Objective
All organisms, from bacteria to mammals, contain small RNAs (sRNAs) that participate in diverse cellular activities including RNA processing, mRNA stability, translation, etc. In the past few years, sRNAs have become one of the hottest topics with the discovery of novel classes of sRNAs and their involvement in regulatory processes (miRNAs/development, sRNA/bacterial stress responses, virulence, etc). In the enterobacterium E. coli, 50-250 sRNAs have been identified and/or predicted.
Of the few characterized so far, most acts as key post-transcriptional regulators by anti-sense mechanisms (base-pairing to target mRNA). These sRNAs regulate a variety of functions (e.g. from plasmid replication to bacterial virulence traits). Strikingly, most of them require the abundant Sm-like Hfq protein for activity, though its exact molecular mode of action is yet elusive.
The proposed project has two distinct, yet connected, goals:
1) Identification of new sRNA/target mRNA pairs in E. coli, and elucidation of the underlying regulatory processes.
2) Elucidation of the mechanism of action of the Hfq protein in sRNA-mediated regulation.
This project is multidisciplinary and involves experimental strategies from bioinformatics, molecular genetics and biology as well as advanced biochemistry. An elucidation of cellular functions of sRNAs in E. coli will aid our global understanding of their roles in gene regulation in all organisms and, in particular, in pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, characterization of the role of H fq may provide functional clues relevant for similar proteins elsewhere (i.e. eukaryotic Sm-like proteins). Testifying to its importance, the field of sRNAs has received dramatically increased funding in the USA. Europe needs to take a lead in this area of high impact. The FP6 has recently recognized the general area of this project as being of high priority.
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 molecular biology molecular genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
FP6-2005-MOBILITY-5
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.
Coordinator
UPPSALA
Sweden
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.