Bacterial-Derived Therapeutics based on CircRNAs (BacTheRNA)

Project Information

BacTheRNA

Grant agreement ID: 101065819

DOI

10.3030/101065819

Project terminated on 7 November 2023

EC signature date 21 June 2022

Start date 16 July 2022

End date 15 May 2024

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 172 750,08

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BacTheRNA (Bacterial-Derived Therapeutics based on CircRNAs (BacTheRNA))

Reporting period: 2022-07-16 to 2024-05-15

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Probiotic bacteria are beneficial to the host in several ways. The final goal of BacTheRNA is the development of novel RNA-based therapeutics using probiotic bacteria. These can be used as a biological production factory for RNA therapeutics, at a cheaper cost than chemical synthetic routes. Due to their being harmless and food-grade, they represent a safe and low-cost alternative to current methods.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

This project was terminated early so it did not reach its full objectives and potential. However, in the months of implementation, preliminary results were achieved that could set the basis for further research. A suitable probiotic strain was selected, and DNA plasmids were designed (but not tested or validated) to perform subsequent experiments. Particular RNA targets naturally produced by these bacteria were also studied, yielding preliminary results.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Due to the short duration of the project, the impact could not be fully achieved. The results achieved are preliminary.