#neuroscience #childhood development #complex biological systems

Project Idea

As a baby grows from a fetus to a child, its brain grows from a few thousand cells to over 100 billion. Understanding how cells organise themselves during this period can help us to understand the development of complex behaviours, the origins of psychiatric disorders and what makes humans unique. In this project, we will use tissue samples and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate human brain development. We aim to model complex patterns of cellular reorganisation and thereby derive the rules that govern healthy brain development.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Boost Fund provides an incredible opportunity to analyse a historical set of human brain tissue (collected between 1960 and 1985) that covers prenatal and childhood development. Such collections, housed in museums and universities around the world, can provide vital insight into development and evolution, but they are underutilised due to methodological difficulties (e.g. inconsistent tissue quality). We believe we can reinvigorate their use via advanced image processing and combined MRI analysis, and in doing so improve our understanding of brain organisation.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would read more philosophical works, especially on the nature of being, and I would spend more time immersed in nature, perhaps in German forests or on my native Australian coastline.

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Name: Casey Paquola, Ph.D.
Research field: Neuroscience
Institution: Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1)
Web: Multiscale Neuroanatomy Lab

#physics #pressure #electrons

Project Idea

I study the properties of crystals at very cold temperatures – at just a few degrees above absolute zero—where quantum aspects of the electrons play an important role. I learn about the electrons by applying pressure to the crystal. This can change the behaviour of the electrons just as lowering temperature changes water into ice. To do these experiments, I use equipment that doesn’t have much room inside. My project is to develop a new pressure device that is even smaller than existing ones so that I can do experiments in a new and exciting set of experimental conditions.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost fund is helping me to bridge a technological gap between having a prototype device and having a proven, reliable device that can be used in extreme conditions. By enabling me to purchase equipment for dedicated use on my project, the KT Boost fund is accelerating the development of my device, granting me independence, and giving me crucial experience in directly managing both scientific and financial aspects of a research project.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time with family and friends who are scattered around the world. I would also get back into making music with other people, singing in a choir or playing my harp in an orchestra.

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Name: Hilary Noad, Ph.D.
Research field: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Institution: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids/ Physics of Quantum Materials
Website: Physics of Quantum Materials

#tumor immunology #metabolism #CRISPR screens

Project Idea

The recent successes of immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, treatment failure and resistance are frequently observed. Different metabolism-related factors including the competition for nutrients between cancer and immune cells affect how the immune system attacks tumors. This project aims to understand whether and how cancer cells modify their metabolism as a strategy to evade the immune system. Likewise, this project will investigate whether specific metabolic pathways hamper the ability of immune cells to eradicate tumors.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

My goal is to set up an independent and fruitful laboratory to study metabolic networks in tumor immunity with the ultimate purpose of improving the efficacy of current immunotherapies. The KT Boost Fund will allow me to carry on an innovative and multidisciplinary project that will make relevant contributions to the tumor immunology field. The results of this proposal will lay the foundations for the research of my future laboratory. Furthermore, funds will help me maintain and broaden my collaborations, an essential success factor at the initial stages as an independent investigator.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would practice outdoor sports with my children, travel more, take piano lessons, read more books, study philosophy, engage in voluntary work and organize mentoring activities for young scientists.

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Name: Inmaculada Martínez-Reyes, Ph.D.
Research field: Tumor Immunology, Cancer Metabolism, Immunometabolism
Institution:Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine – Molecular Immunology and Gene Therapy
Web: MDC
LinkedIn: Profile
Twitter: @inma_mreyes

#host-pathogen interaction #virology #innate immunity

Project Idea

Viruses and their hosts are in a constant evolutionary race, each developing new ways to counteract the other. A major host defense mechanism against infections is the interferon system, discovered over half a century ago. Interferons are best known to activate the transcription of multiple cellular genes to establish a cellular antiviral state. We will investigate how exposure to interferon alters the host cell landscape at multiple layers, and how these changes come together to restrict viral infections.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

Understanding how our innate immune system interacts with and prevents the replication of viruses will provide new ways to target infections. The KT boost fund will give me the freedom to ask basic research questions in a proof-of-concept study. It will allow me to demonstrate my scientific independence, bringing to life a project that I have designed, for which I acquired funding, recruited help, established collaborations and did the work.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would love to travel to visit all of my wonderful friends who are now spread out all over the world.

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Name: Oya Cingöz, Ph.D.
Research field: Infection and immunity
Institution: Robert Koch Institute/Dept. of Infectious Diseases
Web: RKI/ Infectious Deseases/ Unit 18
LinkedIn: Profile
Twitter: @CingozLab
ORCID: ORCID

#soft robot design #biomimetics #machine learning

Project Idea

Soft robots have the potential to provide assistance to humans in a broad range of applications. They unfold their special potential in safe interaction with humans, where conventional robots can cause a serious risk of injury. The greatest challenge in their design is currently to develop a mechanical structure that is generally able to realize the targeted maneuvers. In this research project, a bionic design process based on machine learning will be developed to determine optimal motions of soft robots and, at the same time, generate new insights in biology within a “reverse engineering” approach.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

I am currently a postdoc at the TU Munich and am therefore still at the beginning of my scientific career. This stage comes with many new, exciting, challenging and also time-consuming tasks. Especially in this demanding phase, the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund offers me the opportunity to allow myself the time and the resources needed to familiarize and dig into new research fields as well as to apply them and generate own research ideas. Therefore, the funding helps me to broaden my portfolio and increase my chances for future career steps in academia.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time with my family in nature and pursue music and sports. In contrast to my job, I would do more hands-on work, such as crafting, or simply get carried away while reading an exciting book.

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Name: Dr.-Ing. Renate Sachse
Research field: Computational and structural mechanics
Institution: Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Institute for Computational Mechanics
Web: Institute for Computational Mechanics

#computability theory #models of computation #logic in computer science

Project idea

When you look closely at a computer screen, you observe that the picture consists of tiny pixels. This is just an example: all digital information is composed of discrete units, right down to the foundations, including Alan Turing’s famous ‘machine model’. Then, how should we compute with the non-discrete objects from e.g. mathematics and physics? Stephen Kleene has provided one answer via his computation schemes S1-S9, with some drawbacks. During my project, I will develop an alternative approach to computing with non-discrete objects, marrying the best of the Turing and Kleene approach.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The funding provided by the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will (i) sponsor an interdisciplinary project in the intersection of computer science and mathematics, and: (ii) allow me to focus full time on the development of a new model of computation that acts directly on higher mathematics and combines the advantages of the known approaches, and: (iii) provide the necessary opportunities to promote this new model (through travel, conferences, workshop organisation) and attract researchers to my research enterprise.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would teach myself a number of new languages. I would like to master Japanese, Italian, and Norwegian. 

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Name: Sam Sanders, Ph.D.
Research field: Computability theory/ Models of computation/ Logic in computer science
Institution: Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Philosophy II
Web: Personal Website

#supraparticles #nanoparticle assembly #catalysis

Project Idea

Praline makers combine diverse ingredients, such as chocolate, cacao powder, or sugar sprinkles, with different properties for the creation of truffle balls with an optimized taste and a certain size for better bare hand eating. Transferring this concept to materials chemistry, the combination of various materials yields a composite material with optimized performance and a certain size for better handling. Inspired by praline makers, in this project, millimeter-sized composites as support materials for catalysis are created.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund allows me to dive into a novel research field of millimeter-sized composites creation and the interdisciplinary assessment of their use as support materials for catalysis. This will be realized via a close collaboration of materials chemists with chemical engineers and may lay the foundations for further projects in the future.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would travel around the world with my husband and two children or spend more time in my garden growing flowers.

