Partners
NatProLub is coordinated by Dr. Hongji Yan. This initiative is a collaborative effort that unites top-tier academic research groups and an industry partner from 5 EU countries.
The members of the NatProLub consortium have very strong backgrounds in relevant but complementary scientific disciplines that will contribute to the development of prophylactic lubricants for end users and have previous successful experience in managing large scientific projects, the creation of spin-off companies, and maintaining well-developed professional networks in academia, industry, and healthcare.
Uppsala University (UU) was founded in 1477, making it the oldest university in the Nordics, and is regularly ranked as one of Sweden's top, as well as among the world's top 100 in all disciplines. The Department of Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University is a supportive and collaborative environment for multidisciplinary research, known for its strong and diverse team of international researchers.
In NatProLub two research groups participate. Dr. Hongji Yan, who has recently established his research group and is pioneering the development of ‘‘mucus-like’’ gels that can lubricate the epithelium and prevent viral infection in NatProLub. These lubricating gels can transiently liquefy during intercourse for lubrication, then rapidly heal to a solid-like, effectively trapping the bound viruses before being naturally excreted. Prof. Mia Phillipson group conducts research, aiming to uncover novel roles of immune cells and to find means to regulate their specific functions in settings spanning from organ development and regulation of homeostasis to tissue healing, angiogenesis and infection. Her group contributes to evaluating the anti-viral effects and biological safety of the designed new materials in vivo, and involves innovative method developments as well as established, advanced immunological methods in NatProLub.
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is repeatedly being recognized as the top university in Germany and the EU – and TUM is especially known for its activities in engineering and physical sciences.
Prof. Lieleg’s lab is part of TUM’s Department of Materials Engineering and the Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA). His research focuses on biopolymers and biointerfaces and the development of biopolymer materials for medical applications. In the context of the NatProLub project, Prof. Lieleg’s group will further improve the purification process of mucin glycoproteins from porcine stomachs; moreover, the Lieleg lab will study the rheological and tribological properties of mucin-derived hydrogels to identify an optimal material composition for effective lubrication and tissue wear prevention.
Karolinska Institutet (KI) is Sweden’s only university focusing on biomedical sciences. It annually awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. KI ranks as one of the world’s leading medical universities, thanks in part to the quality of its research, which accounts for 40% of all medical research in Sweden. KI has 4800 employees (full-time equivalents), two-thirds of whom are female, in 600 research groups.
In NatProLub two research groups participate. Prof. Sönnerborg’s team including Dr Rafael Cena-Diez, team leader will test the prophylaxis efficacy of the mucin-derived hydrogels against viral infections in cells and vaginal microspheroids, and the effects on vaginal microbiota. His lab is situated at the cutting-edge ANA Futura lab, Campus Flemingsberg, KI, and has access to a vast number of HIV and HSV strains from around the world. Prof. Molly Stevens’ internationally recognized multidisciplinary team has extensive expertise in Raman spectroscopy and has built state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for single particle analysis to study binding sites of mucin to viral envelope proteins.
The University of Turin (UniTO) is one of the most ancient and prestigious Italian Universities. Hosting over 79.000 students and with 120 buildings in different areas in Turin and can be considered as “city-within-a-city”, promoting culture and producing research, innovation, training and employment. Prof.Visentin is a medicinal chemist and is leading a research group at the Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department in UniTO. The Department is actively involved in biotechnological research in the field of biomedical sciences, with specific focus on the study of the molecular mechanisms at the basis of physiopathological processes that have a great impact on human health. The involvement of
Prof. Visentin in the NatProLub project includes the characterization of purified mucins via LC-mass spectrometry and studies of permeability through mucosal models.
Cirqle Biomedical, a research-intensive company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, is dedicated to pioneering innovations in women's health. Since its inception in 2019, Cirqle's primary focus has been on developing a novel, non hormonal contraceptive that works by reinforcing cervical mucus barrier to sperm. Through the diverse and experienced research team at Cirqle and through collaborations with partners in the Copenhagen area and across Europe, Cirqle has cultivated unique expertise in contraceptive development and, more broadly, in the vaginal delivery of therapeutics.
In the NatProLub project, Cirqle Biomedical is contributing to the design, characterization, and testing of the antiviral prophylactic vaginal gels the consortium aims to develop. Leveraging Cirqle's experience in vaginal delivery, the team aims to develop a new approach to vaginal gel delivery, enhancing user compliance and establishing new standards in the field.
IDMIT is a research department of CEA jointly operated with Université Paris-Saclay and Inserm. One of its missions is to host and coordinate the national research infrastructure for biology and health dedicated to preclinical research on human infectious diseases. IDMIT is situated at both the CEA site in Fontenay-aux-Roses and the Kremlin-Bicêtre hospital site in France.
Dr. Roger Le Grand serves as the Director of IDMIT, and within his unit, Dr. Mariangela Cavarelli is a group leader specialising in the study of host-pathogen interactions and the development of preventive strategies against infectious diseases. As part of the NatProLub project, IDMIT will assess the safety and efficacy of mucin gels developed by the consortium in non-human primate preclinical models.
Founded in 1827, KTH Royal Institute of Technology is the largest institution in Sweden for technical education and research and an international leading technical university currently ranking 73rd among 1,500 universities worldwide in the QS World University Rankings. The Division of Protein Science is one of the largest departments at KTH, and conducts research ranging from basic cell biology and drug development, to proteomics and nanobiotechnology.
Assoc. Professor Haakan Joenssons group is part of the Division of Nanobiotechnology at SciLifeLab Solna. The group develops droplet microfluidics based tools and devices applications in the life sciences ranging from drug development to industrial biotechnology. In NatProLub, the Joensson Biomicrofluidics group contributes novel miniaturized 3D cell models including mucin components.