About the episode
The cells in our body are surrounded by a material that provides support and structure. Not only does the material do that, it also sends signals to the cells, like a conductor giving instructions to an orchestra.
Instructions from the conducting material can be mechanical as well as biochemical. The mechanical signals carry information about the softness or stiffness of the material, while the biochemical signals instruct the cells through small molecules.
All of them affect how cells behave. This material is not just a bit of insulation, or protection. So if you do research on cells and their behavior in the lab, it cannot be missing from your dish of cells. Now, material that comes from a tumor of a mouse is often used as an alternative to the natural version. You see: not ideal. This is partly because it is difficult to control in terms of growth and that makes it unsuitable for use in a clinical setting.
And so TU Eindhoven researcher Patricia Dankers wants to use her recently received NWO grant of 1.5 million euros to develop an artificial alternative for this with a new team of researchers. It must be an interactive synthetic hydrogel. Not an easy job, but if it succeeds, it can make a big difference for future research.
Read more here: Vici grant helps Patricia Danker’s dreams come true
All Vici awards (34 in total) can be found here: Vici 2022