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Name: Dr. Susanne Wintzheimer
Research field: Materials Chemistry
Institution:Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg / Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy / The Supraparticle Group
Web: The Supraparticle Group

#lanthanides #cluster #magnetismmemory

Project Idea

The main goal of the project is developing new classes of dinuclear lanthanide complexes with bridging inorganic cluster ligands with promising applications for design of high-performance single molecule magnets. Such molecule devices can increase the efficiency of existing processes in processing and storage of information, or advance new technologies, for example in spintronics or molecular cooling. Bridging species have a great impact on the magnetic exchange between two lanthanide centers. The project idea concerns the novel clusters to insert them between magnetic centers.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The funding from the KT Boost Fund would be an essential step for me to continue my career in science and to set up my own junior research group. Another great opportunity is to purchase a glove box, which is absolutely necessary to ensure my independent work for years or maybe decades, because the target products are extremely sensitive to air and moisture. Without funding, I would have had to put on hold my plans to create my own group. Indeed, early career support from KT Boost Fund could advance my research to a new level.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would do research to catch up during the pandemic. Then I would spend this time with my children without feeling guilty about being at work.

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Name: Dr. Svetlana Klementyeva
Research field: Coordination and organometallic chemistry of rare earth metals
Institution: University of Tübingen / Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
Web: Institutional (AG Schnepf)

#metabolite-protein interactions #machine-learning approaches #constraint-based metabolic models

Project Idea

The map of metabolite-protein interactions is key to specifying the mechanisms underlying the mutual feedbacks between transcription and metabolism. Integrating the map of such interactions in genome-scale metabolic networks improves predictions of growth and other metabolic traits that depend on metabolism. This project will both contribute to discovering new principles of cellular regulation with novel machine-learning approaches and to characterizing their role via in silico experiments in the constraint-based modeling framework.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

With the opportunity provided by The Klaus Tschira Boost fund, I hope to further extend my experiences by supervising a PhD student and to develop my academic expertise. This would help me establish my own line of research, expand my scientific network, and promote me to the level of an independent group leader.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time with my loved ones, learn a language, travel more often, play board games with friends, watch more movies, …

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Name: Dr. Zahra Razaghi-Moghadam
Research field: Systems biology
Institution: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Bioinformatics & Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Systems Biology and Mathematical Modelling

#Gastruloids
#Non-human primates
#Primordial germ cells

Project Idea

My research programme focus on studying primordial germ cells (PGCs), the early embryonic precursors of sperm or eggs. For this, I will make use of gastruloids, an in vitro model of early embryo development. I aim to generate and study human and non-human primate gastruloids.

Using both species in parallel will open up the possibility to dissect potential similarities and differences between human and NHP early development. Altogether, this project will constitute a defined in vitro 3-dimensional system to study PGC specification in primates and contribute to the 3Rs in animal experimentation.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The support of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund (KTB) will allow me to generate 3D primate gastruloids with spatio-temporal organization and PGC competence. Additionally, KTBF will potentiate the international collaboration of the two different research groups involved in this project, Dr.Ufuk Günesdogan (Georg August University of Göttingen), and Dr. Naomi Moris (Francis Crick institute of London).

Taken together, the funds and the scientific network of the KTB will significantly enhance my career prospects towards my aim of becoming an independent researcher directing my own research program.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

would spend more time with my loved ones, travel for longer periods, and develop my passions, i.e., climbing, cooking

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Name: Dr. Ignacio Rodríguez Polo
Research field: Translational stem cells research/ Developmental biology
Institution:

(1) Georg August University of Goettingen/Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB)/Dept. of Developmental Biology

(2) The Francis Crick Institute, London

More about me

-Twitter: @PoloAug
-LinkedIn: Ignacio Rodriguez Polo
-ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ignacio-Rodriguez-Polo
–https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1254-4972

#T-cell metabolism #Adaptive immunity #Infection control

Project Idea

T-cells are ‘the army’ of the adaptive immune system, which protects us against harmful viruses and bacteria. During infection, T-cells adapt from resting into specialized effector cells, rapidly expand in numbers and kill infected cells. But in order to switch function, T-cells need fuels like nutrients and small molecules called metabolites which they take up from their local environment. In my project, I will tackle the mystery which metabolites affect T-cell function most. And, could it be possible that bacteria in the gut impact the composition of these molecules in a nearby organ?

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The funding via the KT Boost Fund will increase my level of scientific independence, strengthen my research profile and develop my career prospects towards an independent junior research group leader assignment. In the next couple of years I will work on these goals with the help of the GSO through further refining and developing my personal and professional profiles, while project funds from the Klaus Tschira Foundation will enable the implementation of my project ideas.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time with playing my piano, do long hiking tours and resume my sports training. With two small children and a research career, spare time is scarce and the most precious good I have to be shared with my loved ones.

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Name: Dr. Anna Schulz
Research field: Immunology, Metabolism, Viral infections
Institution: Chair of Animal Physiology and Immunology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich
Web: TUM-Chair of Animal Physiology and Immunology

#light-matter interaction #laser-physics #contact-free light control

Project Idea

This project targets a very basic question from a new perspective: How can we control the directional propagation of light? In contrast to photons, particles such as electrons or ions can be directed via free-space control mechanisms utilizing electric or magnetic fields without requiring the interaction with solid matter. A similar efficient but contact-free control option is not available for light. In this project, we plan to explore a new method employing classical light-matter interaction in gases, promising contract-free control possibilities for coherent light such as laser beams.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

I am currently holding a joint appointment as a junior research group leader at the Deutsche Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg and at the Helmholtz-Institute Jena. With the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund, I would like to leverage scientific independence by starting a new research direction complementing my ongoing activities ranging from precision spectroscopy to lasers for modern laser-driven accelerators. In addition, the Klaus Tschira Boost funds will help consolidating recently stated cross-disciplinary collaborations e.g. with the Technical University of Darmstadt.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time with my family. In addition, I would embark on designing novel cargo-bikes or engage in clean energy production activities.

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Name: Dr. Christoph M. Heyl
Research field: Laser physics
Institution: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY & Helmholtz-Institute Jena
ResearchGate: Christoph Heyl
Web: DESY; Helmholtz Institute Jena

#Photocatalysis #CO₂ Capture #Utilization

Project Idea

Carbon dioxide is one of the most abundant greenhouse gases that significantly contributes to global climate change. Inspired by Nature, where photosynthesis converts light, water and CO₂ into chemical energy, this project manages CO₂ waste as a resource exploiting renewable energy such as visible light to access an eco-friendly lifecycle of chemical products. The utilisation of CO₂ as raw material is one of the key challenges in modern chemistry, requiring highly efficient catalysts and renewable energy sources. We will develop smart photocatalytic materials and exploit them in photoelectroreduction of CO₂.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will aid me in exploring new pathways for the capture and utilisation of CO₂, giving me the chance to start new interdisciplinary collaborations at the interface between Chemistry and Physics. I can hire a PhD student who will experience the beauty of fundamental research, also having a taste of future (industrial) applications. I will be able to buy specialised equipment and chemicals, and receive further support for publication costs and travel expenses. Last but not least, I am thrilled I can participate in the networking activities and workshops of the KT Boost Fund Program, supporting my determination to achieve my professional goals with a powerful stimulus.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would play longer with my daughter, visit more often my family in Italy and join a choir!

