The Team

Technische Universität München

TUM, Arcisstraße 21 – 80333 München, Germany

General information

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s top universities. It is committed to excellence in research and teaching, interdisciplinary education and the active promotion of promising young scientists. The university also forges strong links with companies and scientific institutions across the world. TUM was one of the first universities in Germany to be named a University of Excellence. TUM regularly ranks among the best European universities in international rankings. Reflecting its fundamental mission to serve society, Technische Universität München (TUM), is committed to progress and innovation in the fields of science that promise sustainable improvement in how people and society live. The 15 departments of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) provide an excellent environment for research and for the education of 41,375 students, 35% of them women.

Department of Physics (Dietz – Lab)

The Physics Department of TUM represents one of the biggest physics centers in Europe with more than 1000 students, 200 doctoral candidates and 300 scientists. Research carried out in the department ranges from the smallest particles to the structure of the universe, from the characterization of semiconductor quantum structures to the scientific investigation of biological systems, novel materials and medical applications. The laboratory of Biomolecular Nanotechnology has a ten-year track record of development of nanoscale scientific devices for applications in biomolecular physics, biological chemistry, and molecular medicine. The current main focus is on DNA as a programmable construction material for building nanometer-scale scientific devices, protein engineering, and creation of hybrid DNA-protein complexes. The laboratory routinely uses state-of-the-art cryo transmission electron microscopy and advanced single molecule methods such as optical trapping and fluorescence microscopy to analyze nanoscale objects and phenomena and to validate the functionality of molecular devices.

Role in Virofight

TUM (Dietz) will coordinate and manage the VIROFIGHT project. TUM (Dietz) is Work Package Leader in WP6 “Project Management” and will monitor the strategic, scientific and technical project status throughout the project duration and will guide the consortium in strategic decision. Further TUM (Dietz) is Work Package leader in WP1 “Synthetic nano-shells that engulf and neutralize entire virus particles”. In this Work Package the size-adaptable shell and the binding to viruses will be developed.

Institute of Virology (Protzer)

The Institute of Virology is responsible for teaching all virology courses at the School of Medicine and in the natural sciences at TUM including Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Nutrition Sciences etc. The Institute of Virology includes several independent research groups established focusing on hepatitis B virus, HIV, adenoviruses, noroviruses, phages and on immunopathology of virus infection. In addition, the institute is responsible for the virus diagnostics of the university hospitals at TUM. A prerequisite for this is isolation and cultivation of different viruses as well as the expression of recombinant virus proteins and particles.

Role in Virofight

TUM (Protzer) main work will be in WP4 “Supply virus test samples and run neutralization assays”. As an expert virologist, TUM (Protzer) will deliver various viruses and virus-like particles to the partners in order to be able to test the proof-of-concept of the approaches, elaborated in WP2 and WP3. Further TUM (Protzer) will execute all animal experiments, planned in WP4.

Aarhus Universitet

AU, Nordre Ringgade 1 – 8000 Aarhus, Denmark

General information

Aarhus University (AU) is a public university located in Aarhus, Denmark. Founded in 1928, it is Denmark’s second oldest university and the largest, with a total of 43,600 enrolled students. In most prestigious ranking lists of the world´s best universities, Aarhus University is placed in the top 100. The Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) was established in 2002 at Aarhus University. iNANO conducts crossdisciplinary research in Nanoscience, based on close collaboration between researchers in physics, chemistry, molecular biology, biology and medicine. This interdisciplinary nature creates a unique situation, crucial for the development of new nanomedicine, where experts in drug delivery, nanoscience and medicine can work closely together. Over the last 10 years, the Kjems group has published more than 160 papers and 11 patents in the field of nanomedicine. The group has extensive experience in aptamer selection, molecular therapeutics, medical delivery systems and preclinical animal models.

Role in Virofight

AU is the Work Package Leader in WP3 “Generate molecular binders to viruses” and will establish an aptamer selection pipeline against virus-like proteins, particles and actual viruses for use in the Virofight project. The aptamers generated in WP3 will be passed on to WP1 and WP2 and incorporated in the virus-engulfing nano-shells to increase specificity and affinity for viral pathogens.

National Institute of Chemistry

NIC, Hajdrihova 19 – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

General information

National Institute of Chemistry (NIC) is a public research organization and is one of the leading research institutions in Slovenia, particularly in the number of patents and commercialization with main strengths in life sciences and material science. NIC is a national hub of research infrastructure. It has approx. 300 employees, more than 130 with PhD and more than 80 PhD students.

The Department of synthetic biology and immunology is one of the most propulsive research departments with track record of original research and patents in several areas of synthetic biology, such as bionanomaterials, information processing by mammalian cells, and medical applications of synthetic immunology.

