Objective
Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae represents a major global health challenge causing severe infections like pneumonia and over 600 000 deaths per year. The World Health Organization has designated this pathogen as a critical priority due to limited medical options, underscoring the need for innovative preventive strategies. While capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides have been the primary vaccine targets, their variability poses limitation for vaccine development. Autotransporters (ATs) are conserved surface-exposed virulence factors with strong potential as vaccine antigens. ATs are central to adhesion, tissue colonization, and immune evasion, functioning through interactions with host receptors, complement factors and modulation of immune signalling pathways. While their value as vaccine antigens is supported in other Gram-negative pathogens, their role in K. pneumoniae infection remains unexplored.
This project applies innovative structure-guided genomics and proteomics approaches, to define the repertoire of K. pneumoniae ATs and assess their contributions to virulence and immunogenicity. I will characterize their structure and function and evaluate the effect on neutrophils, macrophages and epithelial cells, including lung organoids as a physiologically relevant ex vivo system, to investigate their role in adhesion, invasion, phagolysosome escape, complement resistance and immune modulation. These studies will also establish assays to measure antibody-mediated impairment of AT function, informing rational vaccine design. My expertise in bacterial pathogenesis and ability to design and implement complex experimental strategies, combined with the outstanding experience of Prof. Pizza, uniquely position us to lead this innovative investigation. This fellowship represents a pivotal opportunity to advance my career as an independent researcher and to spearhead the conceptualization of effective vaccines to fight multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine pneumology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
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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-2025-PF
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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.