Project description
Predicting pathogen evolution
The emergence of drug-resistant mutations poses a formidable challenge in combating pathogens. Selective pressure from pharmacological treatments drives the evolution of pathogen proteins, rendering them impervious to drugs. Current methods, which rely on genotypic resistance analyses, fail to anticipate evolutionary shifts, risking ineffective treatments. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the PRERES project pioneers a predictive approach, leveraging molecular evolution and computational biology to forecast the evolution of HIV-1 drug targets and enhance therapy selection. This research offers hope in outmanoeuvring drug resistance, marking a significant leap in molecular evolution studies.
Objective
"Drug resistant mutations can appear when the selective pressure given by a pharmacological treatment causes the evolution of
pathogen proteins towards variants that become unaffected by the drug. Currently, to select therapies against pathogens, genotypic
resistance analyses and tables of resistance mutations are employed to decide the best treatment for the patients. However, these
screenings ignore evolutionary changes that can appear as pathogens adapt, potentially leading to drug resistance. To address this
limitation, the prediction of which variants are more probable to occur in the pathogen population can be useful in selecting ""a priori""
therapies active against those variants before their potential expansion toward reservoirs more inaccessible to drugs. In this proposed
work, I will apply molecular evolution and computational structural biology techniques to evaluate the evolutionary trajectories of
HIV-1 drug targets proteins that lead to resistance against common antiretroviral treatments. I will calculate protein fitness landscapes
based on protein folding stability and activity, also considering binding to inhibitors. Next, I will use evolutionary information from
protein fitness landscapes to improve substitution models of evolution. The evolutionary trajectories predicted by combining
substitution models and fitness landscapes will be validated through comparisons with real data from monitored HIV-1 populations
evolved ""in vitro"" and ""in vivo"". Finally, I will focus on calculating the probability of evolutionary trajectories toward resistance
variants. This research has the potential to improve the selection of therapies for pathogens by providing predictive tools that
consider the evolutionary dynamics of these microorganisms. Furthermore, the results of the project have the potential to be a
breakthrough in the field of molecular evolution as this methodology could also be applied to predict the evolution of other
pathogens."
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
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-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-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
36310 VIGO PONTEVEDRA
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.