David Grommisch © Katrin Boes / MPI-CBG
Postdoctoral researcher David Grommisch, in the research group of Sandra Scharaw at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), received a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship for his project “Understanding intestinal intercellular communication using Light Induced Synchronized Protein Secretion.”
The MSCA fellowship is part of Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship funding program for research and innovation. The European Commission awarded 417 million euros to 1,696 post-doctoral researchers to work at top universities, research centers, private and public organizations, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The European Research Executive Agency (REA) received 10,360 applications for this call, 16.6 % of which were selected for funding.
“I am interested to study the communication between intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and their neighboring Paneth cells,” says David Grommisch. “As we age, this communication weakens, increasing the risk of inflammation and diseases like cancer. Paneth cells send signals, called ligands, that guide ISCs on how to grow and develop. ISCs receive these signals through receptors on their surface. While we know a lot about how these signals work, we still don’t fully understand how the ligands and receptors are transported inside the cells and delivered to their surfaces. In my project I want to understand this process and how it might help maintaining intestinal health. My plan is to develop a new optogenetic tool in intestinal organoids (mini-gut models) that allows me to track how signals are sent and received in real-time using live imaging. I hope to uncover how aging changes these processes, offering new possibilities for treating age-related intestinal problems.”
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and wishing to acquire new skills through advanced training and international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral mobility. The funding supports researchers ready to pursue frontier research and innovation projects in Europe and worldwide, including in the non-academic sector.
Congratulations, David!
Press Release of the European Commission: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/news/msca-awards-eu417-million-to-postdoctoral-researchers