Project description
Computational insight into HIV biology
Understanding viral biology, and particularly HIV, is essential for developing effective therapies and advancing global public health. HIV is a complex retrovirus whose life cycle relies on precise molecular processes, including assembly of the capsid and proteolytic cleavage of the Gag polyprotein. Despite decades of study, the lack of detailed mechanistic understanding of how these events occur at atomic level hinders drug design. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SimViRNA project will use advanced computational methods and molecular dynamics simulations to characterise specific events critical for virus maturation. Researchers will simulate capsid assembly under physiological conditions with great structural detail and capture long-range allosteric interactions.
Objective
In this project, I will perform computer simulations and develop new computational methods to elucidate viral functions and RNA. The first two years will take place in the group of Prof Voth in Chicago. Here, I will characterize and quantitatively describe proteolytic cleavage of the CA/SP1 subdomain of the Gag-protein in HIV using quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) Molecular Dynamics simulations (MD). Furthermore, I will employ free energy techniques to simulate binding and unbinding of the protease to CA/SP1 to determine the binding and configurational free energies. These processes are essential for HIV maturation and hence also targeted by drugs. Subsequently, I will parameterize Coarse-grained models for the Protease/CA/SP1 system and develop a Coarse-grained Green's Function Reaction Dynamics method. This method combines the Coarse-grained description with the mesoscopic scale, and hence allows me to simulate structural assembly of the virus capsid coupled to proteolytic cleavage at physiological conditions. This coherent computational approach targets biomolecular processes of outmost relevance, and will greatly advance our understanding, but likewise also push the boundaries of molecular simulations due to the methodological innovations. The third year will be spent in Trieste, in the group of Prof Bussi. In this period, I will develop a hybrid all-atom molecular mechanics / Coarse-grained (MM/CG) model for RNA. It facilitates the simulation of RNA fragments at atomistic resolution while capturing long-range allosteric interactions due to the Coarse-grained representation of the surrounding. This will set a new standard to simulate RNA macromolecules and offers a wide range of application.
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 biological sciences microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses HIV
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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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.
34136 Trieste
Italy
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.