Project description
Drug repurposing for the disruption of bacterial biofilms
Bacterial biofilms (BB) are clusters of bacteria embedded in their own matrix, associated with chronic infections with higher tolerance to antibiotics. Secondary messenger cyclic di-GMP (cdGMP) promotes biofilm formation and is a potential target in the BB disruption strategies. The EU-funded DRIPBEAT project aims to repurpose drugs for targeting the cdGMP pathway and biofilms, increasing the antibiotic susceptibility of clinically important Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. The interdisciplinary study will combine next-generation sequencing technology and protein structural modelling in a murine model of lung epithelial cell infection. The results will provide new insights into the cdGMP pathway and the selection of appropriate compounds for BB treatment.
Objective
Bacterial biofilms are closely associated with chronic infections, leading to much higher tolerance to antibiotics and treatment failures. New strategies for biofilm disruption are thus urgently required. Cyclic-di-GMP, a secondary messenger promoting biofilm formation, is a promising drug target. Only few compounds that reduce c-di-GMP levels and inhibit biofilms were identified so far, and most studies were conducted in vitro using standard medium and reference strains. In this project drugs will be repurposed for targeting c-di-GMP and biofilms to increase the antibiotic susceptibility of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Interdisciplinary approaches will be applied, combining next generation sequencing, gene expression pattern in synthetic sputum, protein structural modelling and computational drug docking, lung epithelial cell infection and murine model. This project will increase the accuracy of drug discovery based on c-di-GMP and significantly expand the skillset of an early career researcher with a strong background in the molecular mechanism of c-di-GMP pathway. The new knowledge in human cell culture and murine model obtained in this fellowship will be crucial for the researcher with a long-term interest in infection treatment. The host laboratory at Ghent University (UGent), a leading group in Europe investigating combination therapy against biofilms, offers an excellent atmosphere fostering both technical and transferable skills. The researcher will also benefit from the supervisors extensive research network and the numerous training programs provided by UGent to enhance the future career prospects. The research outputs will provide fresh insights into how genetic and environmental conditions influence c-di-GMP pathway (basic science) and how to select more appropriate compounds for biofilm treatment (applied science), and may also be subjected to clinical trials and attract industrial partners for wider 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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9000 GENT
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.