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Science
Flagship — The University of Copenhagen and its partners want to do world-class bio- and life science research.
The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) wants to be a leader in terms of bio- and life science research, and has now got support for this ambition with a grant of DKK 40 million from the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. It is to set up a new flagship research hub, the agency announced in a press release.
The project, named Colloids and Interfaces in Food and Pharma (CaIFF), will be headquartered at the University of Copenhagen, with participation from Aarhus University and the Technical University of Denmark.
In addition to the DKK 40 million funded by the agency, the universities involved will contribute another DKK 40 million, bringing the total project budget to DKK 80 million.
We have access to some incredible measurement instruments in Sweden, and now we need to ensure that we conduct the most groundbreaking and important experiments with them.
Lise Arleth, Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Science
»This is a significant grant for our project. Funds directly from the Ministry or Agency for Higher Education and Science often set the tone for additional research funding we manage to secure,« says Lise Arleth, Associate Dean for Research at the Faculty of Science. She adds:
»That’s also why we prioritise co-funding projects like this on behalf of the university. This is part of a larger strategic initiative we have been working on for many years.«
The Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, states in the release that the funding is intended to strengthen Denmark’s competitiveness in the field:
»I have high expectations that the new flagship hub will deliver world-class research, helping to build capacity in a strategically important area for both Danish research and industry. It will also help attract top international researchers and talent,« she says.
The project is tied to Denmark’s co-hosting of the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden, which, according to Lise Arleth, will feature some of the world’s best research facilities in the field when it becomes operational in a few years time.
»ESS is an enormous research infrastructure producing neutrons, which can be used similarly to X-rays for examining materials. However, neutrons have unique properties that X-rays don’t have,« she explains and continues:
Funds directly from the Ministry or Agency for Higher Education and Science often set the tone for additional research funding we manage to secure.
Lise Arleth, Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Science
»They can provide insights into all kinds of advanced materials—everything from new types of medicine, magnetic structures, and new battery materials to plant-based foods. In the food sector, we can use these technologies to understand how to create food that is both healthy and climate-friendly, while still tasting good and having the right texture.«
She explains that the funds will be used to hire tenure-track assistant professors, postdocs, and PhD students who will work on the research locally at both the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Science.
The idea, according to Lise Arleth, is that the tenure-track assistant professors eventually develop into independent and strong research group leaders.
»We have access to some incredible measurement instruments in Sweden, and now we need to ensure that we conduct the most groundbreaking and important experiments with them,« says Lise Arleth.
Professor Martin Malmsteen from the Department of Pharmacy leads the new project. His research focuses on developing new forms of medicine and drug carriers — materials designed to deliver medicine to specific parts of the body — including analysing their properties in depth.
For instance, he studies how to combat bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Using neutron-based techniques, researchers will gain deeper insights into the materials of medicines, enabling the development of treatments effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, he explains.
»The facilities and research area associated with ESS will provide us with critical information on advanced material science and their applications,« he says.
The new project is just the beginning, he adds.
»Our ambition is to take a leading position in Denmark, strengthening both the pharmaceutical and food sectors. We also hope to create a national knowledge hub to help new users get started and inspire young researchers to join the field,« says Martin Malmsteen.