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Name: Dr. Claudia Bizzarri
Research field: Photoactive metal complexes for catalysis and bioimaging
Institution: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry
Web: Bizzarri Group
Instagram: @chemistrylab110

#Greenland #Iceberg #Melting

Project Idea

Melting icebergs impact marine ecosystems by releasing freshwater and sediments into the surrounding seawater. The added freshwater alters the density of the seawater, which changes how the water flows and mixes. Sediments may contain nutrients and they can change the optical properties of the seawater, both of which can impact the productivity of photosynthetic organisms. Our understanding of iceberg melt is based on limited observations and overly simplistic models. The project will study iceberg melt and its impacts on marine ecosystems in Greenland and Antarctica.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The fund will enable an international group of early-career researchers to conduct a 3-week expedition to Greenland to study iceberg melt that will also provide training and educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. The expedition is a unique opportunity to apply novel techniques to better understand ice-ocean interactions that would not happen without contributions from the Fund.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

…would write science fiction novels.

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Name: Dr. Daniel Carlson
Research field: Oceanography
Institution: Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute of Coastal Ocean Dynamics, Oceanography
Web: Personal Website
ResearchGate: Daniel Carlson
Twitter: @OceanYodeller

#Structural virology #Human cytomegalovirus #Cellular cryo-electron tomography

Project Idea

Being obligatory intracellular parasites, viruses infect a specific host and hijack the cellular machinery to replicate themselves. With cryo-electron tomography, I aim at investigating virus-host interactions at the molecular resolution and in native state directly inside infected cells. Human cytomegalovirus is the first cause of congenital birth defect in industrialized countries and here, we will elucidate key aspects of virus replication, assembly and persistence by focusing on the remodelling of cellular organelles and the 3D reorganization of the intracellular space late in infection

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

Thanks to the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund, I can develop further my own line of research on “Organelle remodelling as a platform for Human Cytomegalovirus assembly” and foster international collaborations. This independent funding gives me also access to state-of-the-art facilities and the possibility to recruit my own students. The expected findings of the proposed research are likely to pave the way for more targeted research on the molecular mechanisms at play as well as applied studies for the development of new vaccines, antiviral drugs and control measures against human cytomegalovirus.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

…would like to do millions of things including voluntary work in associations, mentoring students, reading books, do sports, cook, bake, travel and most importantly spend more time with my family.

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Name: Dr. Emmanuelle Quemin
Research field: Structural virology
Institution: HPI Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology / Centre for Structural Systems Biology / Structural Cell Biology of viruses
Web: HPI- Structural Cell Biology of Viruses

#Pathogen genomics #Evolution #Ancient DNA

Project Idea

Despite the dramatic impact of infectious diseases on human evolution, we have little understanding about their origin. We believe spillover events from domesticated animals during the agricultural transition starting around 10,000 years ago gave rise to many major human pathogens today. Here we set out to find ancient DNA of infectious pathogens in the remains of prehistoric domesticates and humans. We aim to reconstruct the genomes of ancient pathogens, elucidate their prehistoric reservoir and understand the genetic changes behind the spillover.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

I am fascinated by ancient DNA and the unprecendented insights such genetic time travel can provide. Ancient DNA research is truly interdisciplinary, combining vastly different exptertise ranging from molecular biology and computational data analysis to archaeology and history. The KT Boost fund provides me the pivotal funding necessary to accommodate the expertise in my young lab as well as finance the costly data generation necessary to take on this project.

If I had more time for things other than research …

There is nothing better than grabbing my three kids on the weekend and take them out into the wild. It helps the whole family to reset and stay sane in the midst of our fast paced daily life.

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Name: Dr. Felix M. Key
Research field: Evolutionary genetics
Institution: MPIIB Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology
Web: Key Lab
Twitter: @fm_key

#Quantum Field Theory #Gravity #Symmetries

Project Idea

Three of the four fundamental forces in Nature are beautifully captured by the framework of quantum field theory. Within this framework predictions for scattering experiments at particle colliders rely on the knowledge of certain mathematical building blocks, so-called Feynman integrals. Their analytical understanding, however, is currently limited to the simplest examples. It is the aim of this project to explore new hidden symmetries of these integrals. In particular, it will focus on the recent discovery of similar structures in the context of the fourth fundamental force, gravity.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The funding provided by the Boost Fund will help paving the way for understanding the connections between established quantum field theory methods for scattering amplitudes and theoretical predictions for gravitational wave physics. Together with my collaborators, who will be supported by the Boost Fund, we will focus on new symmetries in Einstein’s theory of gravity and on exploiting resulting constraints for interacting black hole systems. Insights into the mathematical structure of elementary particle physics and new relations to the theory of integrable models are to be expected.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend most of it with my family and distribute the rest among photography, gardening and sports.

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Name: Dr. Florian Loebbert
Research field: Theoretical Particle Physics
Institution: University of Bonn/ Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics
Web: BCTP Bonn

#Air quality #Atmospheric chemistry #Urban emissions

Project Idea

The quality of the air we breathe is largely affected by anthropogenic emissions. Volatile chemical products that include emissions from personal care products, cleaning agents, coatings, as well as other everyday chemical products have immerged as one of the largest urban emission source of gas-phase organic compounds. In this project we will identify their potential to form ozone and particulate matter, two of the most relevant pollutants for health impacts. This will be achieved by performing ambient measurements in the US onboard an aircraft and in Germany using a mobile laboratory.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will be an ideal first milestone towards establishing my own research ideas and becoming a leading scientist in the field of atmospheric air pollution. Funding will be used to expand my collaborations by participating in one of the largest aircraft missions to understand urban and marine air pollution in the US called AEROMMA (https://csl.noaa.gov/projects/aeromma/). The gained expertise from this mission will then be used to develop my own experimental setup for air quality measurements in urban environments across Europe.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would travel more, especially at remote places close to the ocean where I could enjoy spearfishing, the silent beauty of the deep ocean, colourful sunsets, and the sound of waves while falling asleep.

