DPZ scientists meet Colombian Ambassador
Dr. Jens Gruber and Nicolás Lemus from the Medical RNA-Biology Research at the German Primate Center (DPZ) met the Colombian ambassador María Lorena Gutiérrez Botero during her one-day visit at the University of Göttingen. The meeting took place within the talks around the German-Colombian Peace Institute in Bogotá, in which the University of Göttingen prominently participates. Furthermore, not only the University of Göttingen but also nonacademic facilities have a strong connection with Colombia through cooperation in various research projects.
A meeting with Colombian students, scientists and co-operation partners, among others, also took place in the scope of the ambassador´s visit on January 20, 2017. In an informal atmosphere, with “Kaffee und Kuchen“ (traditional German “coffee and cake”), they talked about the different aspects of the German-Colombian cooperation. Dr. Jens Gruber and Nicolás Lemus from the Medical RNA-Biology Research at the German Primate Center (DPZ) were there. The group is currently researching the role of small non-protein-coding RNA molecules in the body, studying their role in the genesis of different illnesses and trying to find the right therapeutic approach.
Both DPZ scientists used the opportunity to talk to the ambassador about a new cooperation project with Colombia. The focus of the project is the analysis of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from a special substance known as the Wharton jelly of the umbilical cord. Stem cells are undifferentiated and thus, able to develop into all cell types of the body. These „jack-of-all-trade“ cells are therefore mainly used in regenerative medicine for the treatment of various serious diseases, such as leukemia.
„The stem cells from the Wharton’s jelly have a special function,“ says Jens Gruber, head of the research group on Medical RNA Biology. „They produce substances that positively influence the immune responses in the body. Among other things, they are also responsible for the growth stop of tumor cells, the so-called Tumor Dormancy. We want to find out what the substances are that the cells produce, their function, and how to manipulate them for therapeutic purposes”.
The reason for the cooperation with scientists at the Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovacion en Salud (IDCBIS) in Bogotá is therefore as follow: The institute in the Colombian capital has a stem cell bank and the necessary expertise in cell cultivation and conservation. „However, the institute in Colombia lacks the infrastructure for the molecular genetic manipulation of cells,“ says Gruber. “To make sure that we have a very good cooperation within the project, we will be in charge of the latter”.
Nicolás Lemus, a native Colombian and doctoral candidate in the research group, will also be involved in the project. Through his medical studies and his scientific education at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá he was able to establish his first contacts with staff at the institute. The cooperation project was set up because of his decisive commitment.
During the meeting, Gruber and Lemus spoke to the Ambassador about cooperation possibilities. María Lorena Guitérrez Botero was very interested and invited both scientists to a meeting with the partners from Bogotá at the Berlin Embassy.
The start of the research project is set for April 2017 and is funded for two years. Nearly 100,000 euros were requested in the current bilateral funding by the BMBF and the Colombian COLCIENCIAS. The money will mainly be used for the development of scientific and technical cooperation between the Institute in Bogotá and the DPZ in Göttingen but also for personnel exchanges, workshops and travel costs.
María Lorena Gutiérrez Botero (56) is a business economics graduate with a PhD in finance. Since August 18, 2016 she has held the office of Ambassador for the Republic of Colombia. She previously served as Minister of the Presidential Office of the Colombian Government as well as Deputy Minister of Mining and Energy. In addition, Gutiérrez Botero has received numerous national and international acknowledgments and has been a member of the Council of Ministers (2010-2016) at CONFIS where she was as a member of the Security Council and served on the Advisory Council for Peace.
Contact:
Valia Carvalho
International Office