Project description
Engaging bacteria in the creation of synthetic protocells
The engineering of artificial cellular systems with lifelike properties such as minimal metabolism, sensing, replication, gene expression and compartmentalisation represents an ideal strategy to understand the transition into proto-living manifestations of physical matter. The EU-funded PROTOBAC project aims to design a complex multi-component protocell based on the controlled sequestration and disruption of compartmentalised living bacterial colonies. The resulting protocells will be bound by an assemblage of bacterial membrane lipids and loaded with several functionally active metabolic and genetic components. The complexity of the bacteria-derived protocells will be increased via the introduction of biological organelles, which are expected to produce the first example of a protoeukaryote.
Objective
The engineering of artificial cellular systems (i.e. protocells) exhibiting rudimentary life-like properties, such as minimal metabolism, sensing or replication, gene expression and compartmentalization, represents the most suitable path to undertake to answer the important question on how inanimate systems can transition into proto-living manifestations of physical matter. However, most of the current protocell designs still lack the structural and organisational complexity required for them to perform advanced functions and behaviours. Instead of starting from non-living materials, the aim of this proposal is precisely to design and construction of complex multi-component protocells based on the controlled sequestration and disruption of compartmentalized living bacterial colonies. The result protocells will bound by an assemblage of bacterial membrane lipids and internally loaded with a large number of functionally active metabolic and genetic components. Furthermore, the structural and functional complexity of the bacteria-derived protocells will be increased by introducing several important biological organelles such as proto-nuclear, proto-mitochondria components and endomembrane system, which is expected to produce the first example of protoeukaryote. The previous expertise of the applicant in the field of biotechnology, synthetic biology and microbiology will be applied to the multidisciplinary and emerging field of protocells in which the hosting group of Professor Stephen Mann FRS at the University of Bristol has been pioneering over the last few years. The key outcome of the combined research efforts of the applicant and the Mann group will lead to the synthesis of bacteria derived protocells and develop their advanced forms capable of increased energy (metabolic) capacity and transduction, spatial segregation of genetic material (plasmids etc), and higher-order organization and processing.
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 microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences synthetic biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
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-2018
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.
BS8 1QU BRISTOL
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.