With coatings made from soft nanoscopic hairs we can give new advanced functions to materials. For example, in the future we could use these coatings to measure whether packaged food has spoiled. To design these coatings, it is important to understand how the coatings behave under different conditions, such as humidity. This determines the user experience. We have combined molecular dynamics simulations with experiments to gain a fundamental understanding of the behavior of the coatings in humid air. We have thus taken a crucial step in the development of these functional coatings.

Alzheimer, cardiovascular disease, chemotherapy-resistant cancers- all these conditions remain incurable. We will develop tiny particles, nanocarriers, for treatment of such conditions. Our unique approach is to encapsulate Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) in nanocarriers. PROTACs are novel, revolutionary drugs that degrade “bad” proteins involved in these conditions. PROTACs were efficient in initial experiments. However, major challenges hamper PROTACs performance: stabilization of PROTACs in blood, and targeting the diseased cells. Encapsulation of PROTACs in nanocarriers will tackle these challenges, leading to new treatments of major public health problems in the future.

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Team FlexSciLabs is a versatile group of enthusiastic education professionals, consisting of teachers, students, lab-technicians, educational consultants, and managers within the engineering science programmes at the University of Twente. Together they designed practical education that is no longer dependent on expensive lab-space and -time. Instead, the experiments and projects can be carried out anywhere and at any time. As a result, their programmes have become less stressful and more accessible to students from different backgrounds. With the prize they will adapt FlexSciLabs so that it can be used in primary and secondary education and in higher education in developing countries.