Objective
The proposed work focuses on vascular smooth muscle cells, which control our veins and arteries. Their ability to contract is governed by the amount of calcium ions inside the cell. Sodium too in these cells helps regulate cellular calcium levels. In the past two decades, researchers have observed that during muscle contraction intracellular calcium concentration varies periodically. These variations are referred to as oscillations. Our research has helped establish a link between these oscillations and the health of the cell, and consequently of our cardiovascular system. In the past we have shown that such calcium ion movements in the thin smooth muscle cells spiraling around our blood vessels are controlled by complex ultra-structure of membranes within the smooth muscle cells. Since these molecular processes take place at a scale that cannot be visualized and measured by available instrumentation, we will develop quantitative computational models of calcium and sodium movement in these cells. This will greatly enhance our understanding of the basic cellular mechanisms behind these oscillations and of the machinery that enables these mechanisms. The project will use methods and concepts from pharmacology, microscopy and biophysics. The medical relevance of this research is related to the fact that all of our daily functions including movements of our limbs, beating of our hearts, regulation of our blood circulation, as well as short term memory are regulated by movements of intracellular calcium ions. Joining the researcher's expertise in quantitative modeling of ion transport in vascular smooth muscle and the partner's knowledge and understanding of ion transporters provides an ideal situation both to improve our understanding of the above mentioned mechanisms as well as their link to cardiovascular disease.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkali metals
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF
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.
Coordinator
8010 GRAZ
Austria
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.