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Name: Dr. Georgios Gkatzelis
Research field: Atmospheric Chemistry
Institution:Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-8: Troposphere, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Web: Organic Trace Gases Group
Twitter: @GGkatzelis
LinkedIn: Georgios Gkatzelis

#Molecular networks #Computational analysis #Drug response prediction 

Project Idea

Networks are used to mathematically represent and computationally analyze complex processes. We develop mathematical and algorithmic approaches to investigate the huge networks arising from the highly complex system of human body cells. These are composed of millions of different, interacting molecules. During disease, molecular functioning is disturbed. Which drug can help? We develop software tools to derive predictions on that question based on large molecular networks. We consider different conditions, e.g. cancer subtypes, or age, and use molecular data including peptides and transcripts.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The funding enables me to team up with a postdoctoral researcher and a student research assistant to leverage our interdisciplinary expertise of computer science and mathematics for a medically relevant problem. With joint forces, we can bring our solutions into a usable format for a broad audience within short time. In addition, I can gather first experience leading a research team. The project strengthens my profile as established and independent scientist in the field of network-based analysis and thus helps me on my path towards a permanent leadership position in research.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would practice soccer tricks to show my sons, play volleyball and go swimming more often, play more card or board games with my family, read more books, learn a new language and to play the guitar, …

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Name: Dr. Katharina Baum
Research field: Network-based data analysis
Institution: Data Analytics and Computational Statistics, Hasso Plattner Institute, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam
LinkedIn: Katharina Baum

#Plant microbiomes #Microbial interactions #Microbial ecology

Project Idea

Plant pathogens can be devastating, causing major annual losses to crop yields. Interestingly, potential pathogens can often be readily isolated from perfectly healthy tissues in wild plants. How is this possible? Theory predicts virulence is mainly determined by host and pathogen traits, but the rich microbial communities on plants have often been observed to play important roles. Here, I aim to study the role of metabolic cross-feeding between commensal bacteria and potential pathogens to determine whether and how it favors reduced virulence of pathogens.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

If we can better understand how cross-feeding influences pathogen virulence, it would possible to influence it by plant breeding. Thus, I believe this research has potential to open new approaches to sustainably combat plant diseases and control plant microbiomes. The Klaus Tschira Boost fund will enable me to hire a postdoctoral scientist and to diversify our approach and drive our research in this direction. Personally, the funding to jumpstart a new and novel research direction and to build and strengthen collaborations represents an important step toward an independent career in academia.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would keep spending lots of time with my family, but it would be much more focused on them and valuable! I would also spend more time outdoors, where I find it is easiest for me to think.

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Name: Dr. Matthew Agler
Research field:Microbial ecology and Plant-microbe interactions
Institution: Friedrich Schiller University of Jena/ Department of Microbiology
Web: The Plant Microbiosis Lab
Twitter: @aglernino

#Mosquitoes #Viruses #Interactions

Project Idea

Often considered as the deadliest animals on earth, mosquitoes owe their bad name to the dangerous microorganisms they transmit, including viruses like Dengue. Mosquitoes also host viruses that are not transmitted to humans, called insect specific viruses. Insect specific viruses share the same host environment with mosquito-borne pathogens and can interfere with their transmission to other animals. As such, they can be used to control mosquito-borne diseases although the mechanisms behind these interactions are unknown. My project aims to understand how microorganisms in mosquitoes interact.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund will significantly contribute to my academic career by enabling me to lead my first independent research project within my host institute. This project will be a first step to create my line of research. Without the KT Boost Fund, it would be impossible to focus on a more fundamental side of the vector ecology research. At the moment, this is not the main focus of my current funding as a post-doctoral researcher. The KT Boost Fund will also allow me to establish my own collaborations and help me build my network.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would train for a marathon. I run long distances but it is difficult to find the time to train consistently. I would sing and play ukulele more. I also want to become fluent in German one day 🙂

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Name: Dr. Mine Altinli
Research field: Molecular Entomology
Institution: Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine
Web: Schnettler Group
Google Scholar: Mine Altinli
Twitter: @mine_altinli / @BNITM_de

#Brain connectivity #Polarimetry #Light scattering

Project Idea

Studying the function of the brain requires precise knowledge about its nerve fiber architecture. 3D-Polarized Light Imaging reconstructs 3D nerve fiber tracts in whole brain sections, but leaves uncertainties in pixels containing crossing fibers. The recently developed technique Scattered Light Imaging reconstructs crossing nerve fiber pathways with micrometer resolution. In this project, we will build a Scattering Polarimeter that combines both techniques in one system, enabling multi-modal imaging of brain tissue and providing unprecedented insights into the brain’s nerve fiber network.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund empowers me to bring my recently developed neuroimaging techniques into practice. It allows me to purchase high-quality equipment for a new imaging system, showcase my research at international conferences, and start new collaborations. It gives me the necessary freedom, time, and support to realize my own ideas and establish my own field of research. With my own independent funding, I can hire a PhD student and start building my own research group – a first decisive step in my scientific career towards an established, independent position in academia.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would travel around the world and get to know other cultures – there is so much to see! Back home, I would spend more time on my hobbies such as playing music, hiking, ballroom dancing, and painting.

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Name: Dr. Miriam Menzel
Research field: Neuroimaging
Institution: Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1)
Web: Fibre Architecture Group / Personal Profile
ResearchGate: Miriam Menzel

Project Idea

Semicunducting materials play a major role in modern society as they enable miniaturization of electronics and therefore fuel our interactive lifestyle. Some of these materials are combinations of triele elements (Al, Ga, In) with pnictogens (P, As, Sb) and their production is challenging. We investigate the fundamental reactivity of tripnictanes Pn₃R₃ (Pn = P, As), for example as a tool to selectively make molecular precursors to semi-conducting materials by selectively providing the pnictogen part. A compound known as Salvarsan, was the first cure for syphilis and its major component is believed to be a triarsirane As₃R₃. We seek to selectively make the active ingredient of Salvarsan, solving a mystery that is over 100 years old.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

How does the KT Boost Fund Having a postdoctoral researcher will allow us to diversify the research program further beyond our initial objectives. In addition, the KT Boost fund will give us the opportunity to strengthen existing national and international collaborations on the chemistry of triphosphiranes, by sending student research assistants to work in the laboratories of our collaborators. The KT Boost fund will allow me to dedicate more of my time into the training of student research assistants and to actively work towards my habilitation through diversification of my research program. I am looking forward to be part of the KT fellow’s network, thus, giving me the opportunity to engage with a wider community to broaden my horizon, personally and professionally.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spent more time with my wife and two children in the wilderness and dive more into landscape photography.

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Name: Dr. Christian Hering-Junghans
Research field: Inorganic Chemistry / Catalysis
Institution: Leibniz Institute for Catalysis Rostock (LIKAT)
Web: www.chj-photography.com (personal),
www.catalysis.de (institutional)
Twitter: @hering_lab

Project Idea

In the project I will investigate implications of the theory of certain modular forms for the number of rational points on elliptic curves. Elliptic curves are given by solutions to equations of the form E : y² = x³ + ax + b, where a and b are rational. The complex points of such objects have a very appealing form: they look like donuts! Particularly interesting are the rational points of E which can be compared to the “sprinkles” on the donut. When proving Fermat’s Last Theorem Andrew Wiles confirmed a far-reaching correspondence between modular forms and elliptic curves. In the project, I will investigate the theory of certain generalizations of such modular forms and their implications for the number of rational points on elliptic curves.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The fellowship of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund enables me to start building up my own research group and will help me to grow into the role of a successful group leader and mentor for young researchers. As my project is located at the interface of different areas of mathematics exchanging ideas with fellow researchers and collaborations are crucial for its success. The funding of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will give me the necessary time and freedom to enlarge, establish and use my national and international network to collaborate on my project.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend a lot more time doing sports with my son and by myself. I would like to go mountainbiking with my son more often, train for a marathon and maybe even resume my triathlon career and train for an Ironman.

