Maastricht research institutes M4I and MERLN join new national collaboration
The research institutes M4I and MERLN, both part of Maastricht University (UM), are to become partners in a new national collaboration as of 1 January 2025. The Nijmegen-based laser and magnet lab HFML-FELIX will become an NWO Institute under the umbrella of the Foundation for Dutch Scientific Research Institutes (NWO-I) from that date. The two Maastricht institutes will act as official partners in this unique, large-scale scientific infrastructure in the Netherlands. In addition to NWO, Radboud University and UM, five other universities are involved in this special partnership.
About HFML-FELIX
HFML-FELIX in Nijmegen conducts groundbreaking research on the properties and behaviour of materials and molecules by exposing them to extreme conditions, such as very high magnetic fields and powerful free-electron lasers. It is the only place in the world where these two techniques can also be combined.
This enables HFML-FELIX to contribute to important research fields, including materials science, medicine, and astronomy. Examples include research on the early detection of diseases, the composition of planetary atmospheres, and the discovery of new materials with promising properties, such as graphene. The institute also works on innovations needed for the energy transition.
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Mass spectrometry and bioprinting
‘We have been collaborating with HFML-FELIX over the past years to understand the fundamental principles of magnetic levitation, so we can enhance the self-assembly of cells and thus mimic human tissues even better for applications in regenerative medicine,’ says Professor Lorenzo Moroni, scientific director of MERLN. ‘HFML-FELIX offers a unique infrastructure for detailed interdisciplinary studies that have a major impact in technical and biomedical sciences,’ adds Ron Heeren, director of M4I. ‘The complementarity with M4I provides a strong foundation for the further development of joint imaging programmes, focusing on the analysis of molecular structures in cells and tissues.’
Text: Mark van der Linde
Photography: Astrid Eckert
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