields of surface chemistry, cluster science, spectroscopy and kinetics.
As complex as the involved challenges are, we aim at mastering the following ground-breaking steps:
- Development of cutting-edge spectroscopic methodologies for the isomer and enantiomer sensitive in situ detection of product molecules
- Preparation and characterization of isomer- and enantioselective heterogeneous catalysts based on chiral metal clusters or molecule-cluster-complexes
- Investigations of the selectivity and enantioselectivity of cluster based heterogeneous catalysts and formulation of concepts for understanding the observed selective and asymmetric chemistry
Besides the importance of the science carried out within this proposal, the proposed experimental methodology will also open up opportunities in other fields of chemistry like catalysis, analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, surface science, and nanomaterials
Prof. Dr. Vasilis Ntziachristos
Chair for Biological Imaging (
CBI) Technische Universität München & Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) Helmholtz Zentrum München
Projekt:
MSOT
With re-defined challenges in post-genome biology and medicine related to understanding the regulation and function of genes, proteins and multi-factorial disease, the development of accelerated and quantitative in-vivo observation of functional -omics at different system levels becomes a vital target. This proposal offers to develop therefore a next-generation biomedical imaging platform, designed to radically impact biomedical and drug discovery applications. The imaging strategy aims at resolving powerful optical reporters (fluorescent proteins, nanoparticles, optical probes) with 10-100 micron resolution and femptomole sensitivity through several millimetres to centimeters of tissue. This performance brings unprecedented ability to non-invasively visualize biological and molecular processes in-vivo in intact organisms over time.
To achieve these goals, the proposal considers first the development of multi-spectral opto-acoustic tomography (MSOT) as a high performance method for revolutionizing biomedical imaging. Then, the proposal offers to develop powerful application areas in visualizing functional –omics, disease growth and drug effectiveness. The advancements offered herein can become a highly preferred biomedical imaging modality while offering groundbreaking imaging performance, safe non-ionizing radiation, an easy to disseminate platform, and unparalleled flexibility in capitalizing on powerful optical contrast using molecular reporters.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Barth
Chair for Experimental Physics
Projekt:
MolArt
The fascinating properties of transition metal complexes intrigued generations of scientists and spurred major technological developments. They are decisive for life processes and catalysis. More recently the pertaining coordination interactions were used to assemble discrete nanostructures and supramolecular networks. Here we aim at a rationale for the design of metallosupramolecular architectures in intimate contact with solid supports. We study and control individual functional molecules and their metal-directed assembly at well-defined surfaces in exquisite detail by molecular-level scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The atomistic insight gained into the underlying mechanisms and interactions is used to steer the formation of nano-architectures, whose physicochemical properties are characterized by local and space-averaging techniques. We rationalize the full involvement of the surface atomic lattice in the metal-ligand interactions and coordination spheres using advanced spectroscopic techniques and complementary ab initio theoretical calculations. We engineer nanoporous coordination networks with tailored cavities for patterning purposes, confinement and host-guest systems. We develop new concepts for controled molecular motion in nanoscale coordination environments. We explore the redox chemistry and catalytic activity of the presented coordinatively unsaturated sites to develop novel single-site heterogenous catalysts and potentially biomimetic systems. It is suggested that with the described research a novel heading in coordination chemistry can be explored. The properties of metal centers in unique coordination environments challenge our current understanding, whereas their nanoscale control bears promise for distinct and tunable functionalities.
Prof. Dr. Andrzej Buras
Chair for Theoretical Physics IV
Project:
FLAVOUR
Six quarks and six leptons of different kinds, referred to as flavours, form the modern periodic table of the fundamental
building blocks of matter. The Standard Model of particle physics successfully describes these elementary particles and the
forces between them. A deeper understanding of the flavour structure of quarks and leptons, of their masses and couplings,
is however still missing.
Decisive new experiments are about to start in particle physics (LHC, high-intensity flavour facilities). They will test existing
theoretical concepts and inspire new ideas. This should allow us to make substantial steps forwards in the construction
of the fundamental Theory of Flavour, which is the main goal of this project. Such a theory should allow us to address the
following fundamental questions: what is the underlying dynamics differentiating quarks and leptons of different flavour? Is
this dynamics related to a new symmetry? How can this new dynamics be tested at low and high energies? These questions
are of utmost importance in the context of our search for a new, more fundamental, theory of elementary interactions. They
are also key ingredients to understand the strucutre of our Universe. Reaching this goal requires substantial efforts in model
building, precision calculations, and phenomenological studies. These different lines of research will be joined in a novel way
by the collaboration of the principal investigator with four younger team members. All team members have made, mostly
independently, important and often pioneering contributions to the different aspects of this project. The combination of their
different expertise in a joint effort is a unique feature of the present proposal.