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Name: Prof. Dr. Claudia Alfes-Neumann
Research field: Pure mathematics (number theory, automorphic forms, L-functions)
Institution: Bielefeld University, Faculty of Mathematics
Web: www.claudia-alfes.de; www.uni-bielefeld.de

Project Idea

Major galaxies like our Milky Way are surrounded by swarms of smaller satellite galaxies. Our leading cosmological models predict that the distribution and motion of such satellites should be rather random. Instead, several observed systems show surprising degrees of order: the satellites are preferentially distributed and move along flattened structures. These ‘Planes of Satellite Galaxies’ fundamentally challenge our understanding of cosmology and galaxy formation. I will study systems of satellite galaxies in a range of cosmological simulations, to determine the occurrence, properties, and origins of satellite planes, and determine whether they can tell us something about the properties of the host galaxy or the nature of Dark Matter.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund will help me widen the scope of my work on satellite galaxy systems and their phase-space correlations, enabling a more comprehensive study into this topic than possible thus far. For example, it provides me with the necessary independence to not only focus on the established cold dark matter paradigm, but also investigate alternative dark matter models. In addition, it will support several novel aspects that are not easily funded by traditional means. This includes a hackathon-like workshop to bring together experts in different fields to develop and work on collaborative projects, and professionally produced outreach materials to support my passion for science communication and the dissemination of my results.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would work on my photography, especially on editing the many photos I collected in the past years. I became quite active in street photography during my time in the United States – an excellent way to discover and document both the exceptional and the ordinary in everyday life – but accumulated a substantial backlog of photos which deserve to be properly edited and turned into a publication or exhibition. Of course I’d also love to get back to actually taking more pictures, both around home as well as on trips, and to find more time to study my ever-increasing library of photo books.

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Name: Dr. Marcel S. Pawlowski
Research field: Astronomy/Astrophysics
Institution: Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
Web: http://marcelpawlowski.com (professional),
http://8minutesold.com (personal)
Twitter: @8minutesold
LinkedIn: Dr. Marcel S. Pawlowski

Project Idea

Nature covers its entire energy requirements from sunlight, having developed robust and efficient light-collecting machineries in an evolutionary process over millions of years. A detailed understanding of the natural light-harvesting processes would make nature’s design principles available for the development of new materials. Scientifically, light-harvesting is a physical process that requires a quantum-mechanical treatment, which is not a intuitive. We wish to bring quantum information into a microscopic, atomistic picture, allowing to turn it into clear synthesis strategies. This project focuses on a particularly fascinating and efficient example of natural light-harvesting systems: The Chlorosomes of green sulfur bacteria.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund allows me to bring together our expertise in the atomistic description of quantum-mechanical properties of molecular aggregates with experts from biology and spectroscopy. It provides financial means to establish an international cooperation and to lead an interdisciplinary project, spanning contributions from biology, chemistry and physics. With the funding of a PhD student, the Fund allows us to transfer our knowledge to the investigation of living matter, building the prerequisites for entering the field of Quantum Biology.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would take the chance to get more sleep (I have a 1 year old daughter) and to write a book portraying the life of my professor who taught me quantum mechanics. Her biography has always been an inspiration to me.

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Name: Dr. Merle I. S. Röhr
Research field: Computational Chemistry, Theoretical physics, Quantum biology
Institution: Center for Nanosystems Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg
Web: Roehr Group, Software Project

Project Idea

Mosquitoes transmit dangerous diseases like malaria and dengue fever, making them one of the most dangerous animals on earth. Their life cycle starts in water, where larvae are highly vulnerable to environmental factors such as changes in pH, temperature, and nutrients. In an ideal breeding site, most larvae survive creating large populations of adult mosquitoes, and thus, a high potential for disease transmission. Climate change will have an impact on these breeding sites; how will it affect the dynamics of mosquito populations and disease transmission? Here, I aim to identify which environmental factor is most important for larval growth, and simulate how these environmental changes shape the transmission dynamics of several diseases.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The novelty of this research is to study the growth of several mosquito species simultaneously and predict how climate change will affect the spread of many mosquito-borne pathogens. For this purpose, experiments will be executed in Ecuador, a region that is highly relevant for the study of these diseases. Without the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund this will simply not be possible.

Additionally, thanks to this funding, I have now the opportunity and freedom to lead this transnational and interdisciplinary project, representing a new exciting challenge in my scientific career.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would teach more. One of my goals is to make a theoretical biology curriculum for undergrad students. I would also love to cook all the recipes from my Jamie Oliver and Otto Lenghi books. And actually, since I recently became a mother, I now dream of a long yoga retreat in Bali.

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Name: Dr. Paola Carrillo-Bustamante
Research field: Computational Biology / infectious diseases
Institution: Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology
Research Gate: Paola Carrillo-Bustamante

Project Idea

When Cataglyphis desert ants leave their nest for the first time, they perform explorative trips to acquire all information necessary to become successful foragers. During these learning walks, the ants frequently look back to the nest entrance to memorize their homing direction. At the end of my doctoral project, my field team and I showed that they align their gaze-directions using the earth’s magnetic field. I hypothesize that the ants’ magnetic compass is a light-independent, active sensor in the ant antenna. To test these hypotheses, I plan to conduct behavioral experiments under natural and experimentally altered magnetic conditions in our field site in Greece, and neurobiological experiments in the laboratory in Würzburg.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

By providing support for my project, the KT Boost Fund enables a novel research approach that is to record antennae postures of freely moving ants performing a navigational task in the natural habitat for the very first time. The recent development of camera techniques and the increase of computational power make such an approach now possible. The envisaged field experiments will lead to a better understanding of magnetoreception. In addition, I aim to make progress on the neurobiological level, which is indispensable to resolve the underlying mechanisms. Last, but not least, the fellows’ network will provide manifold exchange possibilities across disciplines. I look forward to getting new perspectives and to sharing my experiences.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… “If I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water” says the Little Prince. I totally agree with him. In my favourite scenario, this spring would be located in an oasis, for example in the Sahara, the Namib Desert or any desert in Australia – all places that I want to (re-)visit. In the best case, I would have a great book in my backpack that I would read without any interruptions.

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Name: Dr. Pauline N. Fleischmann
Research field: Neuroethology
Institution: University of Würzburg, Biocenter, Zoology II (Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology)
Twitter: @Cataglyfilosofi
Web: www.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de

Project Idea

Bumblebees are really important pollinators in both farming and natural ecosystems but recently they have been suffering from large population declines. Climate change is partly responsible and, as temperatures continue to rise, scientists predict this will have serious consequences for bumblebees. However, the actual ways in which warmer temperatures are harming bees is not so well understood. One mechanism may be direct impacts on hibernation, a key stage in the bumblebee life cycle, as warmer temperatures may reduce the survival of queens by depleting their fat reserves more rapidly. This project aims to find out by investigating the survival of hibernating bumblebee queens in the field under different climatic conditions.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

My current, desk-based research uses existing data and integrated modelling to investigate the interactions among bumblebees, land use and climate change in Europe. This will greatly benefit from complementary field research to provide direct empirical evidence for climate change impacts on bumblebees. The KT Boost Fund offers the ideal financial and professional support, allowing me to develop a new, independent research project in this area. Support from the fund will also allow me to develop a collaborative network, forging new links with scientists working with pollinators across Europe. Further, I will be able to attend important conferences, which will be help with successful dissemination of the results.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time drawing. In another life Natural History illustration would have been a wonderful profession!

