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Content archived on 2024-05-29

Bio-interfaces: From molecular understanding to application

Objective

BIOCONTROL aims at controlling biological functions at, respectively on, bio-interfaces. It is based on the recent recognition of the importance of structure and properties of bio-interfaces, e.g. biological membranes, for a multitude of life processes. We now know that the evolution of atherosclerosis, cancer, immunity and viral infections, neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer, Prion diseases, etc.) and aging depend on perturbations of such interfaces. However, we need to improve our knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms in order to design efficient drugs and to meet the challenges in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This requires a deeper understanding of processes and interactions at bio-interfaces in terms of biology, biochemistry, biophysics and structure.

The two major scientific objectives of BIOCONTROL are to:
1) Provide fundamental knowledge of the forces and molecular mechanisms that regulate the interactions and biological processes taking place in and around biological membranes.
2) Construct bio-mimetic surfaces and self-assembled structures that enable external control of biological and biotechnological processes, such as, cell adhesion and cell cycle regulation.

Real progress in the field can only be achieved by breaking traditional academic borders. This requires the education of new researchers that are trained in cross-disciplinary and collaborative work. Therefore the major educational objective of BIOCONTROL is: Training of a new category of 'life science' experts who can work across disciplines. This will be achieved by an unprecedented interdisciplinary training programme comprising (bio) physicists, biologists, (bio)chemists, surface chemists and computational biologists.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-MOBILITY-1
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

RTN - Marie Curie actions-Research Training Networks

Coordinator

GKSS-FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM GEESTHACHT GMBH
EU contribution
No data
Total cost
No data

Participants (15)