Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
Content archived on 2024-06-18

Targeting Norovirus Receptor Interactions at Atomic Resolution

Objective

Norovirus infections affect more than 200 million people worldwide every year. Since these viruses are highly contagious and cause epidemic outbreaks norovirus infections constitute a massive economic burden. Currently there are neither vaccination strategies nor therapeutics to cure the infection. We have designed first prototype entry-inhibitors against norovirus infections employing a rational approach based on NMR binding studies with virus like particles (VLPs). In order to develop these prototype inhibitors into potent antivirals information is needed on the thermodynamics and kinetics of binding of entry-inhibitors to the viral coat protein VP1. Binding data will be related to binding topologies on the surface of VP1. We suggest protein NMR experiments with selectively 2H/15N/13C amino acid labeled VP1 to study the relative binding topologies of natural attachment factors and entry-inhibitors. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) will yield enthalpies and entropies of binding as well as kinetic data on the binding process. Thermodynamic data in combination with relative binding topologies will then deliver guides for the rational modification of the first generation inhibitors to obtain better affinities. The modified compounds will be subjected to the same set of experiments, and depending on the results the optimization process proceeds in an iterative manner until potent entry-inhibitors are identified. Since VP1 is expressed as a homodimer (P-dimer), potent inhibitor candidates will be linked to a polymeric backbone as described earlier in order to achieve better avidity. Finally, we hope to come up with a first rationally designed entry-inhibitor against norovirus infections.

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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

You need to log in or register to use this function

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.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF
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.

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET zu LUEBECK
EU contribution
€ 161 968,80
Address
RATZEBURGER ALLEE 160
23562 Lubeck
Germany

See on map

Region
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Lübeck, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

No data
My booklet 0 0