Bentley, Mansy to Explore Living/Artificial Cell Communication

"Control of Living Cells Through Communication with Artificial Cells," an international collaboration led by co-PIs William E. Bentley (professor and chair, Fischell Department of Bioengineering) and Sheref Mansy (Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Italy) has been funded by the Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy.

Bentley and Mansy's collaboration is one of three funded by the Autonomous Province of Trento as part of a partnership recently cemented between the province and the University of Maryland. Management and implementation of the program will be shared among representatives of both organizations; in College Park these efforts will be directed by the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Institute for Systems Research (ISR).

“I’m sure this is the first important step for strengthening the cooperation between the University of Maryland and the Trentino System for High Education and Research,” said Dr. Mariano Anderle, the Autonomous Province of Trento’s director of international relations, in a recent press release.

“We are excited to begin this new operational phase of our partnership,” said ISR Director Reza Ghodssi. “The research projects promise to break new ground and will serve as the catalysts for new relationships among faculty, postdoctoral researchers and students in both Maryland and Trento.”

An exchange of personnel between Trento and Maryland for portions of the projects will advance the research internationalization goals of both parties, he added.

In addition to Bentley and Mensy's work, joint Maryland/Trento projects in microsystems and renewable energy and storage have also been funded. Initial support for each project is for one year, though it is anticipated the projects will continue beyond that time.

For more information about the development of the partnership between the Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy, and the University of Maryland, currently funded projects, and the funding selection process, please see the complete press release or:

"Systems Researchers Partner with Trento, Italy" »
"Bassi, Loh further international research agreement" »

Published February 24, 2012