Prof. Dr. Martin Buss
Chair of Automatic Control Engineering
Projekt:
SHRINE
A major barrier exists preventing today's and future interactive robots from smoothly acting in joint workspaces in real-world and in an efficient and socially compatible manner on human terms. Robots lack the ability to plan actions in a timely manner in order to match dynamics of environment and humans. Environment and human motion dynamics have to be known and represented in a way that sufficient prediction and planning quality is provided even in complex dynamic scenarios with many interaction partners accounting for social aspects. Robots need to be aware of human communication principles in order to estimate intentions and to predict future behaviour.
SHRINE aims at breaking this barrier in order to provide future robots with interactive capabilities similar to those of humans and to facilitate joint action of humans and robots sharing one world. SHRINE targets an integrated approach towards interaction in complex dynamically changing human-cantered environments in terms of a hierarchical framework.
SHRINE will investigate dynamic systems approaches to haptic and affective communication in human-robot interaction to consider intention and affect within an integrated robotic control and action planning framework. SHRINE seeks to extend the conventional, purely physics-driven motion prediction approach by estimating intentions of humans and merging these estimates with the dynamic physical environment model. SHRINE will integrate findings from psychology and sociology into the latest path planning and navigation methods.
The approach of SHRINE is highly innovative with pioneering character in the integrated approach as well as in the various sub-fields, strongly interdisciplinary bridging engineering approaches and human sciences, and constitutes visionary high-risk research with high-impact on future technologies in the fields of personal assistant and care robots, human-robot collaboration in manufacturing, and autonomous robots in hum-cantered environments.
Coordination at TU München
ALIAS: Adaptable Ambient Living Assistant
Prof. Dr. Frank Wallhoff, Chair for Man-Machine-Communication
http://www.aal-alias.eu
The objective of the project Adaptable Ambient LIving ASsistant (ALIAS) is the product development of a mobile robot system that interacts with elderly users, monitors and provides cognitive assistance in daily life, and promotes social inclusion by creating connections to people and events in the wider world. The system is designed for people living alone at home or in care facilities such as nursing or elderly care homes. The function of ALIAS is to keep the user linked to the wide society and in this way to improve her/his quality of life by combating loneliness and increasing cognitively stimulating activities. ALIAS is embodied by a mobile robot platform with the capacity to monitor, interact with and access information from on-line services, without manipulation capabilities. ALIAS is not designed to replace human-human contacts, but rather, to enhance and promote these through the proposed wide range of integrated services. By serving as a monitor, a cognitive-prosthetic device and a facilitator of social contacts, the ALIAS system will significantly improve the daily life of elderly people.
To account for the acceptance of a mobile robot system by the elderly people, one focus of the project lies on questions of social acceptance of robot systems in general and in specific within the named user groups. Therefore we will use specific methods of open innovation processes to integrate the users from the very beginning.
The project consortium consists of a well-balanced mix of highly experienced researchers, developers, business partners and one key user-group. The consortium aims at integrating a commercial pilot that includes all state-of-the-art communication media, i.e. (video-) telephone with answering machine, television set, radio, music-box and modern on-line services, e.g. chat tools, Skype, and internet-browsing in the ALIAS robot . On top of the integration of existing solutions, two novelties will be introduced: a) a novel cognitive user interface concept is introduced to ensure a good usability and to avoid people fearing to do harm to the robot. b) a proactive behaviour of the robot platform will ensure that the user stays in contact with his surroundings and gets mentally stimulated. c) the third unique selling point is a Brain-Computer-Interface (BCI) that will be included in order to train and preserve the mental functions of the user.
By offering a fault tolerant, flexible, and mobile communication gateway, including a user-adapted interface, ALIAS can preserve communication abilities with friends and relatives for a long time, which is essential for her/his well-being. ALIAS will accompany the user over a long period and can be continuously adapted to the user’s needs caused by the aging process.
The hardware of the pilot will consist of already available hardware components, its design and software components will be elaborated with very close end-user inclusion in two practical phases. Thus, the envisaged time-to-market of 3 years after the end of the project will be a realistic scenario.
