CanCell Junior Scientist Grants
Funding supporting the research growth of early‑career researchers within CanCell and encouraging collaboration among CanCell groups
CanCell Grant 01-24-B
150,000 NOK
A rapid and simple approach to endogenous fluorescent tagging of autophagy regulators
Applicants: Samuel Rodgers, Viola Nähse CanCell groups: Anne Simonsen, Harald Stenmark
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing allows the tagging of endogenous proteins with bright fluorophores compatible with advanced cellular imaging and rapid protein degradation, providing critical insight into protein localisation and function at physiological expression levels. However, the threshold for this system can be high, with major challenging such as the successful design of repair templates and enrichment of gene-edited cells. With this CanCell grant, we were able to establish a stream-lined system for efficient endogenous labeling of autophagy proteins with bright fluorophores using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. We generated U2OS cell lines with endogenous labelling of proteins that localise to phagophores, autophagosomes and lysosomes, which will be a useful resource for many autophagy projects within CanCell. We also have established a simple and accessible protocol for the rapid generation of endogenously tagged cell lines, which is available to all groups within CanCell upon request.
CanCell Grant 03-24-B
33,000 NOK
Microplate rotor for antibody staining assays
Applicant: Pilar Ayuda-Durán CanCell group: Jorrit Enserink
Thanks to the CanCell Minor Grant I purchased a Thermo Scientific™ M-20 Microplate Swinging Bucket Rotor for the centrifuge in our cell lab.
In Enserink’s team we have developed a comprehensive immune panel (approx. 40 antibodies) for studying bone marrow composition in AML patients using multiparameter flow cytometry. This protocol involves numerous spin-downs of 96-well plates where the cells are stained, making a plate centrifuge essential for efficient and consistent processing. This rotor was instrumental for the completion of the project and the defense of a successful master’s thesis by Marlene Tande Famestad.
CanCell Grant 01-25-A
55,000 NOK
Enhancing 3D Organoid Culture Efficiency with a Shaker Incubator
Applicant: Min Deng CanCell Group: Tor Erik Rusten
Using support from the CanCell grant, I established a CO₂-resistant shaker incubator to expand and standardize 3D organoid culture capacity within CanCell. This platform enabled the development of stable and reproducible rotating-culture conditions, supporting high-throughput organoid experiments. I optimized 3D culture protocols for iPSC-derived muscle, adipose, and liver organoids, with standardized parameters for rotation speed, culture density, and media exchange. These improvements significantly enhanced experimental robustness and reproducibility. Importantly, the new infrastructure allowed multiple CanCell research groups to perform organoid experiments simultaneously, reducing technical bottlenecks and increasing overall research efficiency.
Beyond its immediate applications, this rotating culture platform provides a strong foundation for future expansion into additional organoid types, co-culture systems, and scalable disease-modelling and screening approaches. The investment has therefore strengthened both current research capacity and long-term organoid-based initiatives within CanCell.
Figure: “kjøttkaker”, human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived muscle/neuromuscular organoids. Immunofluorescence staining shows nuclei (DAPI, blue), neuron (pink) and the skeletal muscle differentiation marker myosin heavy chain (MHC, green). (Day 8 of differentiation).
CanCell Grant 01-25-B
100,000 NOK
Acquiring a preparative chromatography system to establish an automated protein purification platform at CanCell
Applicants: Ann-Christin Borchers, Anette Kathinka Dahl, Lauren Sophie Johnson CanCell Groups: Harald Stenmark, Anne Simonsen
With the awarded CanCell grant, we acquired an Äkta Start chromatography system to establish an automated protein purification platform at CanCell. This device is designed to increase the quality and yield of purified proteins compared to manual purification. The Äkta Start allows automated cell lysate loading onto a variety of reusable chromatography columns, washing of unbound protein and stepwise sample elution in a flexible and user-friendly system. So far, we successfully implemented first protocols for the purification of proteins involved in autophagy cargo recognition which serves as an ideal starting point for in vitro reconstitution of this process. We will provide training and support for CanCell members interested in using this protein purification platform.
