Both universities and private companies carry out R&D activities in high level technology. Universities are mainly engaged in research to discover new knowledge, while the ultimate goal of a company is to generate profits.
Two factors are bringing them closer together: universities have become more entrepreneurial in their outlook, and companies now value more the expertise of academic researchers and what it can contribute to their commercial success. Also, today, collaboration is essential for new research findings to reach competitive markets properly.
While universities focus on education and new knowledge, more and more companies are providing the bridge to help transform new advances into things that people can use. Once outside the academic bubble, discoveries and innovative technologies flourish.
3DforScience is one of the companies that believes in the contribution made by collaboration with universities to promote research or innovative technology obtained by the university. Through the different services provided by 3DforScience, a greater impact can be achieved in the dissemination of discoveries made by universities.
These services include 3D animation videos, interactive content, augmented reality, virtual reality, scientific illustrations, among others.
3DforScience has already developed projects with universities, among them:
- University of Tampere
- Imperial College London
- University of Groningen
- University Medical Center Groningen
- Utrecht University ( Collaboration with Sensu )
- Eindhoven University of Technology ( Collaboration with Sensu )
Project to the Imperial College London:
Cover of the Magazine Nature Materials:
Imperial College London is a world-class public university located in London. Focusing solely on science, this leading research university ranks 9th in the world. The Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research group that combines cellular and molecular biology tools with biophysical, bioengineering and nanotechnology approaches to investigate how mechanical stimuli regulate the behavior of cells and molecules.
In this project to Researchers from the Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics Laboratory, we focus on the Syndecan molecule, which represents the overall molecular response elicited when the extracellular domain of the molecule is pulled with mechanical force using magnetic beads.
Project to The Marie Curie Ageing Network:
Stem Cells, Fountain of Youth:
This animated movie explains what stem cells are and what their role in the human body is. The animation shows in a fun and easy way why stem cells can be seen as “nature’s anti-ageing agents”, and answers questions like “What is the difference between pluripotent and tissue-specific stem cells? ” and “How do stem cells age?”.
Project to Utrech University:
The secret world of glycans
In the animation video that we made for the Utrech University in collaboration with Sensu, we explained the world of glycans, the science that encompasses it and the contributions that they generate in our organism.
Glycoscience is a scientific discipline that studies the complex role that glycans play in our bodies. The glycoscience research is an example of Science for Life, one of the four themes within Utrecht University’s interdisciplinary research programme Life Sciences.
The film provides a glimpse into the secret world of glycans – as well as showing the cutting-edge glycoscience research that is being conducted to understand their role in health and disease and to develop the therapeutics and vaccines of the future.
Project to Eindhoven University of Technology:
Artificial leaf, a mini-factory for drugs
Another great project realized was the 3D animation video to the Eindhoven University of Technology in collaboration with Sensu where a team of Dutch scientists from Eindhoven University of Technology have developed an artificial leaf-like device that could make that happen.
The researchers, inspired by plants that can make their food through photosynthesis, used materials that can match leaves’ capability to capture and store sunlight for later use.
Project to University of Groningen:
Enzyme Engineering:
Enzyme Engineering, is a short film we made in collaboration with DSM and the University of Groningen for the amazing project Horizon2020 ROBOX. Thanks to the ROBOX project, the University of Groningen ensures that they will leverage their expertise in knowledge-based enzyme discovery and engineering to generate and produce custom oxidative enzymes that can be used for industrial applications.
Collaboration projects with Sensu org
We have carried out several projects with Sensu agency, apart from those already mentioned in collaboration, we will talk about the last three projects developed:
- Uncovering The Biological Clock
- Imavalve
- The Fascinating World of Proteomics – Proteins at Work
Uncovering The Biological Clock
A team of Dutch and German researchers under the leadership of Albert Heck and Friedrich Förster from Utrecht University has discovered the operation of one of the oldest biological clocks in the world, which is crucial for life on earth as we know it.
They discovered how the biological clock in cyanobacteria works in detail. Important to understand life, because cyanobacteria were the first organisms on earth producing oxygen via photosynthesis.The results of their research are explained in project and were published in the scientific journal Science.
Imavalve
Literally translated: heart valve of intelligent materials (‘Ima’), impactful improvement in the life of heart-valve patients that currently can only be offered either a mechanical or animal heart valve. These are implants that have to be repeatedly replaced, with all of the health risks this involves and, moreover, condemns the patient in a lifetime of having to take drugs to combat rejection, among other things.
ImaValve is the result of decades of innovative fundamental research into a living heart valve that is the body’s own and lasts a lifetime. This necessitates just one operation. The aim is to use this for children with heart disease also.
The ImaValve project team is a multidisciplinary collaboration of top institutes and leading industrial partners in the field of biomaterials science and tissue engineering from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. The project was coordinated by professor Carlijn Bouten, head of the Soft Tissue Biomechanics & Tissue Engineering department at Eindhoven University of Technology.
The Fascinating World of Proteomics – Proteins at Work
This project provides a glimpse at the fascinating world of proteomics research, the study of all proteins that form the basis for life. The video was produced for the lab of prof. dr. Albert Heck at Utrecht University and the Netherlands Proteomics Centre.
Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, which are vital parts of all living organisms. Studying proteins can help to understand diseases better and the effectiveness of drugs, but can teach us why some plants can adapt to harsh environments and how we can effectively combat bacterial infections.
Conclusion
The university world now sees the benefits of looking beyond theory and taking an active role in overseeing the transfer of new knowledge into practical applications. Therefore, instead of safeguarding research, it is becoming a mentor for collaborations with companies that use their expertise in the marketplace to bring discoveries in practical applications to the public.
3DforScience
3DforScience is a scientific communication company specialized in digital content for the pharma and biotech industries. Our passionate creative team works alongside an in-house scientific team to provide cutting-edge medical animations, scientific illustrations, virtual reality, etc.
Our extensive experience within the field ensures all the content we produce is scientifically accurate, innovative, engaging, and pitched at the right level for the target audience.
