Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems (AIMMS)

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AIMMS PhD grant, first tranche

Today, despite major achievements in public health, human beings are still exposed to a large number of health threats. For example, infections proliferate rapidly by the increasing individual mobility and broadening resistance against treatments. Further, in an aging population, age-related malfunctions inevitably increase. Finally, the prevalence of high-burden diseases is growing. Even with relatively well-known disorders, current therapies are effective in only 40% of patient populations, while other diseases still completely lack effective therapies. Thus, a large unmet societal need exists, with corresponding scientific challenges, for the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of diseases that will give rise to innovative development of new small molecule drugs, as well as other therapeutics and diagnostic strategies.

The last decade has witnessed important technological breakthroughs in the fields of molecular and cellular biology, (combinatorial and designer) synthesis and chemical space, bioanalytical methodologies, including high-throughput screening and various ~omics approaches and sequencing methods, including an increasing computational power. Also an increased understanding of the biological fate and the effects of medicines have advanced the relevance of molecular medicine significantly. Lately, a new perspective, concerning integration (instead of reduction) to study complex biological systems has been developed, i.e. the systems biology of molecular networks.  These developments fuel a general excitement that the problems sketched above can be addressed with more comprehensive and sophisticated strategies, improving the molecular up to a systems understanding of health and disease.

Universities can play a crucial role in this process by integrating and translating multi-faceted basic research in fields of life and exact sciences to the application domain of the development of new drugs, therapeutics (e.g. antibodies and other biologics) and diagnostics. Also vice versa, related questions can be translated from the application domain into new basic research. Unravelling of molecular mechanisms of diseases and the development of novel drugs, therapeutics and diagnostics depend on effective and synergistic integration of multiple scientific disciplines in a sophisticated research infrastructure and with the availability of state-of-the-art technologies.

The Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems (AIMMS) strives to vertically integrate multiple scientific disciplines at the VU Campus into one institute, covering the different molecular, cellular and translational stages in the development of novel drugs, therapeutics (e.g. antibodies and other biologics) and molecular diagnostics and thereby adding significant value to the current research efforts. Apart from established discovery and development strategies, it will use systems biology and network approaches to obtain, integrate and analyze complex data from multiple experimental sources using interdisciplinary tools.

Participating faculties and research groups

At the present stage, 18 research groups of the faculties of Sciences (FEW) and Earth and Life Sciences (FALW) have committed themselves to join AIMMS. In addition, multiple cooperations exist between the research groups in the faculties of Exact Sciences and Earth and Life Sciences and research groups in the VUmc.

Mission

The mission of AIMMS is to join forces in basic molecular life sciences to reach fundamental breakthroughs in translational molecular medicine with emphasis on the integrated understanding of biological processes and systems and the development of new drugs, therapeutics and diagnostics.

Research strategy

The research in AIMMS focuses on the fundamental understanding of biological processes from molecules to networks. AIMMS integrates top-level chemical, pharmaceutical, biological and related medical sciences at the VU University Campus. AIMMS is organized around three central research programs for optimal focus and efficiency. The research programs comprise:

• Molecular mechanisms of biological processes
  This theme comprises research aiming at in-depth understanding of the molecules and the biological processes relevant to life (in health and disease). Moreover, it includes more specific disease target identification and validation by combined molecular and network-based research.
• Design and characterization of molecules and medicines
  Research towards the discovery, design, synthesis, analysis and characterization of novel drug and therapeutic candidates typically being small organic molecules, peptides, proteins, antibodies and other biologics. This includes the disposition, the safety and the effects of the drug and therapeutic candidates.
• Biomarkers and diagnostics
  Discovery of appropriate translational biomarkers and corresponding in vitro and in vivo molecular diagnostic tools to facilitate the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of selected diseases and dedicated (novel) drug and therapeutic candidates.

An overview of the participating research groups and their respective contributions towards the three selected AIMMS programs is given in the following figure:

Voor meer informatie

T: 020 5987 600 (secretariaat)
E:  info@aimms.vu.nl

Postadres:
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
De Boelelaan 1083
1081 HV Amsterdam