Researcher from Health receives Sapere Aude millions
Assistant Professor and PhD Lin Lin from the Department of Biomedicine receives almost DKK six million from the Independent Research Fund Denmark. The grant will be used to develop new technologies for pig-to-human organ transplants. The support from the Independent Research Fund Denmark’s Sapere Aude programme also gives her the opportunity to establish herself as research group leader.
A shortage of organs for transplants poses a serious challenge – a challenge that Lin Lin has taken up. She conducts research in transplant medicine and her ambition is to generate the best genetically modified pigs for organ transplantations.
Pigs have long been considered one of the most promising alternative sources of organs due to their anatomical and physiological similarities with humans. However, two of the central remaining barriers to pig-to-human organ transplantation – also called xenotransplantation – are viral transmission and immunological rejection.
Lin Lin is working to develop technologies for the generation of pigs that are resistant to immunological rejection and viral infections, thereby eliminating the two barriers. To achieve this, she utilises CRISPR gene editing and cloning in her research.
Read more about Lin Lin and her research on the Independent Research Fund Denmark's website.
Contact
Assistant Professor and PhD Lin Lin
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Direct tel.: (+45) 8716 7015
Email: lin.lin@biomed.au.dk