Summit grant for research on creating life from lifeless biomolecules

What is life? To answer this fundamental question, the EVOLF research consortium is constructing a living synthetic cell from non-living biomolecules, incorporating the core properties of life: autonomous growth, replication, communication, and evolution. Today, NWO and Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture, and Science announced that EVOLF will receive ten-year funding of €40 million from the Summit grant program.

To achieve and integrate these complex functions, the consortium uses laboratory evolution supported by artificial intelligence. Simultaneously, EVOLF (Evolving Life from Non-Life) is establishing ethical guidelines for the responsible development of synthetic life. Building a synthetic cell will provide unprecedented insights into the foundation of biological life.

Medical Delta professors, Prof. Dr. Gijsje Koenderink and Prof. Dr. Marileen Dogterom (both from TU Delft), are co-applicants from the consortium. The main applicant is Prof. Dr. Cees Dekker (TU Delft).

Koenderink stated, “It is fascinating; all forms of life consist of cells, and all cells consist of molecules. Interestingly, these molecules are not alive, but the cell is. How does a living cell emerge from lifeless molecules? How many components are minimally required, and how should they be combined to create a living cell? This is the big question we will tackle over the next ten years.”

Read more on the TU Delft website.

Five Teams of Top Scientists Receive Summit Grant

Five consortia of top scientists from various Dutch universities are receiving a total of €174 million. With the ten-year funding from the Summit grant, the research groups can pursue their projects and play a prominent role internationally. This strengthens the long-term position of Dutch science.

The five awarded projects come from diverse scientific fields and address completely different topics. In addition to EVOLF's research, another consortium aims to understand how connections between individuals, groups, and institutions contribute to new routes and forms of social cohesion. A third group of researchers focuses on bridging the gap between short-term and long-term climate change predictions. The fourth team investigates the fundamental limits of physical processes imposed by the laws of quantum mechanics. The last consortium comprises an interdisciplinary group of scientists from regenerative biology, technology, and medical sciences, aiming to fully understand and guide the regeneration of tissues and organs in patients with implantable ‘intelligent' materials possessing lifelike properties.

Absolute World-Class

Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW) initiated the Summit grant. He is enthusiastic about the grants: “The Netherlands is at the forefront of global research. This is evidenced by the Summit grant awardees. Top-level science is not a given. It is only possible because Dutch researchers can collaborate like no other and because there is funding focused on the long term, just like science. The Summit grant aims at both collaboration and long-term funding. Only this way can we continue to push the boundaries of knowledge in the Netherlands.”

The Summit grant is intended for research consortia that have proven in existing collaborations that they belong to the absolute world-class or are very close to it and can make the leap to the top with this instrument. The awarded projects have proven their value in recent years by contributing essential insights to their scientific fields. The teams now have the peace and space to further develop and significantly contribute to new knowledge for society. A new generation of researchers can also be trained, ensuring the continuation of knowledge and research in the long term.

See also: From quantum to climate: five teams of top scientists receive Summit grant | NWO

Watch the introductory video below of Gijsje Koenderink about her research and Medical Delta professorship: