Objective
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a linear polymer of dozens to thousands of orthophosphate units, has been found in virtually every pro- and eukaryotic cell. PolyP regulates blood clotting, inflammation and bone formation in humans, symbiotic interactions in plants and stress responses in bacteria. The molecular functions of this high-energy polymer however remain largely enigmatic and its synthesis has only been characterized in prokaryotes. Systematic investigation of polyP functions in higher organisms has so far been hampered by our complete lack of knowledge about the molecular machinery required for polyP synthesis, transport, storage and signalling. Here, I propose a multi-disciplinary approach to dissect the origins and functions of polyP in eukaryotes. Using a candidate approach, I have identified the polyP polymerase in Arabidopsis thaliana, and a closely related human enzyme. I propose to dissect the architecture and catalytic mechanism of the plant polyphosphate polymerase, and study its distribution in cells and tissues. Using genetics, we will next analyse the contribution of polyP synthesis to plant metabolism, growth and development. In parallel, we will develop biosensors to visualize the transport, storage and re-mobilisation of polyP in living cells. Together, these experiments should yield traceable phenotypes and novel tools that will enable us for the first time to design and evaluate polyP-specific genetic screens. By this means, we hope to identify other players involved in polyP metabolism, transport, storage, re-mobilisation and signalling. We will translate our findings from Arabidopsis to animal models, and study the evolution of this ancient polymer. I envision that our work will uncover a fundamental metabolic pathway, and may spur the design of crops that require less phosphate fertilizer, small molecule inhibitors against human parasites, and novel drugs that target inflammatory disease and osteoporosis.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- medical and health sciences health sciences inflammatory diseases
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2012-StG_20111109
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
1211 Geneve
Switzerland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.