Objective
Antimicrobial resistance is eroding the effectiveness of antibiotics, driving the search for novel antibacterial strategies. Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (Bb) are promising because they invade the cell envelope of diderm bacteria – including pathogens – and consume their contents to proliferate. Despite their remarkable killing capacities, the mechanisms underlying prey recognition, invasion, and digestion remain unclear, as do the cellular features that render some species susceptible while others resist.
The INVADER project takes a prey-centred, multi-scale approach to define predation determinants. WP1 will use a genetically tractable prey model, Escherichia coli, to monitor in detail how each cellular compartment is remodelled during the Bb attack cycle, using fluorescent reporters, microfluidics, and high-resolution live imaging. WP2 will systematically assess Bb predation across forty ecologically and clinically diverse diderm species, combining standardised killing assays and single-cell microscopy to produce a quantitative, comparative map of predation susceptibility. WP3 will identify genetic determinants underlying predation using high-throughput Tn-seq and CRISPRi screens in E. coli strains with contrasting predation susceptibility phenotypes, and link them to phenotypes via single-cell imaging. Finally, phylogenetic analysis across the WP2 strain panel will reveal how the distribution of key predation determinants from WP3 correlates with susceptibility in diverse bacteria, enabling prediction of Bb predation efficiencies in untested species.
This integrated, interdisciplinary strategy – grounded in open science practices and strengthened by international collaborations – will deliver mechanistic and predictive insights into bacterial predation, bridging a long-standing knowledge gap, uncover conserved vulnerabilities in bacterial envelopes, and pave the way for predator-inspired biocontrol and microbiome-engineering applications
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 physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
1348 LOUVAIN LA NEUVE
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.