Project description
Novel AI-2 pro-drugs to modulate mammalian gut microbiota
Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is a quorum sensing signalling molecule which promotes bacterial inter-species communication allowing bacteria to regulate their behaviour. AI-2 modulates the balance of the healthy bacterial phyla after a distress, while inhibiting virulence in pathogens. The EU-funded AI-2 Prodrugs project has two goals. First is the molecular understanding involved in AI-2 sensing mechanism (receptors) in commensal and pathogenic members of the Clostridiaceae. The second is to understand the mechanisms how the gut microbiota respond to synthetic AI-2. For this purpose novel AI-2 prodrugs will be developed for oral delivery of labile AI-2 to the mice gut and to test the hypothesis that AI-2 can help in the recovery of the gut microbiota after distress such as antibiotic treatment.
Objective
Quorum sensing allows bacteria to synchronise and regulate their behaviours. Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is a particularly relevant signaling molecule able to promote inter-species communication. In the mammalian gut microbiota, a therapeutically relevant niche, interference of AI-2-mediated signaling has been shown to influence the balance of the major phyla after antibiotic treatment. Still, the mechanisms involved in this process are not known. We propose to establish novel chemical and structural based approaches to decipher the mechanisms involved in the response of the gut microbiota to AI-2 and identify mechanisms that promote beneficial responses by the symbionts while inhibiting virulence in gut pathogens. For this, we will construct chemical tools that will function as AI-2 prodrugs to orally deliver intact AI-2 to the gut. AI-2 is a highly functionalised molecule, very reactive and unstable at high concentrations, thus a prodrug strategy will protect AI-2 until its release in the gut. To gain a molecular understanding involved in response to AI-2 we will identify AI-2 sensing mechanism (receptors) in commensal and pathogenic members of the microbiota belonging to the Clostridiaceae. For that, new AI-2 fluorescent probes will be designed and synthesised. The Clostridiaceae family are relevant members in the mammalian gut. These organisms include both beneficial as well as pathogenic members and we want to identify strategies to promote the beneficial response while inhibiting the pathogenic ones to promote a healthy microbiota community. Our hypothesis is that synthetic AI-2 can help in the recovery of a healthy bacterial phyla ratio after a distress, like antibiotic treatment.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
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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.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.4.1.5 - Fostering brain circulation of researchers and excellence initiatives
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Topic(s)
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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.
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-02
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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.
1099-085 Lisboa
Portugal
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.