CUSTOMPACKER: Highly Customizable and Flexible Packaging Station for mid- to upper sized Electronic Consumer Goods using Industrial Robots
Prof. Dr. Frank Wallhoff, Chair for Man-Machine-Communication
www.custompacker.eu
The project entitled Highly Customizable and Flexible Packaging Station for mid- to upper sized Electronic Consumer Goods using Industrial Robots (CustomPacker) aims at developing and integrating a scalable and flexible packaging assistant that aids human workers while packaging mid to upper sized and mostly heavy goods. Electronic consumer goods, e.g. TV sets, have a large number of variants are packaged manually. Only in single-variant production lines with high lot sizes, an automation of the packaging step has been introduced. However, automating the packaging process will decrease the production cycle time and costs also for mixed variant production lines, thus allowing that several production lines can be merged to a reduced number of flexible packaging stations. This also allows an optimization with regard to the actual demands of the (various) goods (i.e. number of items produced per day). In order to achieve the realization of these challenging goals for a highly flexible packaging station, CustomPacker will bring together the highly adaptable skills of a human worker together with the precision and ability of robots to carry heavy goods. The main goal of CustomPacker is to design and assemble a packaging workstation mostly using standard hardware components resulting in a universal handling system for different products. Ideally one setup for packaging a high variety of products and components can be implemented, which can be achieved by a teachable system architecture. This will open a new dimension of today s way in how industrial robots are deployed, namely the collaboration of human workers together with robot co-workers. Only by driving the reliability and precision of today s available technology to the limits and by additionally forcing the use of highly sophisticated software modules for worker detection and intention recognition, the cycle times can be reduced in order to justify the investment costs for additional complexity.
DOTSENSE: Chemical sensors based on III-nitride quantum dots as optical transducers
Prof. Dr. Martin Stutzmann, Chair for Experimental Semi-conductor Physics
www.dotsense.eu
The objective of DOTSENSE is the application of III-nitride (InxGa1-xN) quantum dots (QDs) and nanodisks (NDs) as opto-chemical transducers for the detection of hydrogen, hydrocarbons and the pH-value in gaseous and liquid environments. The characteristics of intense room-temperature luminescence from III-nitride nanostructures can be altered by chemically induced variations of the surface potential. The transparency of the substrate material and the involved buffer layers allow optical excitation and detection of the changes in QD or ND luminescence from the substrate backside. These transducers are hence capable of operating in harsh environments (high pressure, explosive media), as neither electrical feedthroughs nor a deterministic current are necessary for the sensor signal read-out. Furthermore, spatially-resolved detection of variations in the surface potential is possible, since the spatial extension of excited nanostructures is determined by the diameter of the incident light beam.
ECHORD:
European Clearing House for Open Robotics Development
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alois Knoll, Informatics VI
www.echord.info
ECHORD (European Clearing House for Open Robotics Development) is a new EU-funded project aiming to strengthen the cooperation between scientific research and industry in robotics. ECHORD is coordinated by Professor Knoll, Technical University of Munich.
Europe has a very strong robot industry and there is significant research potential as well as technological knowledge. There has been a long history of outstanding research and development in both robot manufacturers and research institutes. However, finding common ground between manufacturers and the research community, especially when it comes to defining the future direction of robotics research, has proven difficult in the past.
Thus, ECHORD will act as a "clearing house" to streamline successful know-how transfers by means of open calls for experiments.
IURO: Interactive Urban Robot
Prof. Dr. Martin Buss, Chair for Automatic Control Engineering
www.iuro-project.eu
Autonomous navigation through complex dynamic real-world scenarios is a demanding challenge for today’s mobile robots. The goal of the Interactive Urban Robot (IURO) project is to develop and implement methods and
technologies enabling robots to navigate and interact in densely populated, unknown humancentred environments and retrieve information from human partners in order to achieve a given navigation or interaction goal.
With this goal and relevance for real-life scenarios in mind, IURO takes robots out of the well-structured and well-known environments that are generally found in state-of-the-art robotic experiments, perfectly matching the EU workprogramme by contributing to improved perception and action
capabilities of autonomous robots. Robots with capabilities investigated in IURO will act more robustly in changing and unforeseen situations, with higher autonomy and will be more dependable as they are able to proactively improve their knowledge deficiencies through interaction with humans.
Coordination at Klinikum rechts der Isar
CAMbrella: A pan-European research network for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
Dr. Wolfgang Weidenhammer, Centre for Complementary Medicine Research
www.cambrella.eu
CAMbrella is a pan-European research network for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). 16 partner institutions from 12 european countries are working together to develop a roadmap for future European research in CAM that is appropriate for the health care needs of European citizens and acceptable to the EU Parliament as well as their national research funders and health care providers.
The project has been established under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) in January 2010.
CAMbrella is focussed on academic research groups which do not advocate specific CAM treatments. CAMbrella’s aim is to enable meaningful reliable comparative research and communication within Europe and help to create a sustainable structure and policy for CAM in Europe.
