Description du projet
Des exosomes artificiels révèlent des aspects importants de la communication ARN
La création de systèmes vivants qui imitent les processus biologiques clés constitue un défi de taille. En même temps, les systèmes synthétiques offrent un outil puissant pour étudier les voies de communication cellulaire et comprendre les processus cellulaires. Le projet RNAhello, financé par l’UE, semble avoir trouvé un moyen d’étudier la communication fondée sur l’ARN dans des protocellules artificielles. L’approche proposée s’inspire des exosomes, des vésicules sécrétées par les cellules qui transportent différentes macromolécules et facilitent la communication intercellulaire. RNAhello construira de telles vésicules à partir de polymères et s’en servira pour transporter l’ARNm entre des populations de protocellules distinctes. Les résultats apporteront des connaissances fondamentales sur le transfert des acides nucléiques et permettront de créer un outil puissant pour la découverte de médicaments.
Objectif
The mimicking of cellular communication pathways and genetic information transfer in synthetic systems is an important target for researchers. These artificial cell systems have the potential to increase understanding of biological and cellular processes, while also having potential applications in healthcare technologies. This project will involve the investigation of exciting new stimuli responsive and highly tuneable hierarchical polymer protocells, and their application in RNA-based communication. Previous generations of polymer protocells have been shown to allow diffusion based communication with small molecules and naked DNA strands – the project will expand upon this by investigating polymersomes as mRNA shuttles between distinct protocell populations. This exosome inspired system will allow the typically unstable mRNA molecules to be protected from degradation in the external medium, thus opening the door to much more lifelike systems, and possible therapeutic applications.
The proposed research project is strongly multidisciplinary, and involves a combination of polymer chemistry, nanomaterials engineering, cell biology, and imaging techniques. RNAhello includes both the transfer of knowledge to the host institution and the training of the candidate in new advanced techniques. Results have the potential to increase understanding of biological mechanisms in relation to the complex hurdle of the nucleic acid based transfer, whilst also providing innovative platform material for treatment of disease. Additional project goals include: engaging with the non-scientific public through outreach methods; gaining of further commercial training for potential exploitation of research; presentation of research results at international conferences; and the preparation of additional funding proposals.
Champ scientifique
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Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
5612 AE Eindhoven
Pays-Bas