Descripción del proyecto
Una tecnología revolucionaria para medir las interacciones de largo alcance entre proteínas
Las reacciones biomoleculares, sobre todo entre las proteínas, son responsables de la transmisión de información en las células. El objetivo del proyecto financiado con fondos europeos LINkS es desvelar las interacciones electrodinámicas de largo alcance (LEDI, por sus siglas en inglés) entre biomoléculas como un mecanismo que sostiene la dinámica molecular en las células. Para ello, los investigadores desarrollarán una tecnología de biosensor sin precedentes que pueda medir las LEDI en la complejidad real de los sistemas biológicos. A largo plazo, la tecnología de LINkS ayudará a comprender los efectos de los campos electromagnéticos sobre los organismos vivos y ayudará en el descubrimiento de fármacos y en los esfuerzos por identificar biomarcadores en investigación y medicina.
Objetivo
LINkS will change the paradigm of the self-organization of the intracellular living matter by demonstrating the existence of Long-range ElectroDynamic Interactions (LEDIs) between proteins. LEDIs may act as a long distance protein-protein attractive mechanism expanding above several hundred of Angströms that could explain the high spatial organization and coordination of biomolecular reactions; responsible for the transmission of information in cells.
LEDIs result from condensation phenomenon, characterized by the emerging of the mode of lowest frequency; expected in the TeraHertz (THz) frequency band. However, to date, LEDIs have eluded detection, partly because previous theoretical predictions were incorrect, but also because performing THz spectroscopy in aqueous media is a well-known technological roadblock not yet overcome. LINkS will develop a breakthrough lab-on-chip THz biosensor technology to investigate LEDIs between proteins, from in-vitro to in-vivo.
No competing or alternative technology exist yet.
To this end, LINkS consortium gathers interdisciplinary expertise including theoretical biophysics, cell biology, nanotechnology and microfluidic engineering. Three academic partners and two SMEs, from four European countries will work in strong collaboration, across the traditional boundaries of their disciplines, to develop a disruptive lab-on-chip THz biosensor able to investigate LEDIs in the real complexity of biological systems.
LINkS technology will effectively address proteomic analysis and related markets for the benefit of society as a whole. In the long-term, its ramifications will have significant benefits for drug discovery, biomarker identification and associated personalised therapies, and for understanding the influence of electromagnetic fields on living organisms; thus opening up new fields of research in medicine and biology.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicselectromagnetism
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsbiosensors
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesmicrotechnologylab on a chip
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencescell biology
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
75794 Paris
Francia