Objective
Multivalent lectin-sugar interactions play a key role in facilitating viral infections, affecting hundreds of millions people worldwide. Understanding the structural mechanisms is key to be able to design glycoconjugates that can block such interactions, thereby preventing infection. However, research advances have been hampered by inability of current methods to reveal key structural information of some important cell surface lectins. For example, despite 17 years of extensive research, the structure of two vitally important tetrameric lectins, DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR, remain unknown. These lectins bind to virus surface multiple glycans and enhance many viral infections (e.g. HIV, HCV and Ebola).
This fellowship will address this challenge by developing a novel multimodal readout strategy (e.g. FRET, TEM and particle size analysis) using compact polyvalent glycan-quantum dots (QD) to fully exploit multivalency and QD’s unique properties. By tuning QD surface glycan structure, valency, inter-glycan spacing and flexibility, we will create a perfect spatial & orientation match to those of glycan-binding-domains (CRDs) in DC-SIGN/R, leading to greatly enhanced binding affinity. By studying QD-glycan binding with DC-SIGN/R, we will reveal key structural data (e.g. CRD orientation, distance, binding mode) in DC-SIGN/R. We will verify the binding data with native receptors on cell surfaces, correlate receptor binding affinity with virus inhibition potency, and study their immune cell activation.
This research is extremely timely and important because it will, 1) address the capability gap of current methods; 2) reveal key structural information of CRD spatial arrangement in DC-SIGN/R; 3) reveal how ligand multivalency & affinity control intracellular trafficking and modulate dendritic cell response. These are important not only to fundamental structural biology, lectin biochemistry, chemistry, and nanotechnology, but also to develop novel potent anti-viral reagents.
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.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses ebola
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses hepatitis C
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology structural biology
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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
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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-2017
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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.
LS2 9JT Leeds
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.