Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OBERON (Opto-Biomechanical Eye Research Network)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-01-01 bis 2022-12-31
The eye is a biological tissue with optical and biomechanical properties that govern the way the eye refracts light, focuses that light onto the retina and can dynamically alter that focus over a range of distances.
This impressive flexibility results from the delicate way in which the mechanical properties of the eye very precisely affect its optics.
These properties vary considerably between individuals and can alter over time in response to visual demands, as well as with eye growth, ageing and pathology.
The origins of these biomechanical changes over time are very poorly understood, however, and point at a need for answers, given the increase in life expectancy and in societal demands for high quality vision.
OBERON is an European collaboration that brings together a group of scientists that work on the optics and biomechanics of the eye, cover a broad range of disciplines and skills and aims to create a unique, biologically viable and physiologically relevant modelling platform describing the interactions between ocular mechanical properties, optics and geometry in a way adaptable to a wide range of ocular conditions.
Specific goals:
- Create a research network where a group of talented ESRs can train, work together and exchange ideas with European experts on topics related to visual optics and biomechanics.
- Improve fundamental knowledge on unsolved topics of visual optics and biomechanics.
- Create the opto-biomechanical model as a platform for future analyses.
- Expand this platform to incorporate the influences of ageing, accommodation, select pathologies (e.g. keratoconus), and responses to therapies (e.g. cross-linking, refractive surgery, intraocular lens implantation, etc.).
- Develop innovative applications in corneal and cataract surgery, highlighting the platform’s strength.
- Ensure that Europe cements its place as a world leader and pioneer in the field of visual optics and eye modelling.
This impressive flexibility results from the delicate way in which the mechanical properties of the eye very precisely affect its optics.
These properties vary considerably between individuals and can alter over time in response to visual demands, as well as with eye growth, ageing and pathology.
The origins of these biomechanical changes over time are very poorly understood, however, and point at a need for answers, given the increase in life expectancy and in societal demands for high quality vision.
OBERON is an European collaboration that brings together a group of scientists that work on the optics and biomechanics of the eye, cover a broad range of disciplines and skills and aims to create a unique, biologically viable and physiologically relevant modelling platform describing the interactions between ocular mechanical properties, optics and geometry in a way adaptable to a wide range of ocular conditions.
Specific goals:
- Create a research network where a group of talented ESRs can train, work together and exchange ideas with European experts on topics related to visual optics and biomechanics.
- Improve fundamental knowledge on unsolved topics of visual optics and biomechanics.
- Create the opto-biomechanical model as a platform for future analyses.
- Expand this platform to incorporate the influences of ageing, accommodation, select pathologies (e.g. keratoconus), and responses to therapies (e.g. cross-linking, refractive surgery, intraocular lens implantation, etc.).
- Develop innovative applications in corneal and cataract surgery, highlighting the platform’s strength.
- Ensure that Europe cements its place as a world leader and pioneer in the field of visual optics and eye modelling.
The project officially started on January 1st 2021, and the Kick-off meeting took place in a 1-day on-line session on January 13th, 2021 with all Beneficiaries and Partners. The recruitment process was announced in Euraxes and other scientific, professional, and social media dissemination platforms. The recruitment process ended by December 2021 with all 15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) starting their projects between Month 9 and Month 13, on time to accomplish their 36-month PhD projects.
On November 22-24th 2021 the 1st Annual Meeting was held in Zaragoza, Spain.
In terms of dissemination, project social media platforms were created on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as well as a dedicated website. Finally, the Dissemination Board listed a set of guidelines for dissemination activities.
Personal Career Development Plans and the Research Protocols were drafted by all ESRs and Supervisors, coordinated and supervised by the Training Board Coordinator and Scientific Board Coordinator, respectively. Personal career development plans (PCDP) have been reported in deliverable 5.2 according to the Attachment 5 of Consortium Agreement, subject to minor changes approved by all Beneficiaries. This has been included in Deliverable 7.7 in more detail including Publications, Conference Presentations, Acquisition of research skills, Acquisition of other relevant skills, Placements and Networking perspectives. At the time of previous reporting 3 ESRs had not provided a full description of their Placements. Meanwhile, they have been specified for all of them.
