Project description
Understanding molecular processes of RNA phage infection
Phages (bacterial viruses) are highly diverse and show great promise for treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and as sources for molecular tools. However, RNA phages, which have unique biology and mechanisms, have been largely overlooked. Understanding them is crucial for developing new therapies and biotechnological tools. The ERC-funded RIBO-PHAGE project aims to elucidate the lifestyle of RNA phages at the molecular level. It will explore how RNA phages regulate replication, identify host factors they exploit and examine bacterial defences against phage infection. Using molecular biology, biochemistry and high-throughput techniques, it will focus on RNA phages from the Fiersviridae and Cystoviridae families. The research is expected to enhance our understanding of the molecular processes involved in RNA phage infection.
Objective
Bacterial viruses called phages are highly diverse predators with multifaceted life cycles. Recent major breakthroughs in phage biology brought phages back into the spotlight, highlighting their tremendous potential in basic and applied research. For instance, bacterial immune systems were shown to be the origin of human innate immune systems and there was significant progress in developing phages into therapeutics to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
However, this recent renaissance of phage research neglected the study of phages with RNA genomes, which are a historically understudied group of phages with a fundamentally different biology from that of phages with DNA genomes. Consequently, the current developments in phage biology left the potential of RNA phages untapped. RNA phages rely on unique regulatory mechanisms during their replication cycles while requiring their hosts to employ specific immune systems to combat the infection. These unique phage and host mechanisms must be highly specific to guarantee efficient phage replication and avoid auto-immunity, respectively. I posit that understanding these processes is a prerequisite to utilize RNA phages as therapeutic agents and bears the potential to discover new biotechnological tools. In RIBO-PHAGE, I therefore aim to elucidate the unique lifestyle of RNA phages at the molecular level. Specifically, I will
1) Decipher how RNA phages regulate their replication for efficient propagation.
2) Elucidate the host factors RNA phages hijack during replication.
3) Determine how bacteria defend themselves against RNA phage infection.
Building on my extensive background in RNA and phage biology, I will combine molecular biology and biochemistry methods with global high-throughput techniques using RNA phages of the Fiersviridae (e.g. MS2) and Cystoviridae (e.g. φ6) families as models. This project will provide a detailed picture of the molecular processes involved during RNA phage infection.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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)
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Topic(s)
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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.
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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.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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38124 Braunschweig
Germany
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