Project description
Research explores how certain organisms naturally survive low oxygen conditions
Low oxygen levels, or hypoxia, pose serious challenges to life, contributing to biodiversity loss and major human diseases including stroke, cancer, and heart diseases. Certain organisms, such as the waxworm Galleria mellonella, have evolved unique ways to survive hypoxia. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the URC-Hypoxia project focuses on understanding the resilience of this organism to hypoxia by studying a process called preparation for oxidative stress. In this adaptive response, early oxygen imbalances trigger redox-sensitive signalling pathways. Researchers will use mass spectroscopy, RNA sequencing, and imaging techniques to identify key genes, proteins, and molecular pathways involved in hypoxia adaptation. The proposed research could help uncover potential targets for treating hypoxia-related diseases.
Objective
"Hypoxia, the condition of inadequate oxygen availability, has profound implications for life on Earth. It contributes to biodiversity loss and is a key factor in many human diseases, including stroke and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, which are leading causes of death and disability in the EU. The URC-Hypoxia project aims to explore the molecular mechanisms that enable certain organisms, like the waxworm Galleria mellonella, to be resilient to hypoxia. By studying how these organisms survive hypoxia through the ""Preparation for Oxidative Stress"" (POS) adaptive response, the project seeks to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying POS. This knowledge might be relevant in finding biomarkers and putative target molecules to improve hypoxia-related human diseases. The project will test the hypothesis that early reactive oxygen species (ROS) production under hypoxia triggers redox-sensitive signaling pathways, leading to POS as part of the cellular stress response. This will be explored using transcriptomics, proteomics, and oxidative modification mapping techniques. Key objectives include: (1) Characterizing anoxia tolerance in Galleria mellonella and identifying key windows for redox signaling events; (2) Quantifying ROS production and pinpointing redox imbalance; (3) Identifying transcripts, gene networks, proteins, and oxidative modifications involved in the hypoxia response; and (4) Testing the feasibility of targeting these mechanisms to enhance hypoxia resilience in human cells. The methodology employs advanced tools like mass spectrometry, RNA sequencing, and imaging techniques, leveraging the host institution (i3S) specialized scientific platforms. The project is expected to provide new insights into the molecular basis of hypoxia tolerance, which could lead to innovative treatments for hypoxia-related diseases. It aligns with EU health priorities by addressing chronic disease management."
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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology stroke
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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)
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) 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.
4200-135 Porto
Portugal
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.