Descripción del proyecto
Información sobre los orígenes de la vida
Antes de la aparición de la vida en la Tierra, las reacciones químicas de tipo metabólico probablemente eran catalizadas, en parte, por metales en vez de por enzimas. Con todo, aún se desconoce cómo tales procesos podrían haber favorecido el desarrollo de estructuras similares a células y a la evolución de la vida tal como la conocemos hoy día. Para aportar información sobre estas cuestiones, el equipo del proyecto ProtoMet, financiado con fondos europeos, se propone reconstruir compartimentos protocelulares «in vitro» y recapitular procesos metabólicos específicos que podrían haber tenido lugar hace miles de millones de años. Los resultados del proyecto permitirán resolver incógnitas que envuelven el origen de la vida y ofrecerán una mayor comprensión de los fundamentos químicos de la biología actual. Además, ayudarán a los trabajos en curso de desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías con propiedades similares a las de la vida.
Objetivo
Understanding how prebiotic chemistry gave rise to life as we know it represents one of the greatest enduring mysteries. The complete absence of a historical record requires the collaboration of scientists from different disciplines with access to advanced tools in order to make any meaningful progress. Here, we plan to exploit this tremendous challenge to train a new generation of scientists to think big, but also to work methodically and logically alongside colleagues from academia and industry. Eight Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) will be recruited to work in laboratories with expertise in systems chemistry, synthetic biology, microfluidics, and science philosophy to develop together a reconstituted protometabolism within compartments consisting of coacervates, vesicles, coacervate containing vesicles, and compartments etched into microfluidic chips. The underlying protometabolism will be composed of triose glycolysis and a reverse citric acid cycle and will be regulated by (metallo)peptide catalysts. Importantly, the protometabolism will support the maintenance of the compartment that houses the protocell. The ESRs that primarily focus on the construction of compartments that mimic protocellular structures will gain firsthand experience in how their formulations could be exploited as drug delivery vehicles through secondments at partner organizations. Similarly, the ESRs that develop (metallo)peptide catalysts will apply their newfound skills to the development of drug molecules through a secondment at a company that specializes in metallodrug formulations. Ultimately, by becoming experts in elucidating the chemical underpinnings of all known living cells, the ESRs will be extremely well positioned to enter a wide variety of research fields from synthetic biology to medicinal chemistry in either industry or academia.
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MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Coordinador
38122 Trento
Italia