Objective The aim of the BEEHIVE project is to generate novel insight into HIV biology, evolution and epidemiology, leveraging next-generation high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics to produce and analyse whole-genomes of viruses from approximately 3,000 European HIV-1 infected patients. These patients have known dates of infection spread over the last 25 years, good clinical follow up, and a wide range of clinical prognostic indicators and outcomes. The primary objective is to discover the viral genetic determinants of severity of infection and set-point viral load. This primary objective is high-risk & blue-skies: there is ample indirect evidence of polymorphisms that alter virulence, but they have never been identified, and it is not known how easy they are to discover. However, the project is also high-reward: it could lead to a substantial shift in the understanding of HIV disease.Technologically, the BEEHIVE project will deliver new approaches for undertaking whole genome association studies on RNA viruses, including delivering an innovative high-throughput bioinformatics pipeline for handling genetically diverse viral quasi-species data (with viral diversity both within and between infected patients).The project also includes secondary and tertiary objectives that address critical open questions in HIV epidemiology and evolution. The secondary objective is to use viral genetic sequences allied to mathematical epidemic models to better understand the resurgent European epidemic amongst high-risk groups, especially men who have sex with men. The aim will not just be to establish who is at risk of infection, which is known from conventional epidemiological approaches, but also to characterise the risk factors for onwards transmission of the virus. Tertiary objectives involve understanding the relationship between the genetic diversity within viral samples, indicative of on-going evolution or dual infections, to clinical outcomes. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusesHIV Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-LS2 - ERC Advanced Grant - Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Call for proposal ERC-2013-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Coordinator THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD Address Wellington square university offices OX1 2JD Oxford United Kingdom See on map Region South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Christopher Fraser (Prof.) Administrative Contact Gill Wells (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Beneficiaries (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD United Kingdom EU contribution € 923 498,03 Address Wellington square university offices OX1 2JD Oxford See on map Region South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Christopher Fraser (Prof.) Administrative Contact Gill Wells (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data ACADEMISCH MEDISCH CENTRUM BIJ DE UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM Netherlands EU contribution € 893 109,26 Address Meibergdreef 15 1105AZ Amsterdam See on map Region West-Nederland Noord-Holland Groot-Amsterdam Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Gulseren Yalvac (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data GENOME RESEARCH LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution € 218 373,26 Address Wellcome sanger institute wellcome genome campus hinxton CB10 1SA Saffron walden See on map Region East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact David Davison (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE United Kingdom EU contribution € 464 758,80 Address South kensington campus exhibition road SW7 2AZ London See on map Region London Inner London — West Westminster Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Scott Wheatley (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data
