Project description
Strong light-matter coupling aiding the combat of protein-misfolding diseases
Macromolecules like proteins and DNA, essential for life functions, derive their functions from their 3D structure. Diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are caused by protein misfolding, making non-invasive structure modification a tremendous challenge in microbiology. The study of strong coupling (SC) between light and matter could provide answers. Recent findings have shown that macromolecules have delocalised vibrations across their 3D structure in the terahertz (THz) range. Their functions could be altered by applying SC to these vibrations. Funded by the European Research Council, the TUSCany project will leverage micro/nano THz photonics devices to understand vibrational SC in the THz range for macromolecules. Project findings could have implications for new treatments for diseases caused by protein aggregation.
Objective
MacroMolecules (e.g Proteins, DNA) carry out most of the functions of the living and these functions come from their 3D-structure. For instance, foldopathy like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are caused by misfolding of proteins. Modifying this structure non-invasively is consequently a tremendous challenge for both microbiology research and applications.
Besides, light-Matter strong coupling (SC) occurs when a material is located at a high density of state of a photonic mode resonant with one of its transitions. Extensively studied in optics and quantum physics, SC recently gave exciting results in chemistry with the demonstration of its ability to change the product ratio of several chemical reactions.
Experimental and theoretical results unveil that macromolecules have delocalized vibrations over their whole 3D-structure in the Terahertz (THz) range. Therefore, one can ask if the functions of macromolecules can be modified by implementing strong coupling on the vibration of macromolecules in the THz.
In Tuscany, I will develop µ/nano THz photonics devices and experiments to establish reliable methods for macromolecules THz spectroscopy from cryogenic to body temperatures on samples from the single macromolecules to the cell culture. Then, I will demonstrate vibrational SC in the THz on these samples. Finally, I will demonstrate that the function of macromolecules, including catalysis and macromolecules assembly can be modified by selectively coupling individual vibrational modes from the single macromolecules up to in vivo experiments with prion propagation and viral capsid assembly.
My overall aim is to understand in detail the vibrational strong coupling in the THz range for macromolecules and make it a useful tool for biochemists and biophysicists. In the longer term, I hope this knowledge will seed the design of new approaches in µbiology leading to medical treatments impeding the proteins aggregation and ultimately the evolution of the foldopathies.
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 genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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(opens in new window) ERC-2022-COG
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75794 Paris
France
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