With its initiative, Gebert Rüf Stiftung seeks to generate a significant impact by exploiting the potential and widespread use of microbial resources in health and technology. The program supports with CHF 2 Mio. p.a. innovative and applied projects dealing with the direct use of modified or domesticated micro-organisms. The focus is on applications in human and veterinary medicine, the environment, energy production, water treatment, food science and other areas. The fifth and last call is launched with the deadline of 19 June 2020.
The opportunities for the development of new tools in health care, drug discovery, the environment, agriculture and food production are increasingly limited by the availability of novel chemical compounds. Innovative approaches and solutions are needed. The microbiome is now known to contribute significantly to human health and disease, to regulate global biogeochemistry, and to harbour much of our planet’s genetic diversity. Microbes play important roles in ecosystems of all types. Despite their small size, the sheer number of microbes living on the planet will influence resource management and distribution. They evolve and adapt rapidly; they provide a largely untapped resource for innovation and technological advances in many fields. Its potential for applications in medicine, the environment, agriculture, energy production and nutrition is clear, yet an innovative exploration of the power of micro-organisms is needed.
Further information: grstiftung.ch