Participants
TOP-GUT consortium comprises the world-leading institutes in the domain immunology, bioengineering, glycobiology, PDO and OoC.
Beneficiary
01. Technische Universität Berlin (TUB)
TUB is the coordinating institution and will host one doctoral candidate (DC) projects. TUB looks back over a long and distinguished tradition of teaching and research and is one of the largest technical universities in Germany. The university’s seven faculties and its 40 institutes offer approx. 130 courses of study. The TUB has long-standing experience in the administration of EC grants and received approx. 175 million. € funding (from FP 7 to Horizon Europe). The Medical Biotechnology Department (MedBT) supervises all students majoring Medical Biotechnology whether in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program. The curriculum lies at the interface of engineering, natural science and medicine, with its main focus on technology developments to model human physiology and disease based on organoid models. MedBT successfully spun out two biotechnology companies pioneers in human-on-a-chip devices (TissUse, 2012) and 3D bioprinting (Cellbricks, 2014).
02. Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin (CHAR)
CHAR will host one DC and is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe with 100 departments and institutes and more than 3700 researchers combining research, teaching and clinical care. The Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) has the mission to develop an ecosystem for precision medicine, thus advancing the translation of discoveries into medical practice. To do so BIH has installed a broad range of state-of-the-art technology platforms such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, multiplex cytometry or immune histology. Understanding the complexity of immune-mediated diseases e.g. severe infections or cancer is the focus of the Center for Immunomics (BIH).
03. Københavns Universitet (UCPH)
UCPH will host two DC and it is ranked among the best universities in Europe (Leiden Ranking Biomedical and Health Sciences: Place 1 ranked by number of publications, place 4 ranked by number of top publications; ARWU Ranking: Place 7). Professor Hans Wandall (HW, male) heads the GlycoMedicine Group (3 postdocs, 4 PhD students, 2 Master Student, and 1 technical assistant) at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Faculty of Health (www.icmm.ku.dk). The lab uses state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, organoid model systems, precise genetic engineering (nuclease-mediated gene targeting technologies) and recombinant expression platforms in our approach to understand how glycans impinge on tissue formation and cellular signalling, and how we can exploit disease associated changes in glycans to detect and treat human disease.
04. Universiteit Utrecht (UU)
UU is a leading comprehensive research university with a growing international reputation and will host one DC. On the 2020 Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities, UU ranks first in the Netherlands, 15th in Europe and 52nd in the world. UU has state-of-the art research facilities and excellent research training through its graduate schools. UU has endorsed the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers and is acknowledged by the European Commission as an institution with ‘HR Excellence in Research’.
05. I3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto (i3S)
i3S is a Research Institute resulting from a consortium between IBMC, INEB, IPATIMUP and UPORTO, that creates an environment of real breakthrough research and translation of discoveries into the clinic and will host one DC. i3S was rated “Excellent” (2019) by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and is dedicated to research and innovation in basic, applied and translational Health and Life sciences. It focuses on 3 research programs addressing major challenges as cancer, infectious diseases, neurologic disorders and regenerative medicine. The transdisciplinarity of the programs allows to address questions at the molecular and cellular basis of living systems, mechanisms underlying disease and promotes the development of novel tools for screening, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. i3S has 74 research groups with 444 PhDs and 300 PhD students, publishes about 600 papers a year, and has 3 Clinical and Diagnostic platforms that provide cancer, SARS-CoV-2 and neurodegenerative diseases clinical services.
06. Tissue Gmbh (TissUse)
TissUse (will host one DC) is a Berlin, Germany-based, biotechnology company, which has developed a unique Multi-Organ-Chip platform that provides unparalleled preclinical insight on a systemic level using human tissues. This enabling technology platform closely simulates the activity and interaction of multiple human organs in their true physiological context. The HUMIMIC platform integrates an on-chip micro-pump and is capable to interconnect multiple organ models in a common media circuit at physiological flow rates. TissUse’s Multi-Organ-Chips provide a new approach to predict, for example, toxicity, ADME profiles and efficacy in vitro, reducing and replacing laboratory animal testing and streamlining human clinical trials. At TissUse we have a ten-year track record in establishing multi-organ co-culture assays and transferring them to industry partners. The HUMIMIC system is used by major pharmaceutical and consumer products companies as well as by regulatory agencies including FDA and NIFDC.
07. Mimetas BV (MIM)
The Dutch SME MIMETAS, founded in 2013 in Leiden, is today’s world market leader in the emerging field of Organ-on-a-Chip technology will host one DC. MIMETAS develops microfluidic Organ-on-a-Chip models to specification in OrganoPlate, markets OrganoPlate and performs self-funded R&D on ground-breaking Organ-on-a-Chip models. Their unique microfluidic platform enables testing of compounds in high throughput on miniaturized 3D organ models. These models offer better predictivity as compared to laboratory animal testing and conventional cell culture models. The MIMETAS OrganoPlate® platform supports 3D cell culture under continuous perfusion, membrane-free co-culture and boundary- and gradient formation, thus mimicking important aspects of tissues and organs. MIMETAS has locations in Oegstgeest and Enschede, the Netherlands, Gaithersburg, Maryland, US, and Tokyo, Japan. MIMETAS counts the majority of the top-50 pharmaceutical companies as its customers, as well as some leading consumer goods, and chemical companies. The company is run by an experienced management team supported by a seasoned board, and currently employs over 115 professionals.
