Project description
Novel technology to study enterovirus life cycle at the single-cell level
Enteroviruses are highly prevalent pathogens that include poliovirus, coxsackievirus, enterovirus-A71, enterovirus-D68, and rhinovirus. There is an urgent need for technologies that allow sensitive real-time observation of the dynamics and localisation of viral RNA, viral proteins, and host factors at the single-cell level to answer important questions about the enterovirus life cycle. The EU-funded VIRLUMINOUS project aims to develop recombinant reporter viruses for real-time imaging technology to visualise and dissect the spatial and temporal regulation of different phases of the virus life cycle. The technology will be used to study viral RNA replication, virus assembly and release in living cells. The project's insights into the molecular interplay between enteroviruses and their hosts will be crucial for developing antiviral therapies.
Objective
Enteroviruses are highly prevalent pathogens that have enormous clinical and socio-economic impact. Well-known examples are poliovirus, coxsackievirus, enterovirus-A71, enterovirus-D68, and rhinovirus. Although important insights have been obtained in the enteroviral life cycle, many important questions remain unanswered due to shortcomings of current imaging and biochemical methodologies. There is a high need for novel technologies that allow sensitive and real-time observation of the dynamics and localisation of viral RNA, viral proteins, and host factors at the single-cell level.
My long-term goal is to understand enterovirus replication and translate knowledge into the development of antiviral drugs. My lab has a long-standing track record and has made many important contributions to understanding the molecular mechanisms of enterovirus replication and the formation of viral replication organelles. Recently, we constructed a reporter virus that in combination with high-resolution microscopy allowed for the first time to visualize translation, and the regulation thereof, of single (entero)viral RNAs in living cells.
The goal of this project is to visualize and dissect the spatial and temporal regulation of different phases of the enterovirus life cycle. As a first step, novel recombinant reporter viruses for application in real-time imaging technologies will be developed. These viruses will be used to study viral RNA replication, virus assembly, and pre-lytic virus release in living cells. Moreover, they will be instrumental to study the structure and composition of the viral replication organelles and the associated replication complexes through advanced cryo-electron microscopy and tomography technologies, and proteomics/lipidomics analysis, respectively.
This project will lead to important new insights into the molecular interplay between enteroviruses and their hosts, which is essential for developing urgently needed antiviral drugs.
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 proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
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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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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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.
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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.
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2021-ADG
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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.
3584 CS Utrecht
Netherlands
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