Project description
Insight into how Ebola attacks the cell
Ebola virus is one of the deadliest pathogens ever faced by humanity. Being prepared for a next possible outbreak necessitates the understanding of the mechanism of viral infection. The EU-funded REMIND EBOV project focuses on the structure and role of the viral glycoprotein which is responsible for viral attachment onto the surface of cells. By comparing various strains of Ebola virus with different tropism, researchers will decipher important information about the interactions of the virus at the molecular and cellular levels. Insight into the migration of viral particles will pave the way for the design of novel antiviral strategies.
Objective
Ebola virus, one of the deadliest human pathogens, is a known candidate for severe outbreaks and has caused several thousand deaths in the more recent outbreaks alone. To fight against it, a detailed knowledge about its viral life cycle is fundamental to the development of efficient vaccines and drugs.
In this project I suggest to investigate the role of the mucin-like domain (MLD) of the viral glycoprotein (GP) in modulating virus attachment, detachment and diffusion on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), responsible for recruiting the virus at the cell surface. To do so, I will generate GP-containing pseudotyped viruses, mimicking the tropism of the pathogen. Specifically, I will compare the GP of the Zaire strain of EBOV, an MLD-deleted mutant and a natural mutant that occurred during the West Africa outbreak (2013-2016) that is reported to have an increased tropism for human cells. I will use advanced biophysical techniques to examine the interactions on a molecular level as well as on the cellular level. On a molecular level, I will study the binding strength of individual bonds formed between the GP and GAGs using force spectroscopy. In addition, I will investigate the attachment and detachment of virus particles from GAGs immobilized on a glass surface in a biomimetic fashion, using total internal fluorescence microscopy. Proceeding to a more physiological model using living cells, I plan to study the diffusion behavior at the cell surface of pseudotyped viruses carrying the various mutations in their MLD. Stepping up in complexity, in the last part of the project, I will investigate the role of the MLD in modulating the ability of the virus to cross the glycocalyx, the sugar coat of cells, by employing 3D tracking.
Taken together this project will lead to a better understanding on how viral particle migrate on the cell surface and how the interactions function on a molecular level.
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 microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases RNA viruses ebola
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- engineering and technology materials engineering amorphous solids
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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.
901 87 UMEA
Sweden
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.