NWO awards curiosity-driven research Ariane Briegel with grant
Professor of Ultrastructural Biology Ariane Briegel has received a grant in the NWO Open Competition Domain Science in the XS category. This grant emphatically encourages curiosity-driven and bold research with a maximum of 50,000 euros.
Isolate and study bacteriophages efficiently
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. These viruses are promising forces in the combat against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. They have been used successfully in the past, but finding and isolating suitable bacteriophages is time-consuming: it can require several months to compile the right mixture of bacteriophages that might save lives.
With this grant Briegel will develop a microfluidic platform that improves the efficiency of finding and testing bacteriophage samples. Cost effectiveness, minimal sample and equipment use and broad accessibility to laboratories are key factors in this research project. Briegel will work with other parties as well, such as the recently openend phage bank at the TU Delft: 'I am very excited to have this opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with the phage bank,' Briegel says.
Image: Group of phages (Photo by Susanne Brenzinger)