Project description
Delineating the host–pathogen war
Host–pathogen interaction has led to the evolution of strategies from both sides to exert their dominance. Delineation of this interplay is central for the design and development of effective methods to eradicate pathogens. Scientists of the EU-funded FISHnCRISPS project will use Salmonella typhi as a model to perform genetic screening using CRISPR interference. The idea is to isolate various virulence factors and determine their impact on host responses. In addition, the simultaneous transcriptome profiling of host and pathogen at the single cell level will help scientists understand the heterogeneity in outcome often observed among individuals battling with the same pathogen.
Objective
Over the course of host-pathogen evolution, both the players in this game have set out strategies to overcome each other, by adapting to challenging environments and camouflaging on the one side, and by detecting and eradicating the enemy on the other. In this context, the identification of the pathogenic potential, that is, the genetic elements conferring virulence and how they subvert the host’s defences, is fundamental. With a multiplexed approach, I aim at developing a pooled genetic screen using CRISPR interference to produce pathogen knocked-down libraries impaired in a curated subset of virulence factors of Salmonella Typhi. This pathogen is of particular interest because of the severity of its systemic infection combined with its human host-restriction, which left research lagging behind. Several cellular systems (macrophages, PBMCs, organoids) will be probed upon infection of S. typhi mutants, and the host transcriptome retrieved by single-cell RNA-seq. This analysis will provide a systematic and thorough map of the cause and effect network of the pathogen virulence factors and host responses.
Interestingly, in this pathogen-host “war”, each battle can end with a different winner, even when the teams are comprised of the same players, meaning that the heterogeneity in the cellular state of both the pathogen and the host previous to the infection, can lead to the occurrence of diverse outcomes within a single population. The pathogen can either replicate, persist or be cleared by the host. This intrinsic cell-to-cell variability posits the importance of profiling simultaneously the host and the pathogen at the level of single cells. To achieve this goal, I will profile the transcriptomes of the host and the pathogen at the same time, by using multiplexed smFISH. This analysis will quantitatively untangle the contribution of heterogeneity to disease outcomes.
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 physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
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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-2019
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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.
7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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.