Description du projet
Une technologie révolutionnaire pour mesurer les interactions à distance entre protéines
Les réactions biomoléculaires, en particulier entre protéines, sont responsables de la transmission des informations dans les cellules. Le projet LINkS, financé par l’UE, vise à mieux comprendre les interactions électrodynamiques à longue portée (LEDI) entre biomolécules en tant que mécanisme soutenant les dynamiques moléculaires au sein des cellules. Pour ce faire, les chercheurs développeront une technologie de biocapteurs inédite capable de mesurer les LEDI dans de véritables systèmes biologiques complexes. À long terme, la technologie LINkS permettra non seulement de comprendre la manière dont les champs électromagnétiques influencent les organismes vivants, mais elle contribuera aussi à la découverte de médicaments et aux efforts d’identification des biomarqueurs dans les domaines de la recherche et de la médecine.
Objectif
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.
Champ scientifique
- 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
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinateur
75794 Paris
France