The Supervisory Boards were established during the Kick-off meeting in January 2021 and the ESR members joined them during the 1st annual meeting in November 2021.
Continuous reporting to the European Commission was done during multiple direct contacts with the Project Officer was well as Formal Notifications and Deliverable submission through the European Commission Portal.
During 2022 all the projects have advanced significantly towards the objective of the project as described in the description of the action: “to create a unique, biologically viable and physiologically relevant modelling platform describing the interactions between ocular mechanical properties and geometry in a way adaptable to a wide range of ocular conditions”.
Several research outputs have been identified. For the Dissemination aspect, the Project’s social media platforms were created on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and a new Website platform was launched in March 2021 as well as an infrastructure for centralized job application submissions. Finally, the Dissemination Board elaborated a set of guidelines for dissemination activities.
Further updates to be published at Dissemination section of OBERON's webpage: https://eyemodel.eu/events/
On November 22-24th 2021 the 1st Annual Meeting was held in Zaragoza, Spain.
In terms of dissemination, project social media platforms were created on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as well as a dedicated website. Finally, the Dissemination Board listed a set of guidelines for dissemination activities.
Personal Career Development Plans and the Research Protocols were drafted by all ESRs and Supervisors, coordinated and supervised by the Training Board Coordinator and Scientific Board Coordinator, respectively. Personal career development plans (PCDP) have been reported in deliverable 5.2 according to the Attachment 5 of Consortium Agreement, subject to minor changes approved by all Beneficiaries. This has been included in Deliverable 7.7 in more detail including Publications, Conference Presentations, Acquisition of research skills, Acquisition of other relevant skills, Placements and Networking perspectives. At the time of previous reporting 3 ESRs had not provided a full description of their Placements. Meanwhile, they have been specified for all of them.
The Supervisory Boards were established during the Kick-off meeting in January 2021 and the ESR members joined them during the 1st annual meeting in November 2021.
Continuous reporting to the European Commission was done during multiple direct contacts with the Project Officer was well as Formal Notifications and Deliverable submission through the European Commission Portal.
During 2022 all the projects have advanced significantly towards the objective of the project as described in the description of the action: “to create a unique, biologically viable and physiologically relevant modelling platform describing the interactions between ocular mechanical properties and geometry in a way adaptable to a wide range of ocular conditions”.
Several research outputs have been identified. For the Dissemination aspect, the Project’s social media platforms were created on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and a new Website platform was launched in March 2021 as well as an infrastructure for centralized job application submissions. Finally, the Dissemination Board elaborated a set of guidelines for dissemination activities.
Further updates to be published at Dissemination section of OBERON's webpage: https://eyemodel.eu/events/
This highly interdisciplinary consortium will also create a training network to give young researchers the opportunity to learn from renowned experts on ocular optomechanics, share their learning experiences and take advantage of placements in Universities, hospitals and industry.
This will give them a wide and novel skill set to translate their research to scientific, industrial, or clinical applications, such as a new generation intraocular implants for cataract surgery, biologically relevant eye models that mimic the eye at any age, and novel treatment therapies that can control, reduce or ultimately prevent refractive error from occurring.
These anticipated innovations will lead to wide-reaching and pioneering advances to enhance our understanding of the interrelationship between ocular optics and biomechanics. From this, the young researchers will emerge with multi-disciplinary, versatile skills, be highly employable, able to address skills shortages, be leaders in vision science and pioneer new industries in optical design and modelling.
The results of some of the projects have been presented at several international conferences and published recently in peer-review journals.
This will give them a wide and novel skill set to translate their research to scientific, industrial, or clinical applications, such as a new generation intraocular implants for cataract surgery, biologically relevant eye models that mimic the eye at any age, and novel treatment therapies that can control, reduce or ultimately prevent refractive error from occurring.
These anticipated innovations will lead to wide-reaching and pioneering advances to enhance our understanding of the interrelationship between ocular optics and biomechanics. From this, the young researchers will emerge with multi-disciplinary, versatile skills, be highly employable, able to address skills shortages, be leaders in vision science and pioneer new industries in optical design and modelling.
The results of some of the projects have been presented at several international conferences and published recently in peer-review journals.