Project description
Insight into lipid-binding peptides
Protein interactions with membranes are important for various biological processes such as cellular signalling. In addition, membrane-binding peptides are promising tools for antimicrobial therapies, biosensing and the purification of extracellular vesicles. To be effective in biotechnology, however, these peptides must bind selectively to specific membrane lipids. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SELPEP project will focus on a specific peptide that targets cardiolipin, a lipid found only in mitochondria and bacterial membranes. Researchers will study how peptide sequence variations affect membrane binding. Project findings will help them understand the fundamental principles of protein-lipid interactions and fuel future research in targeted drug delivery and diagnostics.
Objective
Membrane-binding peptides have significant potential applications, such as antimicrobials, biosensors and in the purification of extracellular vesicles. However, to ensure the effective implementation of these peptides in biotechnological applications, it is essential to prioritize their selectivity. The Opi1 peptide has previously been shown to exhibit a high affinity for phosphatidic acid (PA)-containing membranes. Given the analogous structure of cardiolipin (CL), this proposal posits that it may be possible to develop an Opi1 variant that interacts selectively with CL-containing membranes with diverse CL proportions. Cardiolipin (CL) is exclusively found in the inner membrane of mitochondria and bacteria, making this phospholipid an interesting candidate for the design of selective peptides. The project will entail the implementation of in silico mutations of the Opi1 sequence, in order to identify novel sequences with different affinity to model membranes. The optimization and analysis of peptide-membrane interactions will be conducted through the use of atomic-resolution molecular simulations, alchemical transformations, and experimental biophysical techniques, such as liposome flotation methods and quartz crystal microbalance assay. This interdisciplinary project integrates biology, physics, and chemistry, leveraging advanced computational and experimental techniques to achieve the objectives. The interdisciplinary integration ensures robust outcomes, with potential applications in targeted drug delivery, and diagnostics, ultimately advancing our understanding of peptide-membrane interactions.
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.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors biosensors
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
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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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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
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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.
601 77 Brno
Czechia
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.