Objective
The high prevalence of Chlamydia infections and the heavy burden they inflict on public health justify the search for novel therapeutic approaches directed against this pathogen. Research on this obligate intracellular bacterium is very difficult, due to substantial technical impediments. One current challenge is to identify bacterial proteins that are required for Chlamydia to survive and proliferate in the host and that could serve as targets in novel therapeutic strategies. In particular, the identification of bacterial proteins implicated in the microbe’s ability to persist in host cells is highly desirable, since current treatments fail to erradicate the resulting chronic infections.
Our project is focused on the bacterial proteins that are secreted into the host cell during infection and translocate into the nucleus. Our preliminary work has already identified some of these “nuclear effectors” of Chlamydia. Targetting the “central system” of the host, these proteins are likely essential for infection. We will (i) identify all Chlamydia trachomatis nuclear effectors and define their frame of action (in time and space) during infection, (ii) identify the targets of the nuclear effectors and their roles in infection and (iii) test the hypothesis that nuclear effectors are necessary for the entry into and/or maintenance of the persistent state of infection.
Addressing for the first time the full repertoire of “nuclear weapons” of an intracellular bacterium, we will uncover new interactions between the pathogen and the host. This work will lead to the development of rationally-designed drugs that inhibit the activity of the nuclear effectors, thereby disrupting the microbe’s ability to survive in the host. Beyond this medical aim, our study, which lies at the interface between microbiology, cell biology and genome biology, will provide new angles of study to each of these three disciplines and improve our understanding of fundamental cellular processes.
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 health sciences public health
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies nuclear engineering
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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.
ERC-2011-StG_20101109
See other projects for this call
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.
Host institution
75794 PARIS
France
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.