Project description
Generating cell mimics
Living cells function as remarkable machinery, comprising various specialised compartments that perform specific roles. Scientists have long sought to investigate, understand and replicate principles from natural systems, particularly single living cells, for diverse applications. Funded by the European Research Council, the HybCell project aims to learn how cells are organised and to exploit the generated knowledge to engineer minimal cells. Researchers will combine natural and synthetic membranes to create hybrid systems resembling cells or organelles and study membrane permeability and fusion. Using lab-on-chip technology, they will form complex systems for synthetic biology, pharmaceutical and medical applications.
Objective
The overall aim of the here described projects is to learn fundamental characteristics of cellular organization and compartmentalization, in particular the role of the lipid membrane, and to exploit this knowledge for engineering minimal cells with a great impact in the context of synthetic biology and also for pharmaceutical and medical applications. The first major objective aims at combining natural cell membranes with synthetic membranes to form defined hybrid systems with the size of cells or cell organelles. This approach has the intriguing advantage that the membrane receptors or channels are reconstituted in the hybrid cell and remain functional. In consequence, signaling pathways of a cell can be mimicked and therefore, the vesicles can be addressed similar to a cell or can serve as cell-free sensor. The second major objective addresses the challenge to build multi-compartment systems. In a defined number and formulation, smaller compartments are enclosed in a larger vesicle and carry other constituents than the lumen of the larger host vesicles (catalysts or enzymes, respectively; DNA; buffer systems; other active biomolecules). With the acquired fundamental knowledge on membrane permeability and fusion, multi-step reactions can be conducted, where several compartments are involved, just like in a living cell. The key methods to address these challenges are based on lab-on-chip technology that provide the unique potential to systematically investigate membrane properties by allowing precise formation, positioning, manipulation and analysis of the membranes; together with many more advantages such as the fast and controlled fluid supply, the possibility of tailoring the chemical surface patterns and surface topology and the application of electrical fields. Microfluidic platform will allow going far beyond the existing methods in membrane research, so that controlled bottom-up formation of simple to more and more complex systems becomes possible.
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 synthetic biology
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies microtechnology lab on a chip
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics topology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2015-CoG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
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.