Project description
Catalytic protocells for exploring the emergence of life-like chemistry
One of science’s major unresolved challenges is to explain how life emerges from non-living chemistry by identifying how simple molecules can self-organise into increasingly complex and functional structures. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CAT-PRO project aims to construct catalytic protocells that mimic early cellular functions using peptide-based liquid-liquid phase separation as a scaffold for proto-metabolism. By incorporating cofactors, it tests whether protocells can drive diverse catalytic reactions, including enantioselective transformations, and self-organise dynamically for operation in flow reactors. It also studies communication between protocells and living cells. By revealing how simple chemistry gives rise to life-like behaviour, the project could drive advances in catalysis, synthetic biology and biomedical technologies by revealing how simple chemistry gives rise to life-like behaviour.
Objective
The CAT-PRO (Catalytic Protocells) project focuses on investigating the emergence of complex functionalities from minimal chemical systems to bridge the gap between prebiotic chemistry and the origin of life. The project aims to construct catalytic protocells that mimic primordial cellular functions, utilizing peptide-based liquid-liquid phase separation as a scaffold for proto-metabolism. By incorporating cofactor molecules, the potential of these protocells to perform diverse catalytic transformations, including enantioselective reactions, will be explored. Further, dynamic structural reconfiguration of these protocells will be studied, alongside their integration into flow reactor systems for scalable and sustainable bioprocessing. Additionally, the project seeks to establish reciprocal communication between protocells and living cells, a step towards achieving the goal of engineering a feedback-driven targeted delivery system. This multidisciplinary approach is expected to provide fundamental insights into the origins of life while advancing the frontiers of heterogeneous catalysis, synthetic biology, and nanomedicine.
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 synthetic biology
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
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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-2025-PF
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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.
BS8 1QU BRISTOL
United Kingdom
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.