Gelatin nanospheres have recently emerged as promising carriers for (targeted) local delivery of therapeutic biomolecules. However, the production of gelatine nanospheres is still associated with variability among batches and low production volumes. This makes the industrial upscaling and clinical translation complicated. Therefore, the Radboud University Medical Center (department of Biomaterials) and the world-leader in gelatine manufacturing Rousselot NV joined forces in a public-private partnership to optimize the production of gelatine nanospheres by studying the characteristics of gelatin and the resulting nanoparticles.
Public-Private PartnershipS
TKI allowance for gelatin nanospheres
Radboud UMC and Rousselot use TKI allowance for gelatin nanospheres
They used their in kind and in cash contributions to test six types of gelatins to produce gelatin nanospheres. The TKI allowance allowed to broaden the scope of this study by studying a larger number of gelatin types with different chemical properties. More insight in the preparation and characteristics of gelatin nanospheres can provide us with the knowledge needed to develop successful strategies towards (targeted) local delivery of various biomolecules. These future strategies may benefit patients as well as surgeons and companies active in the field of regenerative medicine.
Impuls Call - first monitoring results
The Life Sciences & Health IMPULS call was launched in 2013 to stimulate cooperation between health foundations, SMEs and research organisations. In 2014 ten public-private research projects received a grant. Recently the progress of these projects was monitored.
Nine of the ten projects, with durations of 3-4 years started in 2014. Together with the involved health foundations (Heart Foundation, Dutch Cancer Society, Dutch Arthritis Foundation, Kidney Foundation and Burn injuries Foundation) a procedure for yearly monitoring was set up. The monitoring commission includes member of the LSH IMPULS commission as well as members recommended by the health foundations.
First monitoring results
In 2014 nine of the ten projects formally started, one projects is awaiting a WBO-permit. The monitoring interviews were held on 29 April 2015. The commission gave a positive recommendation for further funding for the nine projects that already have started. The project that awaits its permit received a recommendation without prejudice.
32 Projects get access to DTL Technology Hotels in 2nd round Enabling Technologies Hotels programme
ZonMw received 65 grants applications in the second round of the Enabling Technologies Hotels program, of which 32 projects (49%) have been awarded. This high percentage of projects awarded was made possible, by an increase of the call budget from € 750.000 to € 930.000. The full list of projects awarded can be found here. This year for the first time “booster” projects could be submitted. This are public-private projects aimed at generating hypothesis-supporting preliminary data, to be used for large national or international (e.g. Horizon2020) grant applications, which increasingly require this type of evidence for grant applications to be successful. This round was also a pilot in the ZonMw programme “Access to data”, and therefore applicants were required to explain how they will make the data publicly available after the project has been completed.
The main goal of the programme Enabling Technologies Hotels is to provide wider access for researchers in the Netherlands to high-end technologies and the connected expertise and infrastructure. This is called the “Hotel” concept. Researchers (“guests”) that have no access to high-end technological facilities, can get funding for accessing a service-oriented research facility (“hotel”). Researchers can request access to all “Technology Hotels” of the Dutch Techcentre for Life Sciences.
Support can be requested in the following areas:
- Bioinformatics, Computational and Systems Biology
- Genomics (incl. Next Generation Sequencing approaches)
- Proteomics & Structural Biology
- Metabolomics
- Bioimaging & Phenotyping (incl. Advanced Microscopy and Medical Imaging)
More information
Sander Hougee, programme officer ZonMw.
Telephone 070 34 95316 Email: THotels@zonmw.nl