Lichtgedanken 03

Rubrik 7 03 | LICHT GEDANKEN Two research proposals reach the final The University of Jena has been asked to submit two full proposals for research clusters as part of the Excel- lence Strategy programme of the German federal and state governments. The proposals »Balance of the Microverse« and »Enlightening the Receptome: From Biophysics to Clinical Applications« have to be submit- ted by 21 February. News The Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU) is enjoying success with the Excellence Strategy and has entered the final round of the com- petition with two proposals for Clus- ters of Excellence. The proposals, one of which is a joint proposal with Würzburg, cover the areas of life sciences and natural sciences. From 2019, the Clusters of Excellence will be funded with 385 million euros per year. The decisions on funding will be made in September 2018. »Balance of the Microverse« The aim of the Cluster »Balance of the Microverse«, whose speaker is Prof. Axel Brakhage, is to study mi- croorganisms and their interactions with other microorganisms, as well as their environment—the Microver- se. In order to build up a comprehen- sive picture of these interactions, Jena is pooling its expertise, with cooperation between microbiology and environ- mental microbiology, infection biology, chemical biology, bio-geo-interactions, systems biology, optics/photonics, ma- terial sciences, and further disciplines. Apart from making technological pro- gress in the laboratory, the researchers anticipate finding many possible appli- cations for the benefit of people and the environment. Under the auspices of the FSU, the Cluster also involves Jena University Hospital; the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll In- stitute (HKI); the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision En- gineering (IOF); the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT); the Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Ecology, Biogeochemistry and the Science of Hu- man History; the Helmholtz Institute, Jena; and DLR Institute of Data Science »Enlightening the Receptome: From Biophysics to Clinical Applications« The proposal »Enlightening the Recep- tome: From Biophysics to Clinical Application« aims systematically to unravel the »receptome«—the sum of all receptor molecules of an organism —and harness it to treat diseases. The Cluster proposal has been submitted by the universities of Würzburg and Jena, and their university hospitals. Research groups from the Leibniz Institute for Age Research—Fritz Lipmann Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Chemi- cal Ecology are also involved. Speakers are Prof. Markus Sauer from Würzburg, and Prof. Klaus Benndorf and Prof. Christian Hübner, both from Jena Uni- versity Hospital. With this Cluster, the scientists want to continue to build on their successful collaboration in the Col- laborative Research Centre »Receptor- Light«. AB New driver of innovation A new Innovation Center for Quantum Optics and Sen- sor Technology (InQuoSens) is being created in Thu- ringia The new centre is being funded with 1.5 million euros from the European Union and the same amount from the Free State of Thuringia. The Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) in Jena and the Technical University of Ilmenau (TU Ilmenau) will share responsibility for the dual-site innovation centre. »With InQuoSens, an effective research consortium has been created, which is active in a field that continues to be the subject of excellent basic research, but has also already been driving real innovations in optical sensors,« said the FSU's President Prof. Walter Rosenthal at the presentation of the funding awards at the end of October 2017. Presentation of the funding awards (from left): Andreas Tünnermann (Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and FSU), Walter Rosenthal (FSU), Wolfgang Tiefensee (Thuringian Ministry of Economy, Science and Digital Society), Kai-Uwe Sattler and Jens Müller (TU Ilmenau).