Project description
Making peptide-based therapies more accessible and affordable
Peptides are small molecules that are emerging as powerful drugs for treating cancers and metabolic disorders as they are highly specific, easy to modify and biocompatible. However, their purification is costly and wasteful. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PetalPure project will develop a crystallisation-based purification process using surface-modified heteronucleants to enhance the ability of these challenging peptides to crystallise. The proposed method provides a more affordable alternative to chromatography, reducing solvent use and the need for expensive resins. By making peptide production more efficient and sustainable, PetalPure aims to improve access to affordable, life-saving treatments.
Objective
Peptides are emerging as next generation therapeutics with a promise of treating cancers and metabolic disorders. This is due to their high specificity, precise targeting, small size, ease of modification, and excellent biocompatibility. Despite the acceleration of peptide drug discovery with >800 drugs in clinical trials, the separation and purification processes remain a challenge, requiring sustainable downstream processing. Thus, there is a need for more efficient purification methods to keep pace with peptide-based drug advancements. PetalPure introduces an innovative crystallization-based purification process using surface-modified heteronucleants to enhance the crystallizability of challenging anti-cancer peptides. This multidisciplinary project involves developing solubility models, size-based peptide classification, heteronucleant selection and modification, crystallization process design, and experimental frameworks for broader application. PetalPure aims to provide a more affordable alternative to chromatographic separation, eliminating the need for expensive resins and reducing solvent consumption and waste, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Responsible Consumption and Production. Additionally, it will lower the time and cost of peptide manufacturing, facilitating wider access to affordable and effective healthcare, contributing to the SDG of Good Health and Well-being. Prof. Heng, with his extensive experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and being a leader in peptide crystallization, is an ideal supervisor for this project. Imperial, with its research excellence and experience with MSCA postdoctoral fellows, will offer a supportive environment for PetalPure. This project will play a pivotal role in making me a leading academic by allowing high-impact research, training on teaching, supervision, and other transferable skills as well as long-term collaboration opportunities with pharmaceutical industry and academics.
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
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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-2024-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.
SW7 2AZ London
United Kingdom
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.