ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

The linguistic capacity to express and comprehend an unlimited number of ideas when combining a limited number of elements has only been observed in humans. Nevertheless, research has not fully identified the components of language that make it uniquely human and that allow infants to grasp the complexity of linguistic structure in an apparently effortless manner. Research on comparative cognition suggests humans and other species share powerful learning mechanisms and basic perceptual abilities we use for language processing. But humans display remarkable linguistic abilities that other animals do not possess. Understanding the interplay between general mechanisms shared across species and more specialized ones dedicated to the speech signal is at the heart of current debates in human language acquisition. This is a highly relevant issue for researchers in the fields of Psychology, Linguistics, Biology, Philosophy and Cognitive Neuroscience. By conducting experiments across several populations (human adults and infants) and species (human and nonhuman animals), and using a wide array of experimental techniques, the present proposal hopes to shed some light on the origins of shared biological constraints that guide more specialized mechanisms in the search for linguistic structure. More specifically, we hope to understand how general perceptual and cognitive mechanisms likely present in other animals constrain the way humans tackle the task of language acquisition. Our hypothesis is that differences between humans and other species are not the result of humans being able to process increasingly complex structures that are the hallmark of language. Rather, differences might be due to humans and other animals focusing on different cues present in the signal to extract relevant information. This research will hint at what is uniquely human and what is shared across different animals species.

1 305 973 €

Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31

The goal of this project is to develop inexpensive, high-throughput technology to screen the thus far unexplored metabolic interactions between environmental and household chemicals and clinically relevant drugs. The main influential focus will be on human phase I metabolism (redox reactions) of common toxicants like agrochemicals and plasticizers. On the basis of their structural resemblance to pharmaceuticals and endogenous compounds, many of these chemicals are suspected to have critical effects on cytochrome P450 metabolism which is the main detoxification route of pharmaceuticals in man. However, with the current analytical instrumentation, screening of such large chemical pool would take several years, and new chemicals would be introduced faster than the old ones are screened. Thus, the main technological goal of this project is to develop novel, practically zero-cost analytical instruments that enable characterization of a compound’s metabolic profile at very high speed (<1 min/sample). This goal is achieved through miniaturization and high degree of integration of analytical instrumentation by microfabrication means, an approach often called lab(oratory)-on-a-chip. The microfabricated arrays are envisioned to incorporate all analytical key functions required (i.e., sample pretreatment, metabolic reaction, separation of the reaction products, detection) on a single chip. Thanks to the reduced dimensions, the amount of chemical waste and consumption of expensive reagents are significantly reduced. In this project, several different microfabrication techniques, from delicate cleanroom processes to extremely simple printing techniques, will be exploited to produce smart microfluidic designs and multifunctional surfaces. Towards the end of the project, more focus will be put on “printable microfluidics” which provides a truly low-cost approach for fabrication of highly customized microfluidic assays. Numerical modelling is also an integral part of the work.

1 499 668 €

Start date: 2013-05-01, End date: 2019-02-28

Recent research has shown that genetic variations in central serotonin function are associated with biases in emotional information processing (heightened attention to signals of negative emotion) and that these biases contribute significantly to vulnerability to affective disorders. Here, we propose to examine a novel hypothesis that the biases in attention to emotional cues are ontogenetically primary, arise very early in development, and modulate an individual’s interaction with the environment during development. The four specific aims of the project are to 1) test the hypothesis that developmental processes resulting in increased functional connectivity of visual and emotion/attention-related neural systems (i.e., increased phase-synchrony of oscillatory activity) from 5 to 7 months of age are associated with the emergence of an overt attentional bias towards affectively salient facial expressions at 7 months of age, 2) use eye-tracking to ascertain that the attentional bias in 7-month-old infants reflects sensitivity to the emotional signal value of facial expressions instead of correlated non-emotional features, 3) test the hypothesis that increased serotonergic tone early in life (through genetic polymorphisms or exposure to serotonin enhancing drugs) is associated with reduced control of attention to affectively salient facial expressions and reduced temperamental emotion-regulation at 7, 24 and 48 months of age, and 4) examine the plasticity of the attentional bias towards emotional facial expressions in infancy, particularly whether the bias can be overridden by using positive reinforcers. The proposed studies will be the first to explicate the neural bases and nature of early-emerging cognitive deficits and biases that pose a risk for emotional dysfunction. As such, the results will be very important for developing intervention methods that benefit of the plasticity of the developing brain and skill formation to support healthy development.

1 397 351 €

Start date: 2012-02-01, End date: 2017-01-31

The goal of this project is to develop new types of biosensors based on two different approaches: (i) a new bioanalytic microsystem platform for cell growth, manipulation and analysis using on-chip integrated microtubes and (ii) the use of synthetic self-propelled nanomotors for bioanalytical and biosensing applications. Based on the novel “Lab-in-a-tube” concept, we will design a multifunctional device for the capturing, growth and sensing of single cell behaviours inside “glass” microtubes to be employed for diverse biological applications. We will decorate the walls of the microtubes with proteins from the extracellular matrix enabling the long-term study of cellular changes such as mitosis time, spindle reorientation, DNA damage and cellular differentiation. These microtubes are fabricated by the well-established rolled-up nanotechnology developed in the host institution. Moreover, the multifunctionality of the “Lab-in-a-tube” platform will be extended by integrating different modules into a single microtubular unit, bringing up several applications such as optofluidics(bio)sensors, electrodes for electrochemical control and sensing, and magnetic biodetection. At the IIN institute in IFW Dresden, we are pioneers on the fabrication of catalytic microjet engines (microbots) and their use for transporting different kinds of objects in vitro into a fluid. The remote controlled motion of these autonomous microbots and the transport of microobjects and cells to specific targets within lab-on-a-chip systems is possible. Their walls can be biofunctionalized with enzymes, antibodies or DNA, the catalytic microbots representing a novel and unique tool for biosensing, environmental and biomedical applications. Our next step is to use biocompatible fuels to propel these microbots with the final aim of transporting and delivering drugs in vivo.The separation of cancer cells, bacteria and other biomaterials to build up new tissues or to replace disease cells are also aimed.

1 499 880 €

Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2017-12-31