This instrument facilitates the study of protein-protein/lipid interactions in vitro and will contribute to a better understanding of protein dynamics in basal and cancer conditions. The Äkta Start is a valuable addition to the scientific toolbox at CanCell.
CanCell Grant 01-25-C
100,000 NOK
Disrupting lysosomal repair as an anti-cancer strategy
Applicants: Maja Radulovic, Pilar Ayuda Duran CanCell Groups: Harald Stenmark, Jorrit Enserink
The CanCell grant provided critical support for generating preliminary data essential to the development of my project group. Using this funding, we established a robust model of pharmacologically induced lysosomal damage and quantitatively assessed markers of lysosomal membrane permeabilization.
Importantly, the project was carried out in close collaboration between two CanCell research groups, Stenmark and Enserink. With the support of Pilar Ayuda Duran, I performed a targeted screen that yielded key datasets and strengthened the interdisciplinary nature of the work. This collaborative effort not only accelerated data generation but also facilitated the exchange of expertise across groups.
Overall, the CanCell grant acted as a crucial catalyst, enabling us to translate an initial concept into a competitive, large-scale research project that has since secured external funding.
CanCell Grant 03-25-A
50,000 NOK
Human liposarcoma genome assembly project
Applicant: Xuan Thang Nguyen CanCell Group: Ragnhild Eskeland
I spent a 3-month research stay at Jonas Demeulemeester’s lab (KU Leuven) working on our Liposarcoma project, supported by the Junior Grant from CanCell Centre of Excellence. This training focused on complex cancer genome assembly and structural variation analysis using both short-read and long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing data. The main goal was to develop a reliable and reproducible pipeline for reconstructing Liposarcoma genomes, enabling detailed studies of complex chromosomal rearrangements and oncogene amplification events. I conducted ONT preprocessing, assembly, and polishing of genomes with both Hi-C and WGS short reads. I also performed downstream analyses such as alignment, variant calling, and assessment of assembly accuracy and completeness - especially for detecting comprehensive structural variants and the chaotic effect of chromothripsis, detecting highly rearranged regions often missed by short-read methods. This stay provided valuable training in advanced bioinformatics workflows, reproducibility, and high-performance computing. This research stay at KU Leuven enhanced my technical skills and research network. The results and pipelines will support my PhD project, future publications, and other related projects in Norway.
CanCell Grant 03-25-B
31,000 NOK
Establishing an imaging system for the study of cancer progression
Applicant: Katarzyna Gajewska CanCell Group: Harald Stenmark
With the support of the CanCell grant, I acquired the SmartCONFINEMENT static confinement device. The device can be used to confine cells to a defined micrometer height, mimicking the architecture of real tissues, where cells experience spatial constraints. Applications include study of cell migration, cell contractility and imaging of non-adhesive cells, making it a particularly relevant tool in the fields cancer and immunology. Physically confined cells can be cultured for extended periods of time and observed whilst under confinement in live or fixed cell imaging or retrieved for other biochemical analyses making this a highly versatile tool that could benefit many research projects.
CanCell Grant 03-25-C
23,000 NOK
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) - Risk
Applicant: Anine Alvsvåg Ottestad CanCell Group: Jørgen Wesche
In October 2025, I attended the Cancer Core Europe Summer School in translational cancer research. I left Oslo during a rainstorm and spent a week by the sunny Algarve coast together with 65 other early-stage cancer researchers and clinicians eager to learn and connect. Renowned researchers presented the forefront of a broad spectrum of topics within cancer research, from basic tumor biology to translational and clinical research. Dr. Elias Arnér presented the role of selenium in the redox system (who knew selenoproteins were so fascinating?), Dr. Laura Soucek presented her story of developing a MYC inhibitor against all odds, and Dr. Isidro Cortés-Ciriano presented his recent research on chromosomal instability in osteosarcoma, to mention some highlights. In addition, there were three interactive workshops on research communication, using generative AI, and cBioPortal. Following a boat trip to visit the caves along the coast, I presented my poster and got valuable feedback and new ideas to bring home. I appreciate the financial support from CanCell to attend this summer school and highly recommend other CanCell members to apply for this event!
