Amolf Scientist Wins ZonMW Off Road Grant to Unravel Immune System’s Molecular Brakes
(IN BRIEF) Amolf researcher Megan Farrell has received the Off Road grant from ZonMW to study how the immune system’s inhibitory receptors act as brakes to prevent autoimmune responses. Using cutting-edge microscopy, she will track these receptors in real time and at the nanoscale, aiming to better understand their molecular functions. Her findings could lead to more precise treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, advancing both immunology and therapeutic development.
(PRESS RELEASE) AMSTERDAM, 8-Aug-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Amolf has announced that Megan Farrell has been awarded the prestigious Off Road grant by ZonMW to conduct pioneering immunology research in the laboratory of Kristina Ganzinger. Her project will focus on one of the immune system’s most vital safety features — its ability to switch itself off to prevent harmful attacks on the body’s own healthy tissues, a malfunction that can lead to autoimmune diseases.
At the core of this shutdown mechanism are inhibitory receptors, specialized molecules on immune cells that act as brakes by sending “stop” signals when necessary. Despite their central role, these receptors remain poorly understood at the molecular level, a knowledge gap that has hindered the success of many promising drugs in clinical trials. Farrell’s research takes an unconventional approach to this challenge, employing advanced microscopy to observe immune cells in their natural 3D environment and then zooming into the nanoscale to watch how inhibitory receptors behave and interact in real time.
By uncovering the detailed workings of these molecular brakes, her work could open new avenues for developing more targeted and effective therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. The research will be conducted within AMOLF’s Physics of Cellular Interaction Group, which investigates the fundamental physical principles of cellular signaling — how cells accurately transmit, process, and respond to complex biological information.
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SOURCE: AMOLF
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First published in this link of EuropaWIRE.
