Further and out of the cytoplasm. By resolving the information nanomechanical forces in the arti昀椀cial pores, the researchers also aim to gain a more com- SNSF prehensive understanding of the impact of https://data.snf.ch/grants/ these forces in natural nanopores equipped grant/220223 Research group with proteins or polymers on the inside. Roderick Lim https://www.biozentrum.unibas. Possible treatment for genetic defects ch/research/research-groups/ Professor Jörg Huwyler from the Department research-groups-a-z/overview/ unit/research-group-roder- of Pharmaceutical Sciences has been award- ick-lim ed a Sinergia project together with research- ers from EPFL and the University Children’s Hospital. SNSF In this project, the researchers In the approved COST project, Roderick Lim’s team is https://data.snf.ch/grants/ grant/10000153 want to develop a new generation of stable, investigating forces between molecules and nanopores long-lasting and safe DNA therapeutics for in- using a special high-speed atomic force microscope. Research group travenous administration. Their initial focus Jörg Huwyler is on treatment options for a rare metabolic https://pharma.unibas.ch/de/ research/research-groups/phar- disorder that is caused by a single genetic maceutical-technology-2253/ defect and primarily a昀昀ects children. in their natural environment. They have To this end, the participating teams a strong antibiotic e昀昀ect and are therefore are planning to develop speci昀椀c lipid nanopar- also of interest for the development of new SNSF ticles that are loaded with DNA plasmids medicines. https://data.snf.ch/grants/per- and bind to speci昀椀c receptors on liver cells. The chemical production of son/542229 Based on in vitro and in vivo experiments, polyketides in the laboratory is complex and Research group the researchers will test the safety and e昀昀ect highly challenging. In microorganisms, on Timm Maier of the developed lipid-based carriers and will the other hand, it is carried out e昀케ciently https://www.biozentrum.unibas. use an animal model to analyze whether this in comparatively large production lines with ch/research/research-groups/ approach o昀昀ers a safe and long-term means many individual, spatially coupled reaction research-groups-a-z/overview/ unit/research-group-timm- of compensating for the studied genetic de- centers. The researchers from the Maier team maier fect. now want to use various state-of-the-art mi- croscopes to investigate the spatial structure Understanding microbial production lines of the natural “polyketide factories” in the In a project supported by the Swiss National cellular environment with a view to under- Science Foundation (SNSF), Professor Timm standing how these factories’ unique organi- Maier’s group is investigating microbial “fac- zation contributes to their functionality. tories” in which bacteria and fungi produce The expected 昀椀ndings will help polyketides. These highly complex chemical researchers to directly optimize or vary the compounds help microorganisms survive cellular production of polyketides. In gen- Researchers from Jörg Huwyler’s team want to develop stable, long-lasting and safe DNA therapeutics for venous administration in a new Sinergia project. (Image: Adobe Fire昀氀y) SNI INSight June 2024 19