These ERC grants
award only the scientific excellence of the researcher, and their assessment is
based on 50% on their curriculum (which must be at the top of the scientists
working in Europe) and 50% on the excellence of the project to be carried out,
in other words, their degree of risk and the radically innovative approach at
the frontiers of knowledge. These projects have approval rates of around 13%.
Consolidator Grants are intended to finance projects of researchers who are
establishing their own line of research, becoming even more competitive
internationally and increasing the visibility of European science.
"MagTendon"
will allow Manuela E. Gomes to consolidate an innovative research line focusing
on the combination of biomaterials and stem cells through tissue engineering
approaches for the development of biological substitutes for tendon and
ligaments. New biomaterials with magnetic properties that can be used combined
with state-of-the-art technologies, namely 3D bioprinting, will be developed
for a very specific control of the three-dimensional structures to be
developed, mimicking the unique architecture of the tendon/ligament and the
tendon-bone interface. This will allow to control the behaviour of stem cells
incorporated in these magnetic biomaterials (magnetic biotins) when grown in
the laboratory (in vitro), as well as their remote control, after implantation,
through the application of magnetic fields of controlled intensity.
"This
grant represents the recognition of excellence in Tissue Engineering and
Regenerative Medicine in UMinho’s 3B's Group, where we have found and created
unique working conditions, particularly in recent years, as we seek to
establish a research line focused on tendon regeneration and ligaments” Manuela
E. Gomes said. "It is also the recognition of the interest and innovative
potential of the ideas that we intend to develop in the near future and that we
believe will contribute significantly to provide better therapies for the
treatment of lesions and diseases affecting these (and possibly others)
tissues, which have an impact on the quality of life of a growing number of
patients”, she added. “Of course, the attribution of this ERC grant is both
a reason
of great satisfaction and a very important motivation for us to continue performing
excellence research in Portugal. Sometimes it is worth dedicating twenty years
of our life to something we really believe in”, she highlighted.
In this 2017
ERC Consolidator Grant (CoG) competition, Portugal obtained eight grants, the
only one outside Lisbon for the UMinho, through 3B's Group, based at AvePark,
in Guimarães. The academy has already achieved six ERC grants: one for career
initiation (StG), three career consolidation (CoG) and two advanced for
established scientists (AdG). Five of these (AdG and CoG) were precisely for
3B's researchers, which is one of the groups based on a Portuguese public
university with the highest success rate in these competitions and, in a
European context, in the highly competitive fundraising. Led by Vice-Rector Rui
L. Reis, 3B's - Biomaterials, Biomimetics and Biodegradables is one of the
world leaders in its area of research, and is currently responsible for
projects with funding of around 50 million euros.
+ info: www.3bs.uminho.pt/users/megomes; facebook.com/3bsResearchGroup;
https://erc.europa.eu/news/erc-2017-consolidator-grants-results