ProLinC is one of thirteen research centers spread out over Europe that shares the money to finance this collaboration. They will use the funds to create an infrastructure for collaboration between European research centers in molecular biophysics. ProLinC will be the northernmost located center and the only one in Sweden.
- MOSBRI is a great opportunity for LiU to collaborate and grow together with Europe’s foremost facilities in molecular biophysics, says Maria Sunnerhagen, professor at Linköping University and the initiator of ProLinC.
ProLinC will have a number of important tasks within the MOSBRI consortium, among other things, to review applications to use equipment and make sure the experiments are done at the optimal location.
- But the main role ProLinC will play is to facilitate researchers that want to use our equipment to analyze protein structures and dynamics. ProLinCs research facility and expertise is focused on disordered and misfolded proteins since most of our research is in such proteins in cancer, infections, and neurodegeneration, says Maria Sunnerhagen.
Molecular-scale biophysics is the study of the architecture, dynamics and interactions of the large molecules of life (proteins, DNA, RNA, polysaccharides, lipids). Molecules that are fundamental to all life. MOSBRI will create an environment for a multi-faceted strategy with a large variety of methods to gain deeper knowledge of these essential molecules. Photo credit IFM, Linkoping University
- ProLinC will also lead the collaboration between research centers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to develop new combinations of special methods to research protein misfolding reactions. For example, this is of great importance to research in Alzheimer’s disease, says Per Hammarström, professor of protein chemistry.
ProLinC is LiUs core facility for molecular protein research, and the participation in MOSBRI is now establishing LiU as a center of top modern equipment and expertise on an international level. This will allow international use of the facilities, but it also means that researchers at Linköping University will be able to turn to Europe, if needed.
- Those are critical requirements for good results and high-quality experiments, says Maria Sunnerhagen.
