Project acronym ASTERISK
Project ASTERoseismic Investigations with SONG and Kepler
Researcher (PI) Joergen Christensen-Dalsgaard
Host Institution (HI) AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
Summary The project aims at a breakthrough in our understanding of stellar evolution, by combining advanced observations of stellar oscillations with state-of-the-art modelling of stars. This will largely be based on very extensive and precise data on stellar oscillations from the NASA Kepler mission launched in March 2009, but additional high-quality data will also be included. In particular, my group is developing the global SONG network for observations of stellar oscillations. These observational efforts will be supplemented by sophisticated modelling of stellar evolution, and by the development of asteroseismic tools to use the observations to probe stellar interiors. This will lead to a far more reliable determination of stellar ages, and hence ages of other astrophysical objects; it will compare the properties of the Sun with other stars and hence provide an understanding of the life history of the Sun; it will investigate the physical processes that control stellar properties, both at the level of the thermodynamical properties of stellar plasmas and the hydrodynamical instabilities that play a central role in stellar evolution; and it will characterize central stars in extra-solar planetary systems, determining the size and age of the star and hence constrain the evolution of the planetary systems. The Kepler data will be analysed in a large international collaboration coordinated by our group. The SONG network, which will become partially operational during the present project, will yield even detailed information about the conditions in the interior of stars, allowing tests of subtle but central aspects of the physics of stellar interiors. The projects involve the organization of a central data archive for asteroseismic data, at the Royal Library, Copenhagen.
Summary
The project aims at a breakthrough in our understanding of stellar evolution, by combining advanced observations of stellar oscillations with state-of-the-art modelling of stars. This will largely be based on very extensive and precise data on stellar oscillations from the NASA Kepler mission launched in March 2009, but additional high-quality data will also be included. In particular, my group is developing the global SONG network for observations of stellar oscillations. These observational efforts will be supplemented by sophisticated modelling of stellar evolution, and by the development of asteroseismic tools to use the observations to probe stellar interiors. This will lead to a far more reliable determination of stellar ages, and hence ages of other astrophysical objects; it will compare the properties of the Sun with other stars and hence provide an understanding of the life history of the Sun; it will investigate the physical processes that control stellar properties, both at the level of the thermodynamical properties of stellar plasmas and the hydrodynamical instabilities that play a central role in stellar evolution; and it will characterize central stars in extra-solar planetary systems, determining the size and age of the star and hence constrain the evolution of the planetary systems. The Kepler data will be analysed in a large international collaboration coordinated by our group. The SONG network, which will become partially operational during the present project, will yield even detailed information about the conditions in the interior of stars, allowing tests of subtle but central aspects of the physics of stellar interiors. The projects involve the organization of a central data archive for asteroseismic data, at the Royal Library, Copenhagen.
Max ERC Funding
2 498 149 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2016-03-31
Project acronym EVOLNA
Project Evolution of LNA Aptamers
Researcher (PI) Jesper Thagaard Wengel
Host Institution (HI) SYDDANSK UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS9, ERC-2010-AdG_20100317
Summary Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides which are able to target peptides, proteins, small molecules or live cells by virtue of their well-defined three-dimensional shapes. Aptamers are typically generated by evolution of specific sequences against a given target by in vitro evolution using the process known as SELEX. Progress of this field with respect to drug development has so far been hampered by the relative large size and poor biostability of evolved aptamers composed of unmodified nucleotides, necessitating tedious and extensive post-SELEX truncation and modification approaches. LNA (locked nucleic acid) is a prominent nucleotide modification which is in the process of revolutionizing gene silencing and RNA detection. LNA however has never been included in de novo aptamer evolution. EVOLNA is an ambitious but coherent research program with the objective of transforming the field of aptamer technology. The vision is to enable evolution of aptamers that per se possess most of the desired properties, thereby alleviating the need for extensive post-SELEX procedures. This will be realized by combining the unique properties of LNA with innovative methods for LNA aptamer evolution. LNA aptamer technology is envisioned to enable evolution of aptamers displaying maximum chemical diversity, minimum size and high biostability. The developed strategies will be applicable not only towards evolution of therapeutic aptamers, which will be the main subject of this program, but also towards evolution of aptamers for biosensing, diagnostic and imaging applications. The program is at the very frontier of biotechnology research and spans the areas of chemistry, molecular biology and drug research.
Summary
Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides which are able to target peptides, proteins, small molecules or live cells by virtue of their well-defined three-dimensional shapes. Aptamers are typically generated by evolution of specific sequences against a given target by in vitro evolution using the process known as SELEX. Progress of this field with respect to drug development has so far been hampered by the relative large size and poor biostability of evolved aptamers composed of unmodified nucleotides, necessitating tedious and extensive post-SELEX truncation and modification approaches. LNA (locked nucleic acid) is a prominent nucleotide modification which is in the process of revolutionizing gene silencing and RNA detection. LNA however has never been included in de novo aptamer evolution. EVOLNA is an ambitious but coherent research program with the objective of transforming the field of aptamer technology. The vision is to enable evolution of aptamers that per se possess most of the desired properties, thereby alleviating the need for extensive post-SELEX procedures. This will be realized by combining the unique properties of LNA with innovative methods for LNA aptamer evolution. LNA aptamer technology is envisioned to enable evolution of aptamers displaying maximum chemical diversity, minimum size and high biostability. The developed strategies will be applicable not only towards evolution of therapeutic aptamers, which will be the main subject of this program, but also towards evolution of aptamers for biosensing, diagnostic and imaging applications. The program is at the very frontier of biotechnology research and spans the areas of chemistry, molecular biology and drug research.
Max ERC Funding
2 497 720 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2016-03-31
