Objective
One in ten women in the Western world get breast cancer; half die from it. The aim of the proposed work is to detect protein alterations in breast cancer cells to facilitate histological classification and to decipher the molecular pathology. To achieve these goals, a novel high-resolution FTICR mass spectrometer coupled to a state-of-the-art liquid chromatography system will be used for the investigation of patient tissue samples and cellular models. A multi-disciplinary team of medics, biologists, analytical chemists and informaticians will develop essential protocols and novel software.
This promising approach builds on three resources:
(1) the proteomics knowledge of Juri Rappsilber (team leader),
(2) the medical resources of the two largest Italian cancer hospitals, and
(3) the excellent molecular oncology expertise of the FIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology Foundation (IFOM) (host).
The team has already succeeded in the last months starting its activities and, in addition, impacting through collaborations on the campus and beyond. Expanding the existing team will create a proteomics centre in southern Europe that will act as a location factor of European dimension in terms of granting researchers access to this scarce resource, educating new scientists skilled in proteomics, and counter balancing the efforts in the USA directed on the plasma proteome. If successful, the approach taken in the proposed project and the newly created tools will be applicable to other forms of cancer and create a new branch of molecular diagnosis
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcrystals
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsproteomics
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cells
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologybreast cancer
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepathology
Keywords
Call for proposal
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-8
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
EXT - Marie Curie actions-Grants for Excellent TeamsCoordinator
EDINBURGH
United Kingdom