Role in Virofight

NIC is leading Work Package 2 and will be responsible for design of protein molecular building blocks that can assemble to form a shell on the surface of virus particles.

Universität Regensburg

UREG, Universitätsstr. 31 – 93053 Regensburg, Germany

General information

Universität Regensburg, founded in 1962 as the fourth Bavarian regional university, is a modern campus university at the southern edge of the Old Town of Regensburg. Originally designed as a regional university, Universität Regensburg has developed into a renowned international centre of teaching and research over the last decades. The UKR University Hospital founded in 1992, is available for teaching and research purposes of the medical faculty of Universität Regensburg. Areas of research are immunopathology and immunotherapy, integrated functional genomics as well as transplantation medicine, among others. With a Case Mix Index of 2,0, the University Hospital ranks at the top of university clinics in Germany.

The Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene at the University of Regensburg, Germany, has become one of the largest Institutes committed to various aspects of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases employing more than 160 medical doctors, PhDs, technical assistants and administrative support functions Within this Institute, the Molecular Microbiology and Virology Unit headed by Prof. Dr. Ralf Wagner has more than 25 years of experience in virus research and, in particular, in the prevention and treatment of viral diseases with a strong focus on HIV and, more recently, on emerging viruses such as Ebola, Marburg, Lassa and influenza virus as well as COVID-19.

Role in Virofight

UREG is Work Package Leader in WP4 “Supply virus test samples and run neutralization assays”. As virology expert lab (Wagner) UREG and will generate recombinant envelope proteins from various viruses including CoVID19, influenza, HIV-1 and hemorrhagic fever viruses as well as recombinant virus-like particle libraries displaying envelope proteins from such viruses. Such reconbinant proteins will be provided to WP3 for aptamer and scAB selection. Further UREG will develop and execute neutralization assays targeting the above viruses as proof-of-concept for the shells assembled in WP1 and WP2.

ARTTIC

ARTTIC, 58A, Rue du Dessous des Berges – 75013 Paris, France

General information

ARTTIC assists clients from all business and research sectors, small and large, private and public, to ensure the success of their collaborative research & innovation ventures. During close to 32 years of success, ARTTIC developed and demonstrated expertise in the set-up and management of to date 400 large-scale ambitious projects of which 96 were successful under H2020 calls. Based on its long-standing experience in a range of funding programmes across scientific and technological domains, ARTTIC helps clients to move from strategic plans to effective competitive research and development of innovative solutions, resulting in successful applications and businesses. ARTTIC is a company of the PNO Consultants group, the European leader for consultancy in innovation and funding.

Role in Virofight

ARTTIC is closely collaborating with the Coordinator and AI in WP6 (Project Management) to support the Coordinator in his management and administration tasks. ARTTIC also supports the consortium in the daily management, administrative and contractual tasks. In WP5 (Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication), ARTTIC together with AI supports the consortium with project communication, dissemination and exploitation by closely collaborating in strategic aspects and by preparing the project communications means.

ARTTIC Innovation GmbH

AI, Oskar-von-Miller-Ring 29 – 80333 München, Germany

General information

ARTTIC Innovation GmbH is a spin-off of ARTTIC SAS, which has successfully been managing large-scale research and innovation projects since its foundation in 1987. In close to 33 years of company history, ARTTIC set-up and managed more than 400 projects in EU funding programmes from FP 2 to Horizon 2020. ARTTIC Innovation GmbH builds on this experience and bundles the company’s activities in Germany, which have been built and continuously strengthened since 2006.
The service offer comprises provision of hands-on support, competent advice, and added value services all along the innovation life cycle: from the definition of a project idea and -concept, the identification of a suitable funding scheme and the proposal development, to the management of the project and the dissemination and exploitation of the project results. Support for the newly introduced R&D tax credit scheme (Forschungszulagengesetz) introduced in Germany on 1st January 2020 is seamlessly integrated in the company with relevant expertise from the local and national innovation instruments to the large international collaborative undertakings.
ARTTIC SAS and ARTTIC Innovation GmbH are subsidiaries of the PNO Group, one of the biggest consultancy companies for publicly funded research and innovation projects.

Role in Virofight

After the spin-off of the German activities of ARTTIC (see Beneficiary no. 5) into the new company ARTTIC Innovation GmbH (AI) on 1st July 2020, AI is supporting the Coordinator in VIROFIGHT together with ARTTIC in his management and administration tasks. AI also supports the consortium in the daily management, administrative and contractual tasks, making sure the cooperation between partners is efficient and the work plan and project monitoring are properly carried out. In WP5 (Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication), AI is the WP lead and supports the consortium with project communication, dissemination and exploitation by closely collaborating in strategic aspects and by preparing the project communications means.