Objective
The surface of every living cell is covered with a dense matrix of glycans. Its particular composition and structure codes important messages in cell-cell communication, influencing development, differentiation, and immunological processes. The matrix is formed by highly complex biopolymers whose compositions vary from cell to cell, even between genetically identical cells. This gives rise to population noise in cell-cell communication. A second level of noise stems from glycans present on the same cell that disturb the decoding of the message by glycans binding receptors through competitive binding. Glycan-based communication is characterized by a high redundancy of both glycans and their receptors. Thus, noise and redundancy emerge as key properties of glycan-based cell-cell communication, but their extent and function are poorly understood.
By adapting a transmitter-receiver model from communication sciences and combining it with state-of-the-art experimental techniques from biophysics and cell biology, we will address two fundamental questions: What is the role of the redundancy in glycan-based communication? How much ‚noise’ can it tolerate, before the message is lost?
To do so, we first establish a simplified model system for glycan-based communication. Biophysical rate constants are determined for lectin-glycan interactions and expanded to glycosylated microparticles that trigger a biological response in lectin expressing receiver cells. Next, single cell glycomes are reconstructed from ultra-high dimensional flow cytometry data using lectin mixtures enabled by recent advancements in instrumentation and glycobioinformatics software. Glycomes accessible on single cell level allow replacing the microparticles with transmitter cells and employ a cell-cell interaction model. Our transmitter-receiver model is used to quantify the noise and reveals how redundancy provides robustness of messaging by cell surface glycans in cellular communication.
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
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics
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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-STG - Starting 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-2016-STG
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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.
1010 WIEN
Austria
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.