iBOF 2023 research funding for several CRIG teams

CRIG

Our Flemish universities invest in the coming four years more than 27 million EUR in the establishment of a new series of interuniversity research consortia to join forces in innovative research projects. With the iBOF financing, the universities co-finance and award excellent research projects in which top researchers from different universities synergistically collaborate. Read more...

In January 2023, the 11 selected iBOF projects start (duration 4 years, total budget over 27 M EUR). In no less than 4 of these 11 projects, CRIG research teams are involved! Again, this underlines the high quality of cancer research in Ghent.

In the first iBOF project, CRIG group leader prof. Bruno De Geest is promotor, and his team will (in collaboration with the team of prof. Bart Lambrecht and colleagues) use natural defense mechanisms to destroy specific proteins and cells that play a crucial role in tumor progression. To achieve this, they will design  "Membrane Anchoring TRAfficking Chimeras" (MATRACs) , that will only be active in tumor tissue and therefore can specifically target and attack cancer cells. We are also proud to mention that dr. Benoit Louage from the team of prof. De Geest earlier received CRIG funding in the context of a 'young investigator proof-of-concept' project (read more). With support from this CRIG grant, important preliminary data were generated that contributed to this successful iBOF application. 

  • "MATRACs: Membraan-bindende chimere therapeutica". Consortium: prof. Bruno De Geest, prof. Bart Lambrecht (UGent, CRIG) & prof. Damya Laoui, prof. Nick Devoogdt (VUB)

The other awarded iBOF projects in which CRIG teams are involved:

  • "Ontleding van de stromale-kankercel interactie in de perivasculaire niche om vroege kankeruitzaaiingen op te sporen en te verstoren". Consortium: prof. Jean-Christophe Marine (promotor), prof. Sarah-Maria Fendt, prof. Jeroen Lammertyn (KU Leuven) & prof. Charlotte Scott, prof. Kris Gevaert, prof. Geert Berx (UGent, CRIG)
  • "Ontregelde mRNA transcriptie en eiwittranslatie in de transformatie van normale T-cellen tot kankercellen". Consortium: prof. Jan Cools (promotor), prof. Kim De Keersmaecker (KU Leuven) & prof. Panagiotis Ntziachristos, prof. Tom Taghon (UGent, CRIG)
  • "Een foto-elektrochemisch singlet zuurstof gebaseerd platform voor de snelle detectie van een panel van kankerbiomerkers in weefsel- en vloeibare biopsieën (SOCan)". Consortium: prof. Karolien De Wael (promotor), prof. Guy Van Camp, prof. Marc Peeters (UAntwerpen) & prof. Annemieke Madder, prof. Pieter Mestdagh (UGent, CRIG)

Congratulations to all awarded teams!