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Name: Dr. Penelope R. Whitehorn
Research field: Pollinator Ecology
Institution: Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Web: Land Use Change & Climate Research Group

Project Idea

The powerful abilities of humans to solve problems, learn and memorize have made us successful as a species. Brain scanning helped us to understand that such intelligent behaviour is supported by a set of brain regions known as the frontoparietal cortex. This cortex consists of different layers. However, limitations in standard brain scanning prevents us to “zoom” in enough on the brain, contributing to our lack of insight into how the different layers contribute to intelligent behaviour. Here, I will develop a new method to tackle this problem. I will combine ultra-sensitive brain-scanning (with sufficient “zoom”) with an intelligent real-time algorithm, allowing me to quickly map out a layer’s specific role in intelligence.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

In 2018, I took up a 4 year-long personal fellowship for my research project aiming at understanding the unique functional role of subsystems in the frontoparietal cortex. My proposal to the KT Boost Fund grew out as a natural continuation of this project while at the same time being intellectually confronted with limitations of current brain scanning technology and grasping the enormous potential of ultra-sensitive brain scanning (i.e., 7T fMRI). The KT Boost Fund allows me, for the first time (as my personal fellowship does not entail money for recruiting staff), to employ a highly qualified postdoctoral researcher to work on this ambitious and innovative project full time  – the beginnings of my own lab.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would do a deep dive into neuroanthropology – study embodied cognition across different cultures combining “first-person” (e.g., microphenomenological interview techniques) and “third-person” approaches (e.g., eye tracking, heart rate, EEG). In addition, I would love to study art history and spend some months in a meditation cave 🙂

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Name: Dr. Romy Lorenz
Research field: Cognitive neuroscience, neuroadaptive technology, machine learning, ultrahigh-field functional brain imaging
Institution: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences – Department of Neurophysics
Web: www.romylorenz.com
Twitter: @romy_lorenz

Project Idea

Metal ions are crucial for all living organisms. They do not only ensure proper protein and enzyme function but also, do play a fundamental role in signaling such as synaptic transmission. Perturbances of these processes can lead to severe (neurodegenerative) diseases. Together with researchers from different disciplines, we seek to shed light on these still only poorly understood neuronal processes. We are focusing on zinc and its role in the transmission and processing of sensory information in the central nervous system. Therefore, we are developing specialized fluorescent sensors that upon zinc binding exhibit a fluorescent signal, which allows us to study the trafficking of zinc on a molecular level in live cells.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund makes an essential contribution to the establishment of this interdisciplinary research field in my research group. We are now able to purchase the necessary equipment and to fund a PhD position. Also, the KT Boost Fund enables us to foster national and international collaborations. With the expertise of researchers of different backgrounds, we will be able to investigate the role of zinc ions in synaptic transmission in a unique and extensive way, which will increase our knowledge about these fundamental neuronal processes. In addition, all team members working on this project, will gain experience in working in interdisciplinary fields and thus increase the awareness for the importance of interdisciplinary work.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would travel more and together with my husband, explore nature and other cultures. Back home, I would focus more on my hobbies such as reading, crafting, painting and gardening. I probably would set up a huge garden – big enough to maybe even host a couple of alpacas.

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Name: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sabine Becker
Research field: Metalloneurochemistry
Institution: Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Web: www.chemie.uni-kl.de/ag-becker/

Project Idea

The development of a vertebrate embryo into a full-grown animal is a fascinating and tightly orchestrated process. Elegant work from the past has, for example, shown that the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression controls embryonic patterning and polarization. In turn, gene expression itself is subject to epigenetic regulation via methylation of DNA and histones, adding yet another layer of complexity. However, how gene expression is controlled by RNA modifications during embryonic development remains largely elusive. In our project “ How does m6A modification on mRNA affect embryonic development in zebrafish? ” we will study how dynamic changes in m6A mRNA modifications controls gene expression during vertebrate development.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The independent funding from the KT Boost Fund supports me to start my own line of research into the field of RNA modifications. With the funding I am now able to hire a full-time technician for two years who will support me in the lab. The proposed research covers a variety of techniques in a collaborative environment. With these collaborations I hope to establish my own network, which will be extremely important to start my independent research group. With the funding from the KT Boost Fund, I now have the opportunity to further shape my future research line in which I aim to study phase-separation processes as well as RNA modifications during zebrafish development

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend even more time with my family, which was very recently extended. We now have two daughters, Nova of 3 years old and Fiene who is  just 2 weeks old. To ‘escape’ from all the ladies at home, I might want to go out for a run more often.

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Name: Alfred Willem (Walter) Bronkhorst, PhD
Research field: Developmental Biology (with a focus on germ cells) & RNA Biology
Institution: Institute for Molecular Biology, Mainz. Ketting Lab.
Web: www.imb-mainz.de

Project Idea

The cells in our body tightly regulate the acquisition and usage of nutrients to match their metabolic demands. For example, a growing cell increases nutrient uptake to build new mass, whereas a starving cell taps into alternative nutrient sources to survive. We are particularly interested in the ability of cells to eat proteins and break them down into their constituent amino acids. In this project, we will develop analytical mass spectrometry methods to investigate how cells generate amino acids from extra- and intracellular protein pools. We hope that the results will characterize proteins as an important nutrient source for our cells, which is exploited by cancer cells to thrive in tumors with poor blood supply.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

Funding by the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will allow us to develop state-of-the-art methodology to quantify metabolic outputs of the different pathways through which cells digest proteins from diverse sources. This will allow us to move early on into a research area that, despite high relevance for the metabolism of normal and transformed cells, used to be neglected due to the traditional focus on canonical nutrients such as glucose and free amino acids. The network of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will create many opportunities for scientific exchange and allow me to be part of an interdisciplinary peer group, which will be intellectually stimulating and support my development as a scientist.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time at concerts and the opera. I have been dreaming about a visit to the Bayreuth Festival for quite some time now.

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Name: Dr. Wilhelm Palm
Research field: Cell Biology, Metabolism, Cancer
Institution: German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)/ Cell Biology and Tumor Biology Program/ Cell Signaling and Metabolism Group
Web: www.dkfz.de (Junior Research Group Cell Signaling and Metabolism)

Project Idea

Most, if not all, human diseases are caused by genetic changes. Although researchers now know the underlying genetic changes associated with respective diseases, functional validation of these changes is still crucial to directly attribute genotypic changes to phenotypic outcomes. In this project we will establish and in vivo platform for RNA editing based on the recently described CRISPR/Cas13 system. We will develop tools for inducible RNA editing, benchmark this system for in vivo use, and perform first proof of concept studies. The ultimate goal of this project is to generate new RNA editing technology, which will be distributed to the research community, to make it accessible for a broad use in different scientific disciplines.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

My project is risky but could hold great promise for future applications in various disease models or even in therapeutic applications. The flexibility and the possibility to pursue risky projects by the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will have tremendous value for successful execution. Additionally, it will boost our visibility on an international level and foster new collaborative relationships. I anticipate that the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will also help us in connecting and distributing this technology to other researchers, building an international network around the technology and their users. I am particular excited about the possibility to join an Alumni network through the Klaus Tschira Boost fund for exchanging ideas and experiences.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would like to be closer to nature. One dream would be to have a vineyard, where I could take care of the grapes and make my own wine.

