Dr Nicola Fletcher receives ERC Synergy Grant to develop novel technology that could revolutionise clinical diagnostics

Conway Fellow, Dr Nicola Fletcher has received a coveted European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant for her groundbreaking project NanoX that will develop new techniques to image tissue microbiopsies.

A veterinary pathologist and infectious disease expert at UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Fletcher (pictured) is one of two Synergy Grant recipients in Ireland this year. This brings Ireland's Synergy participation to six grants in total, four of the grantees are from UCD.

Successful treatment of diseases can often rely on restoring the normal structure and function of cells within tissues and organs. However, it is currently challenging to visualise detailed cellular changes within whole tissues in response to disease. 

Soft x-ray microscopy is a novel, exciting imaging technique which allows scientists to visualise cells in exquisite detail, but it has yet to be applied to imaging whole tissues. Project NanoX will merge the skillsets of international experts in infectious disease, physics and structural biology to develop new techniques that can image tissue microbiopsies.

Ultimately, the scientific and technological innovations developed and implemented in this project will revolutionise clinical diagnostics and research, providing new ways to characterise, diagnose, and treat a range of diseases in any species at a level of detail.

Dr Nicola Fletcher, said, ‘I am delighted and honoured to receive this ERC synergy grant, which will allow me to work with world leading researchers in the field of soft x-ray microscopy.

The UCD Conway Institute is home to the world’s first commercially available laboratory scale soft x-ray microscope, built and designed by Sirius XT Ltd. Together with the University of Heidelberg and the Diamond Light Source in Oxford, we have the state-of-the-art facilities we need to develop new ways to image tissue biopsies in exquisite detail. This will allow us to characterise diseases at the cellular level."

With funding of over €6 million, Dr Fletcher’s collaboration with Dr Venera Weinhardt at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and Professor Maria Harkiolaki at the UK's national synchrotron light source science facility Diamond Light Source Limited, aims to develop and implement innovative x-ray technology for tissue biopsies. This will allow them to visualise tissues at a level of detail not previously possible, a crucial step for understanding the mechanisms of disease.

"I am confident that this project will deliver new ways to diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases in humans and animals. I’m passionate about One Health, the idea that animal, human and environmental health are all linked and we must consider all of them when trying to improve the health of any one. This project fits perfectly within One Health and will benefit all species.

"My thanks to Máire Coyle in UCD research who went above and beyond to help us on every step of the road to being awarded this grant”, added Dr Fletcher.

UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Professor Kate Robson Brown said, “Congratulations to Dr Fletcher on winning the fourth ERC Synergy Grant for UCD. Her achievement exemplifies the excellence of our researchers who are building strong international collaborations to drive innovation and address global challenges.” 

Today's announcement by the ERC amounts to €571 million in funding for 57 projects that will bring leading researchers together to combine their expertise, knowledge and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. The funding is part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. 

Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, said, “Innovation thrives on collaboration, especially when tackling the pressing scientific challenges of our time. The ERC Synergy Grants work with Horizon Europe funding to connect brilliant minds across borders and disciplines, enabling them to push the frontiers of knowledge together.”

President of the European Research Council, Professor Maria Leptin, said, “It is so inspiring to see how the Synergy Grants bring together remarkable researchers from many disciplines, countries and even continents, united by their ambition to tackle difficult research questions. Congratulations to all the winners – I look forward to following their progress as they push our boundaries of knowledge.”

Nearly 32% of the successful researchers announced this year were women, the highest proportion since the Synergy scheme began. Six research teams, including the NanoX team, are composed entirely of female researchers.

Conway Fellow, Professor Emma Teeling and UCD researchers, Dr Claire Harnett and Professor Padraig Dunne have received Synergy Grants in previous years.