Objective There is an increasing interest of pharmaceutical industry in the natural environment as a source for new lead compounds. This interest is based on the fact that the chemical diversity of natural bioactive compounds is much higher than that of compounds synthesized by standard combinatorial chemistry. A successful drug discovery heavily relies on the coordinated multi-disciplinary effort of highly qualified researchers with special skills in different disciplines. There is, however, an urgent need for training of such researchers in Europe. The aim of the proposed Marie Curie research training network, arising from existing national centers of excellence in molecular biotechnology, high-throughput screening, drug development and chemoecology is a progressive and durable integration of the EU research capacities in bioprospecting, making Europe to a leader in this field. This network will utilize the unique ability of aquatic invertebrates to synthesize a large variety of bioactive compounds for medicine, plant protection and other applications. In addition to low-molecular-weight bioactive secondary metabolites, this network will search for high-molecular-weight proteins and enzymes with unique functions of industrial or medical interest. The specific structure of this network will allow enforcing the integration of the partners working on a wide range of taxa. The proposed training and transfer-of-knowledge programme will result in the generation of new knowledge, used by an innovative enterprise, whose participation underlines the economic and societal value of aquatic molecular biodiversity. Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discoverynatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymesnatural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyinvertebrate zoology Keywords metabolites Programme(s) FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006 Topic(s) MOBILITY-1.1 - Marie Curie Research Training Networks (RTN) Call for proposal FP6-2002-MOBILITY-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme RTN - Marie Curie actions-Research Training Networks Coordinator JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITäT MAINZ EU contribution No data Address Saarstrasse 21 MAINZ Germany See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Spain EU contribution No data Address Calle Serrano 117 MADRID See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Italy EU contribution No data Address Piazzale Aldo More 7 ROME See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INTEGRIN ADVANCED BIOSYSTEMS LTD United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address RA Clements, Argyll Square OBAN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS AND BIOPHYSICS Estonia EU contribution No data Address Akadeemia tee 23 TALLINN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data RUDER BOSKOVIC INSTITUTE Croatia EU contribution No data Address Bijenicka cesta 54 ZAGREB See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY Israel EU contribution No data Address Ramat Aviv 39040 TEL AVIV See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data