Descrizione del progetto
Un istituto di ricerca sloveno si trasforma in una forza innovatrice nell’ambito delle interazioni microbo-superficie
Comprendere le interazioni che si verificano tra due materiali diversi svolge un ruolo determinante nella progettazione di materiali in settori che spaziano da quello aerospaziale a quello biomedico. Riuscire a capire se un materiale interagisce con un solido, un fluido o un gas oppure con sistemi biologici, quali microbi o tessuti, comprendendone e controllandone le interazioni in superficie è fondamentale per definirne le prestazioni, la sicurezza e l’affidabilità. L’istituto Jožef Stefan, il più importante istituto di ricerca scientifica della Slovenia, sta creando un polo di innovazione per lo studio delle interazioni microbo-superficie grazie al sostegno del progetto SurfBio, finanziato dall’UE. Avvalendosi di metodologie e attrezzature ad alta tecnologia, i ricercatori intendono supportare progettisti di materiali, ricercatori nel settore delle biotecnologie, istituzioni accademiche, le industrie e i responsabili politici tramite servizi di ricerca e valutazioni volti all’ottimizzazione di nuovi materiali per una miriade di applicazioni.
Obiettivo
Novel material’s design is a geopolitical challenge to provide safe, sustainable and cost-efficient industrial products; once in the environment, they face their (intended or not) exposure to biotic factors as microbial cells, which can cause high economic burdens.
Research in the cell-surface interaction field is being addressed from either a biological or a materials science perspective, usually with limited outputs due to the complexity of this topic. The application of both, state of the art spectroscopy and microscopy analytic technologies, microbiology and systems biology tools to study microbial-surface interactions can lead to a better understanding the processes occurring at their interface, which will contribute to provide ad-hoc solutions for materials design with enhanced properties, such as more durable materials (reducing losses), improved antimicrobial surfaces (health sector) or better microbial supports to increase the productivity of bioprocesses (pharma, food, agriculture).
The JSI’s excellent track in basic and applied multidisciplinary research areas, particularly in the combination of physical, chemical and biological processes influencing the environment and human affairs. SurfBio research package (spectrometry, imaging, smart biocarriers, nanoparticles characterization, microbiology, systems biology and bioinformatics), will reinforce JSI to successfully address the interdisciplinary of the topic.
Thus, JSI will lead an emerging discipline, coordinating expert institutions in synergistic fields, finally launching an Innovation Hub to provide research services and assessment to material designers and biotechnology researchers, academy, industry or policy makers. Twinning call matches the needs of the Slovenian research to boost their potential and visibility National and Internationally. Expertise of partners in promotion, funding search and project management and their wide network will support the JSI upgrade balanced and responsively.
Campo scientifico
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementinnovation management
- natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physicssoft matter physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopy
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- H2020-EU.4.b. - Twinning of research institutions Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-WIDESPREAD-2020-5
Meccanismo di finanziamento
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinatore
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia