The organisation - The IFOM is a highly technological, non-profit research centre. Research conducted at IFOM aims primarily to understand the molecular processes responsible for the onset and development of cancer, utilising basic and applied molecular oncology. Scientists at IFOM study the fundamental biological mechanisms involving DNA and proteins that are responsible for the development of cancer. The 19 research programs at IFOM cover a wide range of topics including the molecular genetics of cancer, tumor angiogenesis, the genetics of metastasis, mechanisms of cellular aging, intracellular signal transduction, proteomics, and cellular and ultrastructal oncology.

Dr Silke Krol is an expert in the development of multifunctional nanosystems for different types of disease. She is currently working on the immunoprotective nanocoating of pancreatic islets for transplantation to treat type 1 diabetes, polyelectrolytes as a drug for prion protein-induced neurodegeneration as well as targeted biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles for successive release of siNRA and transfection with plasmids.