Project description
New approach enables real-time, label-free monitoring of protein structure
Proteins, fundamental building blocks of life, require precise monitoring during pharmaceutical production to ensure stability and efficacy. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PROTEMIC project addresses the need for dynamic, in situ monitoring of changes in protein structure. Current techniques could cause contamination and rely on indirect measurements. Leveraging advancements from former initiatives, PROTEMIC integrates physics, analytical chemistry, and biochemistry to determine protein structure from a sample’s mid-infrared absorption spectrum without the use of labels or reagents. By embedding metasurface and photonic circuits into reaction vessels, PROTEMIC should enable real-time, label-free, mid-IR spectroscopy for the first time. Project outcomes promise scalable protein screening for oral vaccines, accelerating drug discovery and ensuring quality control in applications like human milk pasteurisation.
Objective
Proteins are the fundamental building blocks of life and are complex biopolymers. The pharmaceutical industry and medicine have an unmet requirement for dynamic, insitu monitoring of structural changes of proteins. Proteins may incorrectly fold during the expression process, or denature in response to changes in temperature, pH amongst others. These deviations lead to loss of function, loss of therapeutic effectiveness, increased immunogenicity or reduced product shelf life. For example, growing amounts of human milk are donated to serve the needs of pre-term infants but there is a lack of quality control to monitor protein quality during pasteurisation and storage. Current analysis techniques require extracting samples from the reaction vessel, which risks contamination, or use indirect measurements of the protein structure.
PROTEMIC is a Double Doctorate Training Network that brings together the disciplines of Physics, Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry to determine the protein structure from the samples Mid Infrared absorption spectrum without the use of labels or reagents. PROTEMIC builds on the teams experiences with the successful OPTAPHI joint doctoral network and embeds the Doctoral Candidates into multiple disciplines to gain skills that cannot be obtained from a single host, and master biochemistry and spectroscopy. The project builds and expands on breakthroughs recently made in the OPTAPHI project, for example new photonic integrated circuits and world first photothermal spectroscopy results. PROTEMIC embeds metasurface and photonic integrated circuits into the reaction vessel to provide insitu mid IR spectroscopy for the first time and map structural changes during dynamic reactions in realtime. These results will improve the efficiency of the production of protein based pharmaceuticals and through the use of metasurface microtitre plates, allow the scalable screening of proteins for the encapsulation of oral vaccines, accelerating drug discovery.
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
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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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-DN-JD - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks - Joint Doctorates
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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-DN-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.
T12 P928 Cork
Ireland
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.