Objective
Malaria is a devastating parasitic disease transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. All national malaria control programmes rely extensively on a limited number of insecticides to reduce transmission of this disease but the efficacy of these control measures is being reduced by insecticide resistance in the mosquito vectors.
The applicant has identified strong candidate genes in Anopheles gambiae, the major malaria vector in Africa, that are predicted to confer resistance to two of the most widely used classes of insecticides. These genes are over-expressed in resistant mosquits and encode enzymes that detoxify the insecticides. Techniques to both over-express and silence genes in Anopheles mosquitoes have been developed by members of the host laboratory.
By using these methods we will determine whether over-expression of our candidate genes is both necessary and sufficient to cause insecticide resistance in laboratory strains of A. gambiae. Definitive proof of the role of a particular enzyme in conferring insecticide resistance has never been obtained for medically important insects and yet such information is vital if plans to reverse resistance by developing novel insecticide formulations that block resistance mechanisms are to succeed.
The generation of transgencic Anopheles mosquitoes is technically challenging and have only been achieved by a handful of laboratories worldwide. Dr. Catteruccia and her colleagues are pioneers in this field and hence undertaking this project in the proposed host laboratory will maximise the chances of success.
The applicant is extremely well qualified to pursue this ambitious proposal having over 10 years of practical experience in the molecular biology of insecticide resistance. The training in transgenic technology that she w ill receive will be invaluable in developing her own research programme and establishing her as one of the future leaders in molecular entomology.
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.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases malaria
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
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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.
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.
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.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
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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.
Coordinator
PERUGIA
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.