It is further proof of the outstanding research strength of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU): two scientists have been awarded a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). Prof. Dr. Karl Mandel wants to functionalize matter in such a way that it can provide information about past environmental influences and mechanical stresses. Neuroscientist Prof. Dr. Tomohisa Toda is investigating the role of RNA in maintaining brain function and how the findings can be used to prevent and treat age-related neurological diseases. The ERC Consolidator Grant is endowed with two million euros and covers a funding period of five years.
Wants to make material talk: Prof. Dr. Karl Mandel
Materials have to withstand a lot: They are exposed to environmental influences such as heat, cold or moisture, they are subjected to mechanical loads and their manufacturing process must ensure that connections and forming processes hold reliably. Testing procedures that "X-ray" the material are complex and expensive - which is one of the reasons why components are replaced as a precaution, even though they may still be completely intact.
Karl Mandel, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at FAU and Head of the Particle Technology Group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg, wants to change this. He wants to functionalize matter in such a way that it can tell its story. "Products and components should be able to perceive and communicate the forces acting on them - throughout their entire life cycle," he explains.
At the heart of his vision are so-called supraparticles with a size of a few micrometres, which consist of two central components: magnetic signal transducers based on iron oxide and non-magnetic sensitizers. "The supraparticles are evenly distributed in the material and generate a magnetic pattern that serves as a reference," says Mandel. "If the sensitizers are changed by external influences, the structure of the magnetic signal transducers changes at the same time." Mandel cites table salt as an example, which loses its crystalline structure when exposed to water and could serve as a moisture indicator in conjunction with the iron oxide.
Karl Mandel wants to apply the principle of "smart rust" in various areas: Products such as food or medicines could be monitored seamlessly. Comprehensive non-destructive material testing could simplify predictive maintenance. In recycling, it would be easier to decide whether materials can be reused or need to be sorted out. The process could also make an important contribution to Industry 4.0, as the magnetic pattern reveals whether forming or joining processes have been carried out correctly and the stability of the components is guaranteed.
Vita
Karl Mandel has been Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at FAU since 2020 and Head of the Particle Technology Group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg since 2014. He received his doctorate in chemistry from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in 2013. His research interests include the production of superparticles with new and unexpected properties and their use as smart objects that contribute to sustainability.
Wants to find out what makes neurons robust: Prof. Dr. Tomohisa Toda
Neurons, the nerve cells of our brain, are extremely long-lived and are rarely replaced by new cells. It is therefore essential for them to maintain their function and cell type robustly. "Understanding the basic mechanisms for the longevity and persistence of neurons is the key to preventing and treating age-related neurological diseases," says Prof. Dr. Tomohisa Toda, Professor of Neural Epigenomics at FAU.
Toda has already investigated the mechanisms underlying the cell type-specific epigenetic programs in the brain as part of the ERC Starting Grant-funded EAGER project. Epigenetics refers to cellular processes that influence the activity of genes but are not based on a change in the DNA sequence. "My team was able to uncover several protein-based mechanisms that are responsible for the long-term function of nerve cells," explains the neuroscientist.
In parallel to these mechanisms, the research group led by Tomohisa Toda has now discovered that certain nuclear RNA are stable and may be involved in long-term epigenetic regulation in the brain. As a rule, RNA is not very stable and quite short-lived because it is constantly being degraded by enzymes and remodeled into new RNA strands.
In NEUTIME, the name of the current ERC-funded project, the Toda lab will investigate the role of this nuclear RNA in maintaining brain function and in brain ageing processes. Toda: "Our aim is to gain deeper insights into epigenetic regulation by RNA. We also want to find out when RNA metabolism leads to biological dysregulation and ultimately to age-related neurological diseases – and what we might be able to do about it."
Vita
Tomohisa Toda received his PhD in neuroscience from the University of Tokyo in 2011. As a postdoctoral fellow, he moved to the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, USA, where he investigated the epigenetic mechanisms of adult neural stem cells. In 2019, he was awarded an ERC Starting Grant and founded a research group at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Dresden. As part of the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria, Toda moved to FAU and the Max Planck Center for Physics and Medicine (MPZPM) Erlangen in 2022.
Further information:
Office of Communications and Press
Phone: +49 9131/85-70229
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Contact for scientific information:
Office of Communications and Press
Phone: +49 9131/85-70229
presse@fau.de
