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Content archived on 2024-06-18

Virulence factors of facultative pathogens and their role outside the human host

Objective

"The etiologic agent of cholera, Vibrio cholerae, is an important cause of human morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries or following environmental disasters. The watery diarrhea characteristic of cholera results from the action of bacterial virulence determinants, notably cholera toxin, which gene has been acquired by horizontal gene transfer. V. cholerae as a facultative pathogen commonly occurs in aquatic ecosystems, its true habitat, where it intimately associates with phyto- and zooplankton.
My proposal will investigate intensively the interaction between V. cholerae and non-vertebrate animals in marine environments and test the hypothesis that virulence determinants important in human disease are also critical for colonization of these environmental hosts. There are three interlinked specific aims:

Aim 1: Establish microcosms involving V. cholerae and its environmental hosts.
Aim 2: Identify factors that are beneficial for both lifestyles of V. cholerae.
Aim 3: Determine the role of known virulence factors in nature.

There is growing concern about the (re-)emergence of infectious agents and the threat this poses to human health particularly in the context of climate change. The sporadic and unpredictable nature of cholera epidemics has long puzzled environmental microbiologists. The interdisciplinary research proposed in this study will provide the missing link between the ecology and evolution of V. cholerae on the one hand and its pathogenesis on the other. Knowledge of how an innocuous microbe in an aquatic environment can become a major human pathogen and identification of the factors responsible are both of considerable importance."

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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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.

Call for proposal

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ERC-2012-StG_20111109
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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.

ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant

Host institution

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
EU contribution
€ 1 698 924,00
Address
BATIMENT CE 3316 STATION 1
1015 LAUSANNE
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

No data

Beneficiaries (1)

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