Life sciences have been identified as one of the pioneering five research areas  within SDC. So far two sub themes have been selected: 

• Neuroscience and Cognition (SiDa-NeC)
• Omics

Neuroscience and Cognition (SiDa-NeC)

By Danish Principal Coordinator  Peter Roepstorff, University of Southern Denmark

The Sino-Danish Center for Neuroscience and Cognition (SiDa‐NeC) aims to be an international centre that combines Chinese and Danish scientific strongholds within neuroscience, cognition and technology. The joint collaboration is expected to create scientific breakthroughs not only within these disciplines, but also in transforming neuroscience and cognitive research into:

• Strategies to reduce the burden of major neurological and psychiatric disorders to patients and Society.  
• Industrial innovation such as internet and multimedia technologies and better human -computer interfaces. 
• Frameworks for understanding social and cultural identities and differences in our globalised world.
• Novel strategies for learning and education.

The initiative will join leading international researchers from the Institute of Biophysics, Institute of Psychology and Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, with Danish Centres-of-Excellence within:

• Neuronal Connectivity
• Advanced Imaging for Translational Neuroscience
• Visual cognition and Cognitive Modelling
• Computational Cognitive Modelling
• Cognition and Culture
• Consciousness and Cognitive Rehabilitation

Neuroscience is a traditional stronghold in Danish research. During the last decade, funnelled by rapid progress in scanning technologies, image processing and mathematical modelling, the use of neuroimaging techniques to study the human mind has grown dramatically. The physiological underpinnings of this development were originally discovered by Danish research groups in the 1970s. However, the advent of functional brain imaging has expanded on the applicability and scope of such investigations. This has necessitated a new organization of research work and ‐culture to enable multidisciplinary and a strong sense of a common research identity in spite of differences in training.

During the last decade, such multidisciplinary research environments have emerged in Denmark, in a highly fruitful collaboration across Institutes, Faculties and Universities. SiDa-Nec hence extends a strong tradition for international research collaborations that attract world-leading researchers to Denmark: Some of the most influential and highly cited international cognitive neuroscientists are hence converging on a flourishing Danish neuroscience environment in guest professorships.

The Danish Consortium has successfully established a joint national neuroimaging research infrastructure, including several 3.0 T MRI systems for functional MRI, a magnetoencephalograph, PET scanners for metabolism and neurotransmission studies, and small animal imaging systems (PET and MRI). This is paralleled by strong groups within data modelling for neuroscience applications.

 

Omics

By Danish Principal Coordinator Peter Roepstorff, University of Southern Denmark

Omics  is a common term for a number of large scale analytical techniques for global assessment of  the state of biological material. It can be subdivided in genomics, proteomics, glycomics,  lipidomics and metabolomics.

Proteomics

Denmark has a strong tradition in proteomics and scientists at the University of Southern Denmark have been pioneers in developing mass spectrometry based proteomics. Proteomics is now an important activity in most Danish Universities and all the activities are linked in a strong national network that also includes major Danish biotech and pharma companies, some of which have important activities in China. Proteomics is a research subject in itself and its applications encompass a number of scientific fields. The Danish proteomics network have strong activities in basic development of proteomics as well as the use of proteomics in health, food, microbial, plant, agricultural and biotechnological sciences. Bioinformatics, which is a key tool for the interpretation of the large amounts of data, is developed and used in all the facilities. Several long term collaborations are established with excellent Chinese proteomics research groups in CAS institutes. Ph.D. schools in proteomics  are well established in Denmark and international courses in the regime of EMBO. HUPO and EUPA are arranged every year.
 

Glycomics, lipidomics and metabolomics

The protein research group at the University of Southern Denmark also has major activities in glycomics including characterization of glycans in glycoproteins and carbohydrates of industrial and nutritional relevance. Strong research groups in lipidomics  and membrane biophysics are present at the University of Southern Denmark. A new center for metabolomics  has recently been established at the Copenhagen University. These groups will be sought incorporated in the Danish SDC activities when appropriate.
 

Genomics

Content is under production. Thank you for your patience.
 

PhD Collaboration

The Danish proteomics activities host several national Ph.D. schools and international courses for EMBO and HUPO.