Objective
The overall aim of this project is to identify key biophysical mechanisms that control the spatial arrangement of signalling proteins and membrane lipids in the regulation of T cell receptor (TCR) activation. During an immune response, T cells are activated in response to antigenic peptides in a process that requires the formation of multi-molecular signalling complexes. It is known that many T cell signalling proteins (such as the kinase Lck and the scaffold protein LAT) are not randomly distributed within the plasma membrane thus giving rise to lateral organizstion which affects signalling efficiency. However, the biophysical mechanism(s) that control protein distributions and hence the rate of molecular interactions remains poorly understood. Uniquely, I have recently developed two key technologies to unravel how protein clustering and the biophysical properties of the lipid bilayer regulate specific interactions at the molecular level. These are single-molecule, super-resolution localisation microscopy with novel statistical cluster analysis and quantification of membrane biophysical properties beyond the limit of conventional microscopy using new environmentally sensitive fluorescent probes and picosecond time-resolved excitation/detection. The research will therefore generate unique insights into the biophysical mechanisms that govern the formation of the protein clusters and complexes during early T cell signalling events. This knowledge is critical to our understanding of the molecular basis of T cell activation during the immune response and has potential applications in the development of therapeutic treatments for a range of conditions including pathogenic disease, cancer and autoimmune disease.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology cell signaling
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology autoimmune diseases
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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-2012-CIG
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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.
MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)
Coordinator
WC2R 2LS 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.