Project description
Decoding amyloid fibril formation
Protein misfolding leads to the formation of abnormal aggregates such as amyloid fibrils, which accumulate in tissues, disrupt normal cellular function and lead to various diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Funded by the European Research Council, the GLAM-Map project will follow a genomics approach to shed light on the aggregation rate of various proteins. Researchers will map the impact of mutations on amyloid nucleation and identify genomic sequences associated with amyloid formation. While obtaining fundamental insights into the process of amyloid fibril formation and disease prediction, the study also aims to guide the development of targeted therapeutics for amyloid diseases.
Objective
Amyloid fibrils form and precipitate in more than 50 incurable human diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. All proteins may be able to form amyloids, at least under certain circumstances. However, aggregation is actually rare as the process of amyloid formation is controlled by a high kinetic barrier: protein sequences have to cross a free energy barrier to nucleate transition states which then seed irreversible fibril formation. Short-lived transition states are extremely challenging to study using biophysical methods. We have recently developed a massively parallel genomics approach to quantify the rate of aggregation of thousands of protein sequences. We also have evidence that, by quantifying the interactions between mutations, we can capture the key interactions between residues in the transition state. Here, we will unleash the potential of this approach by targeting the following aims:
1) Map the impact on amyloid nucleation of all possible mutations in >60 human and functional amyloids - generating reference atlases for clinical variant interpretation
2) Build an energetic and structural model of the transition state of disease-associated amyloids
3) Uncover sequences across the genome that nucleate amyloids in response to environmental stress
This project will uncover the rules required to understand, predict and engineer amyloid formation. By identifying the mutations that do and do not lead to amyloid formation, we will reveal which variants accelerate aggregation and cause disease. We will also address one of the most important questions in the field, i.e. identifying the interactions established in the transition states of amyloid nucleation, guiding the development of therapeutic approaches in amyloid diseases, including the worst kinds of dementia. Finally, our results will feed a new generation of models and predictors of protein aggregation to employ for disease variant interpretation and the synthetic design of novel proteins.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology dementia alzheimer
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2023-COG
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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.
08028 Barcelona
Spain
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.