Project description DEENESFRITPL Molecular insight into the process of spinal cord regeneration In humans, spinal cord injury causes permanent damage as the neural system has limited regenerative capacity. In contrast, zebrafish can regenerate their spinal cords. The EU-funded SCSC project will investigate this unique feature of zebrafish, ultimately aiming to develop novel strategies for treating spinal cord injury in humans. The project's researchers will identify the cell types and determine the gene expression changes associated with spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish. Moreover, they will shed light on the molecular signals that instruct the process of spinal cord regeneration, which may be translatable to humans. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Because the mammalian nervous system exhibits a limited capacity for regeneration, spinal-cord injury causes permanent damage in humans. In contrast, zebrafish regenerate their spinal cords after damage. Understanding this process in zebrafish might one day suggest regenerative strategies for humans. This proposal therefore aims to elucidate the transcriptional processes that regulate regeneration in the zebrafish spinal cord. Although genome-wide expression profiling has revealed factors that promote spinal cord regeneration, microarray and bulk RNA-seq methods are unable to localize candidates to particular cell types. The molecular diversity of cell types that contribute to spinal cord regeneration thus has not been fully explored, and the cell type-specific roles of the signals that instruct the process remain unclear. The applicant will address this gap by performing single-nucleus RNA-seq on regenerating zebrafish spinal cord and analyzing the data to reveal cell types and cell type-specific gene expression changes. This goal entails three specific aims: 1) Establish a protocol for isolating nuclei from the zebrafish spinal cord. 2) Establish a molecular taxonomy of cell types in the regenerating spinal cord. 3) Characterize cell type-specific gene-expression changes in the regenerating spinal cord. The project will be completed in a laboratory that specializes in single-cell RNA-seq methods and neuroscience, providing exceptional training in the experimental and computational methods associated with high-throughput single-cell analysis and preparing the applicant for a career as an independent investigator. The host institute is moreover a leading research institute at the forefront of neuroscience and single-cell biology, with postdoctoral career support. The proposal will yield an atlas of the cell type-specific transcriptional changes that occur during regeneration, providing new insight and a novel resource for researchers in the field of regeneration. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologynatural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputational science Keywords high-throughput single-nucleus RNA sequencing zebrafish spinal cord regeneration Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2018 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET Net EU contribution € 191 852,16 Address Nobels Vag 5 17177 Stockholm Sweden See on map Region Östra Sverige Stockholm Stockholms län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments 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 € 191 852,16