The aim of this joint research program (JRP) is to explore plasma medicine at all relevant levels in its interdisciplinary context: plasma physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology, cell biology, medicine and clinical practice. The primary objective of this JRP is to create an inter-university team with a size and impact that enables a long term collaborative effort between research at the universities and clinical perspectives at the hospital. The results to be obtained by this JRP are insights in properties of plasmas and plasma cocktails, how they can be manipulated, and how they affect systems at increasing levels of complexity, from molecules in solution and membrane-mimicking model systems, to cultures of bacteria and yeast, and finally to mammalian cells, (infected) tissues and organisms. These resulting insights will enable the subsequent objectives of addressing current medical needs: cancer treatment and bacterial multidrug-resistance.
The collaborations will enable the participating groups to perform state of the art research with a very high impact at the forefront of science. Nowhere in the world is plasma medicine being addressed at such an all-encompassing level. Through their complementary specialized approaches, the parties involved are uniquely set to pave the way for a world leading role of the TU/e-UU-UMCU consortium in the field of plasma medicine.
As a broad and growing field, plasma medicine is also well-suited for development of an attractive, highly interdisciplinary joint teaching program. It will be integrated initially as a separate course in bachelor and master programs (e.g. Drug Innovation, Regenerative Medicine and Technology, Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences (UU), and in existing and new USE learning lines and other parts of the curriculum of Applied Physics (TU/e)). The lectures will be given in English, to attract international students. At a later stage, the teaching program may be developed into a joint master program between TU/e, UU and UMCU.