Objective
Ion channels, proteins that allow the passage of ions across the membrane, have crucial roles in many important physiological processes, such as nerve and muscle excitation, cell proliferation, hormone secretion and blood pressure regulation. Thus, defects in their function cause serious diseases. Moreover, their position on the cell surface, their heterogeneity and the localized expression in particular tissues make ion channels an attractive target for many drug therapies. The study of structures and functions of ion channels may elucidate their working mechanisms and allow an efficient drug design. Potassium channels are a family of ion channels involved in the diffusion of K+ ions through the cell membrane and widely distributed in most cell types. The inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels comprise a superfamily of K+ channels that regulate membrane potential and K+ transport in many cell types. In order to completely elucidate how K channels open and close it is essential to obtain a structure for the same channel in both the open and closed states. The aim of the present project is to harness cryo electron crystallography to determine the structure of KirBac3.1 channel, at sufficient resolution to identify transmembrane helices and secondary structure motifs, with a view to understand how Kir channels open and close. In the case of KirBac3.1 open state, it is possible to produce relatively large 2D crystals that can be used to calculate the 3D structure from high tilted angle images. But the growth of these large crystals is not yet reproducible. So, for the present project, the applicant, Dr. R. De Zorzi, will join the research group of Dr. C. Vénien-Bryan of the Oxford University and will test various 2D crystallization conditions in order to produce reliably lager 2D crystals. Afterwards, the researcher will take pictures of the 2D crystals with the microscopes of the Oxford and Basel laboratories, in collaboration with Prof. H. Stahlberg (Basel).
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 basic medicine medicinal chemistry
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkali metals
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology mineralogy crystallography
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy electron microscopy
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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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
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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.
Coordinator
OX1 2JD Oxford
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.