CARDIORISK:
The mechanism of cardiovascular risks after low radiation doses
Prof. Dr. med. Michael Molls, Clinic for Radiotherapy and Radiological Oncology
www.cardiorisk.eu
The aim of this collaborative research project is to elucidate the pathogenesis of early and late alteration in the microcirculation of the heart and of atherosclerotic lesions in arteries after exposure to low radiation doses in comparison to high radiation doses.
A major goal will be the in vivo and ex vivo investigation of early molecular, proinflammatory and prothrombotic changes as well as perfusion alteration, endothelial cell function, cardiac cell integrity and immunologic influences besides structural and morphological studies.
A central component of the project will be the local irradiation of the heart with subsequent isolation of cardiomyocytes and cardiac endothelial cells.
GAMBA: Gene Activated Matrices for Bone and Cartilage Regeneration in Arthritis
Dr. Martina Anton
Institute for Experimental Oncology and Therapy Research
This consortium develops a novel gene-activated matrix platform for bone and cartilage repair with a focus on osteoarthritis-related tissue damage. The S&T objectives of this project are complemented with an innovative program of public outreach, actively linking patients and society to the evolvement of this project. The GAMBA platform is going to implement a concept of spatiotemporal control of regenerative bioactivity on command and demand. A gene-activated matrix is a biomaterial with embedded gene vectors that will genetically modify cells embedded in the matrix. The platform comprises modules that self-adapt to the biological environment and that can be independently addressed with endogenous biological and exogenous physical or pharmacological stimuli, resulting in a temporally and spatially coordinated growth factor gene expression pattern. This reproduces, within the matrix, key elements of natural tissue formation.
The modules are a biomimetic hyaluronan gel, a ceramic matrix, growth factor-encoding gene vector nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles and mesenchymal stem cells. Anatomical adaptivity is achieved with engineered thermal properties of the polymer matrix, which embeds other modules, selected according to functional requirements. Mechanical support is provided by Micro Macroporous Biphasic Calcium Phosphate (MBCP ), a resorbable material approved for clinical use. Spatiotemporal control of bioactivity and responsiveness to physiological conditions is represented, firstly, in the spatial distribution and release profiles of gene vectors within the composite matrix and, secondly, by letting local and external biological or physical stimuli activate the promoters driving the expression of vector-encoded transgenes. This innovative concept is implemented by a multidisciplinary team from leading European institutions combining scientific excellence with a focused plan of dissemination, public participation, gender equality and transition to market.
HIALINE: Health Impacts of Airborne Allergen Information Network
Prof. Dr. Jereon Buters, Center for Allergy and Environment
www.hialine.com
Exposure to allergens is one of several factors determining sensitization and allergic symptoms in individuals. Exposure to aeroallergens from pollen is assessed by counting allergenic pollen in ambient air. However, proof is lacking that pollen count is representative for allergen exposure. We therefore monitored simultaneously birch, grass and olive pollen counts and their corresponding major pollen allergens Bet v 1, Phl p 5 and Ole e 1 across Europe.
Already at one location in Europe in Munich, Germany, we found that the same amount of pollen from different years, different trees and even different days released up to 10-fold different amounts of Bet v 1. Thus exposure to allergen is poorly monitored by only monitoring pollen count. Monitoring the allergen itself in ambient air might be an improvement in allergen exposure assessment.
The objective of the HIALINE-project is to evaluate if these effect found in Munich, Germany are also measurable over a bigger geographic area like Europe, and at the same time implement an outdoor allergen early warning network, in addition to the pollen forecasts. Climatic factors that influence allergen exposure will be extracted and will be used to calculate the effect of climate change on local airborne allergen exposure.
Current users of national pollen information services (atopic individuals, physicians and health authorities) will benefit.
The major allergens from the top 3 airborne allergens in Europe (grasses, birch and olive) are sampled with a cascade impactor, extracted and analyzed by allergen specific ELISA´s. Pollen counts are measured by standard pollen traps. Weather data are correlated. Allergen forecast will be calculated by incorporating our measurements and climatic factors in the SILAM pollen forecast program.
Expected outcomes are the implementation of a network of European outdoor allergen measurements to better predict allergic symptoms. Also the climatic factors that govern allergen exposure in outdoor air will be established. These can be used to calculate the effect of climate change on the health effects of airborne allergens
The Project is coordinated by Prof. Dr. J. Buters, ZAUM-Center for Allergy and Environment (Director Prof. Dr. med. H. Behrendt), with 13 partners in 11 countries for 3 years with a volume of about €700.000. ZAUM is part of the Dermatologic Clinic of the TUM (Director Prof. Dr. Dr. J. Ring).
Acknowledgement:
The research leading to these results has received
funding from the Executive Aency for Health and Consumers
under grant aggreement No 2008 11 07
contact:
brunnera@zv.tum.de
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