Objective
The ultimate goal of cell biology is to understand how proteins function in real cells and to understand their regulatory mechanisms. To achieve this goal one needs to analyze molecules in their cellular environment and not under idealized test tube conditions. A major difference between in vivo and in vitro conditions is the crowdedness (and associated molecular complexity) of the cytoplasm and biological membranes. As a consequence diffusion in this environment is significantly slower. To make biology more quantitative, we should measure the key parameters such as reaction rates and diffusion coefficients in vivo. Here, I propose an experimental set-up to measure the diffusion of membrane proteins in live bacterial cells. The main objective of this project is to establish a relationship between the diffusion coefficient and number of trans-membrane helices (radius in the membrane) of membrane proteins. The mobility of fluorescently labeled proteins will be probed at the single molecule level in the membranes of a model prokaryotic organism – Escherichia coli. Single molecule tracking of membrane proteins systematically increasing in size (radius in the membrane) will be implemented to obtain a general model of protein diffusion in the membranes. Assigning actual numbers to the parameters of a cell will provide a quantitative context for systems biology efforts and sharpen our understanding of how a cell works. By training-through-research, the fellowship will allow me to learn new techniques (single molecule tracking, programming) and how to build/align microscope set-ups. This will help me transform from a microscope user to a microscope constructor and vastly increase my potential as a cell biologist. In the international and interdisciplinary environment of the host group I will improve my ability to train and manage people, learn to translate my science, across disciplines, to a new audience and to translate fundamental research into industrial applications.
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 biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- social sciences law
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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-IEF
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
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium
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.