BiokataLYST
Grantee: Adam Roigart, BY RUM SKOLE
Amount: DKK 993,851
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
Your Amazing Skin (Din fantastiske hud)
Grantee: Anne Kathrine B. Nielsen, Caretoons ApS
Amount: DKK 989,207
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
UNF Science Camps 2026
Grantee: Carina Molsen Villadsen, Ungdommens Naturvidenskabelige Forening
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
The 2026 Solar Eclipse – A Nationwide Public Science Event (Solformørkelsen 2026 – Landsdækkende naturvidenskabeligt folke-event)
Grantee: Henrik Bjerring, Nordic Science Company
Amount: DKK 993,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
The project is a nation-wide public science engagement initiative in relation to the solar eclipse on 12 August 2026. Through live TV broadcasting, public events, and collaborations with primary and lower secondary schools on educational material, it will engage all of Denmark in the wonders of astronomy and astrophysics and expose them to relevant scientists and hands-on experiments.
Build-a-baby (et spil om genetik, egenskaber og livskvalitet for udskolingen)
Grantee: Hans Emil Sølyst Hjerl, Danmarks Naturfagslærerforening
Amount: DKK 640,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
Danmarks Naturfagslærerforening will create Build-a-baby, an interactive 90-minute classroom game on genetics, in partnership with Copenhagen Game Lab. Target group is lower secondary school. Students will “build babies” by combining genes, environmental factors, and life events affecting health and pass traits on to the next generation. Focus is on stimulating knowledge and reflection on health, risk factors, inheritance, and lifestyle. The game includes teacher guides, supports biology curriculum milestones, and will be free for educators nationwide with potential for expansion to other Nordic countries.
From protein to allergen: how microbial and host enzymes drive allergy sensitisation in atopic dermatitis
Grantee: Esperanza Rivera de Torre, Assistant Professor, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Amount: DKK 3,999,636
Grant category: Research Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are much more likely to develop other environmental (pollen, dust mites) or food allergies, but we do not understand why. Our immune system usually ignores most proteins in contact with the skin, yet some people, have a strong reaction. With this project we aim to determine whether human and microbe enzymes on AD-affected skin can turn harmless proteins into allergens by cutting them or chemically modifying them. We will use lab-grown human skin models and cutting-edge tools to see how bacteria and damaged skin cells alter proteins like those from pollen, dust mites, of peanut and whether these changes make them more likely to trigger allergic reactions. We will also study how these modified proteins are recognised by the immune system. The results could lead to better ways to prevent allergies in people with AD, such as treatments that block harmful enzymes, protect the skin barrier, or train the immune system to tolerate allergens.
The Proteome of Chronic Urticaria
Grantee: Marianne Løvendorf, PI, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark
Amount: DKK 3,680,000
Grant category: Research Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Denmark
Chronic urticaria, also known as chronic hives, is a common skin condition causing itchy rashes and swelling, considerably impacting the quality of life. Although common, the exact cause remains unknown. We will study the proteins involved in chronic urticaria to better understand the underlying disease mechanisms and hopefully find new treatment options. We will use a specialized technique called mass spectrometry to measure the proteins in skin samples from patients with hives and healthy controls. With this approach we can determine which proteins are altered in affected skin, offering new insights into the underlying causes of the condition. Additionally, we will study how immune cells and nerve signals affect the disease by conducting laboratory experiments. By understanding the biology of chronic urticaria better, we hope to contribute to the development of more effective and targeted treatments that could help people suffering from this challenging condition.
In Situ Gene Editing To Rescue Severe, Genetic Skin Diseases
Grantee: Sarah Hedtrich, Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada
Amount: DKK 4,191,726
Grant category: Research Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Canada
Some rare skin conditions, like Epidermolytic Ichthyosis (EI) and Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI), are caused by changes in certain genes. These diseases can be severe and often have no effective treatments, making life very hard for patients. Gene editing—a powerful new technology—could fix these faulty genes and provide lasting cures, but delivering these tools into the skin and targeting the right cells is a major challenge. This project aims to develop new, skin-applied gene-editing treatments. The goals are to: (1) create ways to correct the gene changes that cause EI and HI, (2) design messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules that work well in skin cells, and (3) make tiny delivery packages, called lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), that carry the tools to skin stem cells. By improving mRNA design and targeting, the approach could lead to long-lasting, possibly permanent treatments for severe genetic skin diseases.
Rethinking Psoriasis Treatment with an Antibody CDR-H3-Based Technology: Small-Molecule Inhibitors of IL-17/IL-23 Signaling
Grantee: Stephane Roche, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Florida Atlantic University, USA
Amount: DKK 3,139,640
Grant category: Research Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: USA
Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic autoimmune skin disease considered a major global health issue, driven by overactive immune signals, especially those from interleukins IL-17 and IL-23 pathways. Current therapies, mainly injectable antibody drugs, can be highly effective but are costly, requiring medical administration, and remain in patients for weeks, causing long-term safety concerns. Our project aims to create a new class of smaller molecules that work like antibodies but act rapidly and will ultimately be taken orally. Using discoveries from our lab on CDR-H3-mimicking small molecules—structures inspired by the critical binding loops of antibodies—we can precisely block interactions that trigger IL-17 and IL-23 activity. This innovative technology could deliver powerful anti-psoriasis molecules that are easier to dose, more affordable, and potentially safer for long-term care. Success will open the door to a new generation of small-molecule therapies for autoimmune diseases.
Unraveling the Molecular Landscape of Pyoderma Gangrenosum: A Multi-Omics Approach
Grantee: Lars French, Professor, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
Amount: DKK 3,984,671
Grant category: Research Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: USA
Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare and very painful skin disease that causes rapidly enlarging ulcers which can destroy tissue and severely impair quality of life. It is often misdiagnosed because there are no specific tests and its ulcers resemble other chronic wounds, leading to delays, wrong treatments, and prolonged suffering. PG is frequently linked to other serious conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or arthritis. Current therapies mainly suppress the immune system but are often ineffective, and no approved targeted treatment exists. Our project will apply cutting-edge technologies to study genes, proteins, and single cells in PG skin samples and compare them with other types of ulcers. By defining unique “molecular fingerprints” of PG, we aim to develop the first reliable diagnostic test, uncover disease subtypes, and identify new drug targets. This will allow earlier diagnosis, guide personalized therapy choices, and ultimately transform patient care.