Objective The clinical success of anticancer and antiviral vaccines often requires the use of an adjuvant, a substance that helps stimulate the body’s immune response to the vaccine, making it work better. However, few adjuvants are sufficiently potent and non-toxic for clinical use; moreover, it is not really known how they work. Current vaccine approaches based on weak carbohydrate and glycopeptide antigens are not being particularly effective to induce the human immune system to mount an effective fight against cancer. Despite intensive research and several clinical trials, no such carbohydrate-based antitumor vaccine has yet been approved for public use. In this context, the proposed project has a double, ultimate goal based on applying chemistry to address the above clear gaps in the adjuvant-vaccine field. First, I will develop new improved adjuvants and novel chemical strategies towards more effective, self-adjuvanting synthetic vaccines. Second, I will probe deeply into the molecular mechanisms of the synthetic constructs by combining extensive immunological evaluations with molecular target identification and detailed conformational studies. Thus, the singularity of this multidisciplinary proposal stems from the integration of its main objectives and approaches connecting chemical synthesis and chemical/structural biology with cellular and molecular immunology. This ground-breaking project at the chemistry-biology frontier will allow me to establish my own independent research group and explore key unresolved mechanistic questions in the adjuvant/vaccine arena with extraordinary chemical precision. Therefore, with this transformative and timely research program I aim to (a) develop novel synthetic antitumor and antiviral vaccines with improved properties and efficacy for their prospective translation into the clinic and (b) gain new critical insights into the molecular basis and three-dimensional structure underlying the biological activity of these constructs. Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunisationmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccinesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculescarbohydratesmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologystructural biology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2016-STG - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2016-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Host institution ASOCIACION CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION COOPERATIVA EN BIOCIENCIAS Net EU contribution € 1 499 218,75 Address PARQUE TECNOLOGICO EDIFICIO 801 A 48160 Derio Vizcaya Spain See on map Region Noreste País Vasco Bizkaia Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 499 218,75 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all ASOCIACION CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION COOPERATIVA EN BIOCIENCIAS Spain Net EU contribution € 1 499 218,75 Address PARQUE TECNOLOGICO EDIFICIO 801 A 48160 Derio Vizcaya See on map Region Noreste País Vasco Bizkaia Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 499 218,75