In an ageing European society, the number of people suffering from osteoporosis has increased dramatically. This disease considerably impairs patients' life quality, and results in high societal costs. However, current understanding of osteoporosis is insufficient due to the lack of appropriate tools that would allow a thorough analysis of bone microstructure. The 4-D nanoSCOPE research team, based in German universities, aims to address this issue and to unravel the unknown architecture of our bones.

Georg Schett (Universitätsklinikum Erlangen), Andreas Maier (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen Nürnberg) and Silke Christiansen (Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin) intend to enable X-ray microscopy studies in living creatures for the very first time. They plan to do so by combining state-of-the-art imaging techniques with innovative precision learning software and a novel Xray microscope. Their method has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of bone structure and improve bone remodelling, by enabling an effective assessment of the effects on bone of age, hormones, inflammation and treatment.

Project: 4-D nanoScope – Advancing osteoporosis medicine by observing bone microstructure and remodelling using a four-dimensional nanoscope
ERC funding: € 12,366,635 million for 72 months

Read more on the ERC Website:https://erc.europa.eu/news/erc-2018-synergy-grants-examples