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Silencing RNAs: organisers and coordinators of complexity in eukaryotic organisms

Project information

Grant agreement ID: 37900

 Project website

  • Start date

    1 January 2007

  • End date

    30 September 2011

Funded under:

FP6-LIFESCIHEALTH

  • Overall budget:

    € 14 439 820

  • EU contribution

    € 11 781 445

Coordinated by:

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

United Kingdom

Objective

A recently discovered layer of gene regulation in eukaryotic organisms employs small regulatory RNAs (miRNAs and siRNAs). These RNAs are 20-28 nucleotides long and are produced by Dicer ribonucleases acting on double-stranded RNA precursors. Together with an effector protein complex, they scan for complementary RNA or DNA so that expression of these targeted molecules is silenced at the transcriptional or posttranscriptional levels. These short RNAs influence gene expression during growth and development and initiate epigenetic changes to DNA and chromatin. SIROCCO will characterize the full complement of miRNAs and siRNAs in animals and plants. Using bioinformatics, genomics, biochemistry, cell biology and genetics, the sortium members will reveal how these RNAs are produced and processed, how they are transported and how they target specific genes and RNAs for silencing. SIROCCO will investigate the miRNA and siRNA profiles associated with development, with phenotypic divergence within populations, and with diseased states including cancer. The functional genomics of silencing RNAs will be addressed by up- or down-regulation of miRNA and siRNA species. There will also be an assessment of miRNA and siRNA regulatory networks and their interaction with other cellular trol mechanisms.
The outputs of SIROCCO will include databases of silencing RNA sequence and function in several organisms, new technologies for detection and manipulation of these RNAs, and information that will allow siRNA and miRNA profiles to be used as molecular markers and diagnostic methods for natural biological variation including the perturbations associated with disease. SIROCCO will also identify potential targets of disease therapy amongst the components of the small RNA silencing systems.
Finally, insights generated in SIROCCO will improve the specificity with which small RNAs can be employed as therapeutic tools.

Programme(s)

FP6-LIFESCIHEALTH - Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health: Thematic Priority 1 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006.

Topic(s)

LSH-2005-1.1.5-2 - The biological role of small regulatory RNAs

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-LIFESCIHEALTH-6

See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

IP - Integrated Project

Coordinator

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Address

The Old Schools, Trinity Lane
Cambridge

United Kingdom

Website

Participants (23)

AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER

Hungary

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

France

NOVARTIS FORSCHUNGSSTIFTUNG, ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG FRIEDRICH MIESCHER INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

Switzerland

HUBRECHT LABORATORY / KNAW

Netherlands

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.

Germany

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE

United Kingdom

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA

United Kingdom

EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY

Germany

EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY

Germany

UNIVERSITY OF ROME "LA SAPIENZA"

Italy

THE SAINSBURY LABORATORY

United Kingdom

BIOGEM S.C.A R.L.

Italy

UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS

Denmark

JOHN INNES CENTRE

United Kingdom

RLP AGROSCIENCE GMBH, ALPLANTA-INSTITUTE FOR PLANT RESEARCH

Germany

EXIQON A/S

Denmark

TEMASEK LIFE SCIENCES LABORATORY

Singapore

CEINGE BIOTECNOLOGIE AVANZATE SCARL

Italy

INTERNA TECHNOLOGIES B.V.

Netherlands

OÜ QURETEC

Estonia

EIDGENÖSSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZÜRICH

Switzerland

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES INSTITUTES

Singapore

CENTRE DE REGULACIO GENOMICA

Spain

Project information

Grant agreement ID: 37900

 Project website

  • Start date

    1 January 2007

  • End date

    30 September 2011

Funded under:

FP6-LIFESCIHEALTH

  • Overall budget:

    € 14 439 820

  • EU contribution

    € 11 781 445

Coordinated by:

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

United Kingdom

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Last update: 26 March 2013

Record number: 85053