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Name: Dr. Darjus Tschaharganeh
Research field: Cancer Research
Institution: Helmholtz University Group / “Cell Plasticity and Epigenetic Remodeling” / German Cancer Research Center
Web: Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
Twitter: @tschaharganeh

Project Idea

Each of a complex brain’s billions of cells has a single ancestor. This cell’s many, varied ancestors divide, migrate and differentiate into their final forms because each of them contains a characteristic set of molecular machines – proteins – that determine cell behavior and identity. A cell’s proteins are ‘expressed’ from a specific subset subset of the instructions (genes) in it’s DNA, with genes first being ‘transcribed’ into an intermediate form – RNA – and then ‘translated’ into protein. My project quantifies these two processes over time in the developing mammalian cortex, with the aim of determining their influence on final protein levels, and hence the form and function of the brain.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

Our data comprise millions of data points, simultaneously measuring gene expression over five timepoints at the level of RNA, DNA and protein. Unlike most data – our system is not in equilibrium, so that modelling it accurately requires nonlinear modelling of degredation kinetics.  Thanks to the KT Boost Fund I have the time and autonomy to develop the unique computational tools required to do this, unlocking insights into the mechanisms of gene regulation that a surface level ‘out of the box’ analysis would miss.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… I would spend more time playing music and traveling. As an amateur guitarist I try to make up in enthusiasm what I lack in talent and practice time. I also love to travel, and experience other cultures. Having travelled in Asia and South America, Africa would be next on my list.

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Name:  Dr. Dermot Harnett
Research field:  Computational Biology
Institution:  Humboldt University of Berlin/ Berlin Institute for Molecular Systems Biology

Project Idea

Our project aims to shed light on inflammatory responses that secure an intact cell barrier to separates the content of our intestinal tract from the rest of the body. Such responses are critical to fight pathogens, but can also overshoot and cause disease. Since the properties of these intestinal cells cannot be recapitulated in standard cell culture conditions, we grow 3D ‘mini guts’ derived from human intestinal stem cells. Using alpaca-derived antibodies as well as novel probes, we will investigate how specialized molecules in ‘mini guts’ detect infections with viruses such as noroviruses. We will try to reveal how signalling complexes termed inflammasomes coordinate responses that help eject infected cells and curtail virus spread.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund allows my lab to interact with the best scientists worldwide, learn the requisite techniques, and make the necessary investments to enter an emerging field of cell biology, in which cellular processes are recapitulated in 3D ‘organoid cultures’. These recapitulate the complexity of human tissues better than traditional cell cultures techniques. We can thus be among the first to study inflammatory responses of specialized gut cells in the most physiological models of human cells. PhD students in my lab will thus be able to attend conferences and methods courses, invite collaborating experts, and develop ground-breaking new techniques that will allow us to visualize inflammation in real time or in molecular resolution.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would dig through archives and trace back the history of my family all over Europe, volunteer in Archeological excavations, travel to learn more about culture or nature around the world … or finish setting up our apartment (we only moved in two years ago).

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Name:  Dr. Florian I. Schmidt
Research field: Innate Immunity, Cell Biology, Virology, Nanobody engineering
Institution: University of Bonn, Institute of Innate Immunity, Research Group Molecular Immunology
Web: The Schmidt Lab; Core Facility Nanobodies; Researchgate
Twitter: @FISchmidtLab

Project Idea

Noise, reverberation and hearing loss can significantly hamper our speech communication. Despite a long history of research on speech intelligibility and the development of various models for predicting human speech recognition, the underlying functional mechanisms are not yet fully understood. This project aims to better understand how we perceive speech in complex listening conditions and especially how we combine information across the two ears. Several auditory experiments will be conducted with normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners to extend the existing knowledge on what creates effortful listening, and to lay the foundation for improved prediction models and applications in, e.g., hearing aids and communication systems.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund will be a significant contribution to my professional future. Just coming back from a fascinating post-doc year in Boston, I have started building a solid base and international network for a scientific career. The support will create the necessary freedom – both in terms of resources and time – to continue working on basic research projects with high potential for publications while, at the same time, carrying on the development of my group at Fraunhofer IDMT. In particular, I will be able to foster international research collaborations, to strengthen my publication record to eventually fulfil the formal requirements of a habilitation, and to significantly increase my visibility both on a national and international level.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would spend more time on the many things that have to be balanced out in the  every-day routines. First and foremost, I would involve more into the developing hobbies of my two daughters (3 and 7 years), who start going to football classes and begin other activities – fascinating times! I might even resume my activities as youth coach. And then there would be reading, traveling, restarting my tennis and badminton activities – if only there was more time …

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Name: Dr. Jan Rennies-Hochmuth
Research field: Speech perception in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners
Institution: Fraunhofer-Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT / Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology, Oldenburg, Germany
Web: www.idmt.fraunhofer.de

Project Idea

Tiny algae in the ocean are responsible for half of the global CO₂ uptake (photosynthesis) and it is widely believed that for most microalgae photosynthesis is the only source of energy and carbon. But, there are microalgae classified as mixotrophs, who can switch between photosynthesis and using organic food, for example by eating bacteria. Once considered oddballs, there is increasing evidence that this dietary mode is very prominent. The project will characterize the contribution of mixotrophs to the microalgae community in the Baltic Sea over an annual cycle. Additionally, the project will allow research to the Arctic Ocean investigating mixotrophs during polar day and night, when light conditions contrast with 24h light and darkness.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea?

Contributions of the fund will address critical questions on feeding modes in microalgae communities, which provide the base of marine food webs and can therefore imply consequences as far reaching as fishery production to secure human food supply. The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will provide the opportunity to conduct small-scale studies over a wide range of seasonal and spatial scales that are expected to have a large scientific impact in the field aquatic sciences. Alongside a field study in the Baltic Sea, the project partially revolves around national and international collaborations to obtain samples from different field campaigns planned for 2019-2020 in the Arctic Seas.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would travel the Pan American Highway all the way from Alaska to Argentina.

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Name: Dr. Julia Grosse
Research field: Marine Biogeochemistry
Institution: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany
Marine Biogeochemistry Division,  Biological Oceanography Group
Web: ResearchGate; Changing Arctic Ocean

Project Idea

Lanthanides (Ln), the group of elements from lanthanum to lutetium, are indispensable for all technologies used in our daily lives. Surprisingly, certain bacteria require these elements for growth, and remarkably, the biological role of the lanthanides has been known for less than a decade. The naturally occurring actinides thorium and uranium are commonly found together with lanthanides in ores and some actinides that are a result of nuclear reactor processes, have similar ionic radii to the early, trivalent lanthanides. Our project “Interaction of lanthanide-dependent bacterial proteins with actinides” will explore whether actinide elements can bind and replace lanthanides in the active sites of Ln-proteins.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea?

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund allows me to bring together my group who is working on elucidating the mechanisms and metal binding properties of lanthanide dependent proteins with microbiologists Prof. Huub Op den Camp, Radboud University, Netherlands and Prof. Cecilia Martinez-Gomez, Michigan State University, USA, and well as with spectroscopist Dr. Robin Steudtner (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany) and radiochemist Prof. Georg Steinhauser (IRS  Hannover, Germany). We will be able to buy specialized equipment, isotopes, pay for a PhD student and cover travel expenses with the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund to conduct this international and interdisciplinary project together.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would write a chemistry related cookbook and travel more!

