Dr Peter Schön, programme director at MESA+ and lecturer at the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Twente, has accepted a position within the NanoBioInterface of the Saxion University of Applied Sciences. This lectureship is lead by Prof. Dr Gregor Luthe. The appointment ensures the collaboration in nano research between the two institutes. UT and Saxion will share their research facilities, the MESA+ NanoLab among them. Luthe and Schön want to develop methods and strategies for the early detection of life-threatening diseases together.
Master
The collaboration in the field of nanotechnology between Saxion and the UT means a sequel to the master's programme for applied nanotechnology they developed together. Schön is senior lecturer for this educational programme at both Saxion and the University of Twente.
Smart treatment of life-threatening diseases
As a chemist and chemical engineer, Schön is a specialist in the atomic force microscope, especially in the nanobio interface and macro molecules and polymers. He acquired his extensive experience in this field at the Bruker Nano Surfaces company, among others.
"This microscope makes it possible to visualize, research and manipulate biological systems in their actual environment, from cell to individual molecule," says Schön. "The method currently has a large influence on the medical science and will become indispensable in the field of nanomedication. In this we focus on early diagnosis of diseases and targeted administration of medication."
Schön is especially interested in research programmes in the area of nanodiagnosis and nanotoxicology. That seamlessly fits with the field of research of Professor Luthe who, in addition to his work at Saxion, also leads a research group in human toxicology at the University of Iowa (USA). Luthe and Schön want to develop methods and strategies for the early detection of life-threatening diseases together. The interaction of nanoparticles with cell structures can be studied in detail in this way, which can provide important insights into toxicological as well as medical applications. Nanoparticles can be used for the treatment of diseases in a smart way, for example by very specifically targeting cancer cells with heat.
Technology to hospitals
Schön can draw from an extensive international network, amongst which are several prominent European researchers and his contacts in the world of atomic force microscopy. He has been the project leader of the European COST network, which focuses on the application of the method in medical science, for five years. "Our most important goal is to get this technology into the hospitals."
