ESFRI
ESFRI: A Strategic Instrument for European Scientific Integration
ESFRI, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific integration across Europe. By providing competitive and open access to high-quality research infrastructures, ESFRI benchmarks the quality of European scientific activities and attracts top researchers worldwide. Operating at the forefront of European and global science policy, ESFRI translates political objectives into concrete advice for research infrastructures in Europe.
VIB is actively involved in ESFRI, working closely with partner universities, research institutes, and expertise centers. Through this collaboration, VIB coordinates four European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERIC), enhancing the scientific landscape in Europe.
Nanobodies4Instruct: Pioneering Structural Analysis
The Nanobodies4Instruct center, an initiative by the Steyaert lab at the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology in Brussels, generates conformational nanobodies. These nanobodies facilitate the structural analysis of proteins that are challenging to purify, crystallize, or study. Supported by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) for Flemish Participation in ERIC, Nanobodies4Instruct demonstrates the potential of nanobodies as exquisite chaperones for crystallizing complex biological systems.
ELIXIR Belgium: Managing and Sharing Life-Science Data
ELIXIR Belgium, the national node of ELIXIR, supports the translation of vast amounts of life-science data generated by publicly funded research. It offers platforms for research data management, reproducible data analysis, and domain-specific services for plant biodiversity and human health. ELIXIR Belgium also plays a crucial role in developing and implementing the Genomic Data Infrastructure, contributing to a sensitive data ecosystem in Belgium.
Flanders BioImaging: Integrating Advanced Imaging Infrastructure
Flanders BioImaging (FBI) is an interuniversity consortium dedicated to biomedical imaging and advanced light microscopy. FBI integrates and optimizes imaging infrastructure across Flanders, facilitating access for external users. It consists of two domains: LIMBO, focusing on fluorescence microscopy, and FLAMINGO, integrating PET, SPECT, microPET, and microSPECT with anatomo-functional imaging modalities. FBI was evaluated as a candidate node by the EU EuroBioImaging project, achieving ERIC status in 2023.
EMPHASIS Belgium: Advancing Plant Phenotyping Research
EMPHASIS, the European Infrastructure for Plant Phenotyping, addresses challenges like climate change and food security. It fosters collaboration and excellence in plant phenotyping research, establishing a consolidated European research infrastructure. EMPHASIS, with its statutory seat in Belgium and VIB as the host institution, aims to enhance the efficiency and impact of plant phenotyping initiatives across Europe.