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Name: Prof. Dr. Lena J. Daumann
Research field: Bioinorganic Chemistry
Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Web: www.cup.lmu.de

Project Idea

With a little help from my friends: Guppies live in the rainforest streams of Trinidad, a dynamic environment in which feeding opportunities change quickly. This makes Trinidadian guppies an ideal study system to find out how animals deal with environmental uncertainty when looking for food.

I previously discovered that individual guppies are consistently better in finding food when they are more social. With support of the KT Boost fund, I can now further explore how exactly the guppies achieve this and if certain types of guppies are more likely to be more social. Individuals of the same species often differ in how social they are and differences in food finding ability might be one of the factors that can explain this..

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

As an early-career researcher, it is crucial for me to develop into a truly independent scientist. This means that this is the ideal time to effectively show my ability to flexibly and successfully work on a variety of projects at any one time. Funding from the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund provides me with the opportunity to show exactly that, by allowing me, next to my current project (on bats), to also further explore an additional research project (on fish), which is independent of my current host institute and funding body.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would like to develop my creative skills. I love photography, making short science videos and designing pretty presentations. I would love to learn more about graphic design and how to reach people with creativity and humour. I would also like to spend more time volunteering in conservation projects, so I could use my scientific knowledge and skills to support conservation NGO’s. My dream is to help make this world a happier place, for people and animals.

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Name: Dr. Lysanne Snijders
Research field: Animal behaviour
Institution: Assistant Professor / NWO-Veni Fellow, Wageningen University Netherlands
Web: www.lysannesnijders.com
Twitter: @LysanneSnijders
LinkedIn: Dr Lysanne Snijders 

Project Idea

UNESCO biosphere reserves aim to conserve biodiversity and satisfy human needs through ecosystem services, the beneficial contributions of ecosystems to people. For a better understanding of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services it is crucial to analyse how ecosystem services are coproduced, i.e. how they result from biodiversity on the one hand and from human management on the other hand. The aim of BIOSHARE is to spatially analyse how ecosystem services are coproduced in different zones of biosphere reserves. The provisioning services crop production, grazing, and timber harvest, the regulating services soil fertility and pest control, and the cultural services recreation and landscape aesthetics will be studied.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund will be used to do exploratory and preparatory work to kick-start a larger, long-term research project led by the applicant. In particular, the funding will be used to 1) employ two research assistants to assist the applicant in building a global database containing information on biosphere reserve zoning, targeted ecosystem services and biodiversity in the respective biosphere reserves, and a geo-database containing land use intensity and ecosystem service data at different spatial resolutions, 2) organise a synthesis workshop with leading experts in the field, 3) fund two short research stays of the applicant and travel to initiate field studies.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would run more marathons, hike more day tours, have a bigger garden to grow even more of my own vegetables and start a bicycle workshop.

Profile

Name: Dr. Matthias Schröter
Research field: Ecosystem services
Institution: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Computational Landscape Ecology
Web: www.ufz.de
Twitter: @MatthiasSchr

Project Idea

In applied disciplines contemporary data sets are often of increased size, detail and complexity. From a statistical point of view this is both a blessing and a curse imposing additional mathematical, computational and applied challenges to obtain realistic and reliable statistical models. In this project we want to combine the concepts of Bayesian regularization, machine learning and semi-and nonparametric methods to build efficient novel models that are extremely useful in the context of calibrated density regression. In contrast to classical statistical methods, Bayesian statistics offers a more direct expression of uncertainty through a prior distribution and allows updating knowledge.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea?

During my assistant professorship, I have the goals to establish as an independent researcher with an international network of collaborations, to clearly improve my teaching skills and to grow into a successful group head, supervisor and mentor of the younger generation consisting of students, PhDs and postdoctoral researchers. The KT Boost Fund makes important contributions trough mentoring programmes and because it allows me to employ qualified scientific staff for reaching the project goals. I furthermore have the possibiliy to visit important conferences and collaboration partners in my field.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would learn Spanish properly, read more novels and travel more often to Australia.

Profile

Name:  Prof. Dr. Nadja Klein
Research field: Bayesian Computational Methods, Bayesian Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Smoothing, Regularization and Shrinkage, Distributional Regression, Network Analysis, Spatial Statistics
Institution:  Humboldt University of Berlin, Assistant Professor of Applied Statistics at the Chair of Statistics
Web: www.wiwi.hu-berlin.de

Project Idea

Bone defects that commonly happened to 10-15% of fractures remained an unresolved clinical challenge. This project will utilize additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, for the possibility to produce scaffolds intended for bone regeneration with unprecedented structural and functional designs that could not otherwise be created. The scaffold is a porous structure made with absorbable polymers, i.e. plastic. In the initial phase, it is expected that the scaffold act as a temporary tissue expander to guide tissue in-growth and bone regeneration. Over time, the scaffold would be absorbed harmlessly by the body freeing space for new tissue formation. Ultimately, the bone defect will be completely healed with no traces of scaffold.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The KT Boost Fund provided me with the starting fund to performed experiments, which contribute towards my vision for “data-driven additive design and engineering” for the personalisation of bone regeneration. This made it possible for me to further strengthen existing collaborations. Additionally, as a member of KT fellow, I am given the opportunity to engage with the wider community to broaden my horizon, personally and professionally.  The potential snow-ball effect would propel me towards becoming an accomplished scientist in STEM and hopefully become an inspirational role model for generations to come.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would travel the world! As a scientist, explorations is our nature. Venturing out of the lab to nature, experiencing the different culture and interactions with the people of various backgrounds gives me the opportunity to reflect and get inspired for the next sciency-ideas!

Profile

Name: Dr. Patrina S.P. Poh
Research field: Bone Tissue Engineering, Additive Design and Manufacturing
Institution: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Web: ResearchGate; Julius Wolff Institute

Project Idea

Watching my German shorthaired pointer dog successfully recover from multiple hind limb surgeries in her old age led me to wonder how the body naturally copes with the healing process. In the mouse brain, my previous research also showed smooth recovery after a nerve crush that was aided by the very fast response and assistance of immune cells called macrophages. Such observations made me curious about the properties and functions of macrophages, and whether they remember what they have done the last time they were helpful. This project will allow me to follow individual macrophages as they carry out their task to rescue our organs after an injury.

How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? 

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund enables me to collaborate with outstanding junior scientists from world-class institutions while we establish our careers. Together with Dr. Franziska Denk (Wolfson Centre for Age-related Diseases, King’s College London) and Dr. Tristan Qingyun Li (Stanford University School of Medicine), I will investigate the activity and lifespan of macrophages in different types of brain injuries using sophisticated techniques for single-cell analyses. It is my great pleasure and honour to lead this study, through which we also aim to enhance international scientific cooperation. Furthermore, we share the common aspiration of promoting diversity and equality for women and minorities in science.

If I had more time for things other than research I …

… would follow up on our year-long podcast with a hilarious vlog starring Scarlet my three-legged dog!

Profile

Name: Dr. Tuan Leng Tay
Research field: Neurobiology
Position: Assistant Professor in Biology and Anatomy & Neurobiology
Insitution: Boston University
Web: Boston University Profile; Loop
Twitter: @TayLab_CNS