BUS604: Innovation and Sustainability

The first pillar of the new concept of the UMCG is: "Establishment of eye-catching, internationally oriented research infrastructures for healthy aging research, i.e. the biobank and population cohort study LifeLines and the European Research Institute for the Biology of aging (ERIBA)".

LifeLines is one of the most valuable multidimensional cohort studies and biobanks in the world. LifeLines offers a unique data resource for scientific use to study a broad scope of (epi)genetic, biomedical, environmental, and psychosocial factors in relation to healthy aging, disease development, and general well-being.

LifeLines has evolved into a big data research infrastructure comprising an elaborate, longitudinal cohort, a biobank including a data warehouse and biomaterial, a dynamic research programme, and a collaborative network including other data- and biobanks.

The cohort study started in 2006. It is now the largest infrastructure performing scientific population-based studies in the Netherlands, with 167,000 individuals who will be followed for 30 years. It covers information on environmental exposures, (epi)genetics, and psychological and social factors, as well as data on healthcare use to cover societal impact. Thanks to this wide scope, the high number of participants, and the long follow-up time, the LifeLines data set lays down a broad foundation for important breakthroughs in the screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of (chronic) diseases as well as in the understanding of the etiology of disease.

The developed infrastructure enables UMCG researchers to perform large-scale, genetic epidemiological studies in a broad range of multifactorial diseases.

The approach is based on curiosity, communication, and collaboration. Group leaders and their teams working with unique model systems and technology platforms meet regularly and share their knowledge and expertise to accelerate discoveries.The wider aim of the European Institute for the Biology of aging (ERIBA) is to better understand what causes aging. Studies are focused on the mechanisms that result in loss of cells with age and the decline of function in old cells and tissues. The aim is to develop novel strategies to prevent and combat age-related disease and to provide evidence-based recommendations for healthy aging.

Studies in ERIBA are specifically focused on the molecular mechanisms that trigger the age-related decline in the function of nondividing cells and the regulation of self-renewal and (epi)genetic stability in cells from tissues with continuous turnover. Many studies have documented diminished control of gene expression and protein activity in old cells compared to young cells. The resulting loss of cells and tissue function is a major component of normal aging. Key factors are likely to differ between cells that do not divide much after childhood (such as most cells in the heart or the brain) and cells that continue to divide over a lifetime (such as stem cells of renewing tissues and lymphocytes).

ERIBA investigators address questions about aging using collaborative, multi-disciplinary, technology-oriented approaches, which include next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, flow cytometry, live cell imaging, and studies of suitable genetic model systems. ERIBA aims to become a world-class research institute, internationally renowned for cutting-edge research. It aims to attract top-level scientists of all levels of seniority.

Staff scientists are expected to publish their papers in high-impact journals with quality prevailing over quantity. There is ample opportunity to explore uncharted territory and embark on high-risk projects that can yield major breakthroughs.

The development of novel tools and technology required to answer fundamental questions is a key element of this strategic focus. Long-term investment in developing a strong research programme is favored over short-term activities leading to incremental results. Staff scientists define their own research agenda, but are expected to collaborate with fellow scientists in ERIBA and its affiliated local and distant Institutions.

Aspiring scientists will find that ERIBA provides an excellent training platform which prepares them very well for the internationally competitive field of life sciences in the 21st century. ERIBA scientists participate in programmes aimed at disseminating new scientific knowledge related to the biology of aging to society at large.

ERIBA researchers are therefore expected to be contacted frequently by the press and media to comment on new research findings. ERIBA scientists are also expected to advise politicians and policy-makers in general. Teaching programmes for high school students and teachers will be implemented, and sharing knowledge with the lay audience through a variety of activities is strongly encouraged.

On the ground floor the ERIBA Science Hall hosts a permanent exhibition showing the research activities of staff scientists.

ERIBA is a research institute which will focus on fundamental biological problems through basic research. It is therefore also likely that new knowledge acquired through this research agenda will repeatedly generate potentially commercially relevant and lucrative intellectual property.

The protection of such intellectual property is strongly encouraged and will be facilitated by a proactive patent office. The nearby presence of the newly developed Healthy aging Campus will further enable future commercial activities.