Project description
Insights into zoonotic transmission of avian influenza
Zoonosis is an infectious disease caused by a pathogen that has spread from an animal to humans. One such zoonotic pathogen that poses a serious risk to global health is the avian influenza virus (AIV). AIVs can replicate in the new host by getting past host-specific barriers such as the human host protein BTN3A3, which prevents AIVs from replicating in human cells. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FluZoBa project will investigate how viral mutations aid AIVs in evading BTN3A3 during infection. The results of the project will improve pandemic risk assessment and identify new antiviral targets.
Objective
Avian influenza viruses (AIV) pose a constant socio-economic threat to humanity due to their potential to cause novel pandemics. This risk is underscored by recent reports of mammalian species infected with highly pathogenic strains of AIV. To develop effective drugs and improve risk assessment, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of AIV infection is crucial.
AIV are typical emerging zoonotic pathogens capable of crossing into new species. This depends on two factors: i) the new host must support viral replication, and ii) restrictive factors that inhibit infection must be evaded. One significant barrier to AIV infections in humans is the limited activity of avian-adapted viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. These complexes consist of one genomic RNA segment, nucleoproteins, and a viral polymerase. Recently, the host factor BTN3A3 was identified as a critical restriction element for zoonotic AIV, influencing cross-species viral evolution. However, the exact mechanisms through which BTN3A3 restricts the virus, and how the virus evades this restriction, remain unclear.
This study involves structural investigations conducted directly within infected cells at nanometer resolution by in situ cryo-electron tomography, an approach that is significantly pushing beyond the current state-of-the-art thereby setting new paradigms in the understanding of molecular infection mechanisms. The primary objective is to elucidate how viral host-adaptation mutations evade BTN3A3 restriction with the overarching goals to i) improve pandemic risk assessment tools, ii) reveal new drug targets, and iii) serve as a proof-of-principle for studying restriction factors during infection with other zoonotic viruses.
This research will be conducted under the supervision of Dr. Petr Chlanda at Heidelberg University, where I will have access to world-class facilities and training opportunities, supporting my growth as an independent researcher.
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 public health epidemiology pandemics
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses influenza
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- 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)
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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.
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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-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European 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-2024-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.
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
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