Objective
How does a cell control the quality of its components and respond to damage? Life on Earth depends on oxygen, yet its reactivity makes oxidative damage inevitable. While DNA and proteins have been the primary focus of damage response studies, lipids are equally vulnerable—and when lipid peroxides accumulate, they can trigger ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death with implications in cancer, inflammation, neurodegeneration, and aging. Although much is known about redox homeostasis and oxidative stress responses, how cells detect lipid damage and activate protective gene expression programs is not well understood.
We recently discovered the LORD (Lipid Oxygen Radical Defense) pathway, an epigenetically controlled stress response triggered by lipid peroxides that induces a broad antioxidant gene network. This foundational work defines a new regulatory pathway and highlights a key role for S-acylation–via the S-acyltransferase ZDHHC20–in lipid quality control and ferroptosis prevention. The goal of ExpLORD is to define how the LORD pathway and ZDHHC20 contribute to safeguarding membrane integrity and redox homeostasis in mammals.
Our multidisciplinary research will:
1. Unravel the molecular mechanisms governing repression and activation of LORD;
2. Define the regulation of LORD effector proteins—including the acyltransferase ZDHHC20L and its substrate GPX4—and how they maintain redox homeostasis;
3. Explore the LORD pathway at the organoid and animal levels, including in disease-relevant settings.
To achieve these aims, we will integrate time-resolved RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, proximity proteomics, live-cell imaging, biochemistry, metabolic engineering approaches, molecular dynamics simulations, and mathematical modeling.
ExpLORD builds on foundational discoveries, strong preliminary data, and established collaborations. It aims to break new ground in oxidative stress biology by defining how cells sense, respond to, and recover from lipid oxidative damage.
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 neurobiology
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology metabolic engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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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)
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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.
Funding Scheme
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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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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-ADG
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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.
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
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