Objective
In an era marked by escalating concerns over antibiotic and antimycotic resistance as the next major global pandemic, the need to explore unconventional sources of antimicrobial agents has become increasingly urgent. In this context, lactobacilli, traditionally renowned for their probiotic and food applications, have recently emerged as a promising source of novel antimicrobial strategies. These lactic acid bacteria, abundant in various natural habitats including the human vagina and fermented foods, present a unique source for the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds, because the compounds are valuable as such when purified and when combined with the producing lactobacilli are used as live biotherapeutic products or probiotics. The VALERIE project starts from recent discoveries in the host laboratory that lactobacilli from the vagina can produce specialized antimicrobials, including novel bacteriocin-types. This discovery is particularly appealing since gynaecology and women’s health is an area in medicine which urgently needs new antimicrobials. VALERIE aims to bring these discoveries to a higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL4). Our objectives include purifying and characterizing these compounds and assessing their antimicrobial efficacy against key pathogens, including fungi like Candida albicans and ESKAPE pathogens and elucidate their mode of action. Hereto, we will assess the safety and efficacy of the purified compounds and producing lactobacilli in silico, in vitro and in vivo and initiate the development of multispecies lactobacilli formulation for applications with the live producing micro-organisms. These experiments will result in a robust dataset that can attract industrial partners for future endeavours aimed at clinical applications. Through innovative approaches, we aspire to unveil and harness the untapped antimicrobial potential of lactobacilli, providing a ray of hope in our ongoing battle against antibiotic resistance.
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 microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology pandemics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine gynaecology
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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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept 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-2024-POC
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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.
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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.