Objective
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a medically important pathogen that affected millions of people around the world. CHIKV
infection causes high fever, intense joint pain and often leads to chronic virus-induced arthritis, thus there is a clear necessity
to develop antiviral compounds capable of eliminating persisting virus. CHIKV is an alphavirus from Togaviridae family with
single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome, which replication is carried out by a complex of four viral non-structural (ns)
proteins, initially produced in a form of ns-polyprotein precursor and released by proteolytic processing. Because
multifunctional nsP2 plays a central role in a replication cycle of CHIKV by exhibiting various enzymatic activities and
counteracting cellular defence mechanisms, it represents the most attractive target for drug design and screening. Currently,
the structural information regarding CHIKV ns-proteins is limited, whereas the platforms for in vitro testing the potential
inhibitors are largely non-existent. Therefore the first aims of this project will be to apply structural biology approaches to
elucidate spatial organization of nsP2 and to reveal its contacts with other ns-proteins in the replication complex.
The druggability of nsP2 will be then explored by screening recombinant proteins against libraries of chemical fragments and
characterizing binding of small molecules using sensitive biophysical techniques and crystallographic analysis. The potential
of selected compounds to interfere with enzymatic or interaction properties of nsP2 will be revealed using variety of
fluorescence-based assays developed in this project. The newly discovered knowledge about structural features of CHIKV
nsP2, identification of novel protein surface pockets and binding molecules, and the development of functional assays for the
analysis of their inhibitory potential are expected to create the ground for future elaboration of novel specific inhibitors of
CHIKV.
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.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases RNA viruses
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine rheumatology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine medicinal chemistry
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2015
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
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.