08. Universitetet I Oslo (UiO)
UiO, will host one DC. It was founded in 1811 and is classical university with excellent research in a broad range of academic disciplines. UiO is the highest ranked institution of education and research in Norway and ranked number eight in the UniRank European Universities ranking (2019). UiO has eight faculties, two museums, 28 000 students, 7 000 employees and 8.7 billion NOK in total budget (2020). With five Nobel Prize winners, UiO has a strong record of accomplishment of pioneering research and scientific discoveries. The Centre for Medical Ethics (CME) at the University of Oslo will be responsible for the training and supervision of one doctoral student who will research the ethical, legal and regulatory issues in the translation of gut organoid technologies from the laboratory to clinical or commercial exploitation. CME will also be responsible for training for the whole consortium in relation to ethical, legal and regulatory issues.
Associated Partners
09. Fondazione Per L'istituto Di Ricerca In Biomedicina (IRB)
IRB was founded in 2000 with the goal of advancing the study of human immunology, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms of host defense. IBR will host one DC. The activities of the 13 research groups now extend beyond immunology to include the fields of DNA repair, rare diseases, structural and cell biology. The IRB benefits from a wide international network of collaborations and provides teaching and training programs for graduate students from Swiss and foreign Universities. It is affiliated to the Università della Svizzera italiana since 2010.
10. Bac3Gel LDA (Bac3Gel)
B3G is a small medium enterprise focused on the design and manufacturing of in vitro models and their translation to the market. B3G produces and distributes innovative models of human mucus from different body districts that support microbiota and pharmacokinetic studies, providing complementary expertise, knowledge and state-of-the-art technology to Pharma, Biotech, clinics and academia research in biomedicine, cosmetics and food sectors. B3G will provide secondment for two DCs.
11. Azar Innovations (AZAR)
AZAR is an organ-on-a-chip service company with the goal to bridge the gap between organ-on-a-chip developers and end-users. With more than 9 years of experience in organ-on-a-chip, AZAR Innovations focuses on training the next generation end-users of this technology to disseminate the use of non-animal methodologies. The company is based in the Netherlands, and collaborates with life science academics and biotech companies throughout the world to organize Organ-on-a-chip MasterClasses as well as run R&D projects. AZAR will be involved in training and secondment.
12. Novozymes Berlin (NZB) former Organobalance GmbH
NZB performs research to better understand the interaction of microbes with humans. NZB’s main focus is on microbes from the gut and their influence on health and disease in the context of the development of probiotics. NZB will contribute to secondment of a DC and in training activities.
13. Roche Glycart AG (Roche-Gly)
Roche-Gly as an associated partner will offer possibility for a secondment and participate in training activities.
14. F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE AG, Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (Roche-ITB)
Roche-ITB was established to harness and advance the use of human model systems in drug discovery and development, as well as personalised medicine. With close ties to academia and Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (pRED), we are uniquely positioned to unlock organoids’ transformative potential for the benefit of patients. Roche-ITB will contribute to secondment of a DC and in training activities.
15. HS Analysis GmbH (HSA)
For clinical research and diagnostic purposes, it’s important that microscopy images are not just images, diagnostic reports are not just unstructured information and molecular data are not separated from results of image analysis. Doctors are supported best when all necessary information is combined, accessible and well organized. In such a scenario, doctors will be able to apply their expert knowledge more efficiently, to focus on the essentials. This is exactly what HSA (Karlsruhe, Germany) doing. Combining automated image analysis with the structuring of reports, bringing them together with molecular data. HS Analysis is working closely together with different partners, as digitalization and automation in life science is going to be a part of daily routine for medical researchers.
16. Bioneer AS (Bio)
BIO is an innovative Research and Technology Organization with a history of more than 25 years and will host a DC for secondment and take part in training activities. BIO is a subsidiary of the Technical University of Denmark and approved by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science as an authorised provider of services with biomedicine and biotechnology. BIO is organized into four main groups, including a Disease Modelling Group. Since 2003,BIO has worked extensively on the development and implementation of technologies within in vitro model systems, especially in the fields of immunology and intestinal modelling. BIO has developed and implemented a variety of immune cell models and technologies as well intestinal modelling. Additionally, 3D organoid development is a key activity across teams at BIO.
17. Innovation Acta Srl (INN-ACTA)
INN-ACTA is a company specialized in managing H2020 and HE project proposals and actions. INN-ACTA Grants Managers are highly qualified and have acquired a renowned competence in grants management and dissemination activities from over 20-year experience in EU-funded projects, including Collaborative Projects in Health Programmes, Coordination and Supporting Actions, IMI projects, Marie Curie Actions. INN-ACTA’s expertise ranges from grants management to dissemination activities (e.g. printed materials, flyers, brochures, newsletters, project websites, videos), training activities, organization of meetings, conferences, workshops and Project events. INN-ACTA will be involved in training and management activities.
18. Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht (UMCU)
UMCU is a large, academic teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Both Dr. Frederix and Dr. Jongsma work at the UMCU, which is a specialized teaching hospital. Both are leading a research group focussing respectively on health economics and ethics. UMCU will take part in training activities.
19. Helsedirektoratet - Norwegian Directorate of Health (NDH)
NDH is an executive agency and professional authority for health regulations under the Ministry of Health and Care Services in Norway. The directorate is responsible for giving advice on strategies and measures regarding health care and it is responsible for administration and interpretation of health legislation. NDH will mentor a DC during secondment and will take part in training activities.
18. Università Svizzera Italiana (USI)
USI is a young university established in 1996. It is organised in five faculties: Communication Sciences, Economics, Informatics, Architecture and Biomedical Sciences. The Faculty of Biomedical Sciences was established in 2014 with the main purpose of making a contribution towards the lack of physicians at national level. The Faculty offers a Master of Medicine, as well as Doctoral Programmes (Medical Doctor Programme and PhD Programmes) and an Executive Programme in Sleep Medicine. With an academic population of more than 3900 Students and around 640 Assistants (PhD students and post-doctoral researchers), USI represents a dynamic and nurturing environment for both studying and conducting research.