Objective
"Modern computational engineering science allows for reliable design of the most breathtaking high-rise buildings, but it has hardly entered the fracture risk assessment of biological structures like bones. Is it only an engineering scientist's dream to decipher mathematically the origins and the evolution of the astonishingly varying mechanical properties of hierarchical biological materials? Not quite: By means of micromechanical theories, we could recently show in a quantitative fashion how ""universal"" elementary building blocks (being independent of tissue type, species, age, or anatomical location) govern the elastic properties of bone materials across the entire vertebrate kingdom, from the super-molecular to the centimetre scale. Now is the time to drive forward these developments beyond elasticity, striving for scientific breakthroughs in multiscale bone strength. Through novel, experimentally validated micromechanical theories, we will aim at predicting tissue-specific inelastic
properties of bone materials, from the ""universal"" mechanical properties of the nanoscaled elementary components (hydroxyapatite, collagen, water), their tissue-specific dosages, and the ""universal"" organizational patterns they build up. Moreover, we will extend cell population models of contemporary systems biology, towards biomineralization kinetics,in
order to quantify evolutions of bone mass and composition in living organisms. When using these evolutions as input for the aforementioned micromechanics models, the latter will predict the mechanical implications of biological processes. This will open unprecedented avenues in bone disease therapies, including patient-specific bone fracture risk assessment relying on micromechanics-based Finite Element analyses."
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2010-StG_20091028
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
1040 Wien
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.