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In July 2019, the SNSF launched the funding scheme Spark as a pilot project to support unconventional research and novel scientific approaches. Each application was evaluated in a double-blind procedure by two members of an international pool of experts. It was the idea that counted most of all. Other important criteria were the quality of the submitted project proposal and the potential impact of the results.
This project is highly interdisciplinary, as it combines know-how in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical engineering, and Cell Biology. The aim is to use microscale forces to manipulate at the single-cell level the printing process.
Microproteins are small proteins (< 100 amino acids) that have been historically neglected on the assumption that they are due to their small size unlikely to perform essential biological functions. However, a growing number of examples challenges the generality of this assumption. In this Spark project, we will systematically annotate translated microproteins and elucidate their function in mammalian tissue formation.
Because of the high share of original project proposals, the Research Council has decided to launch a further call for Spark in 2020. The call will open in mid-February.
