Project description
Europe pulls together to stimulate structural biology discovery and innovation
Molecules have complex 3D structures in which their constituents fold and twist, hiding certain regions and exposing others. This structure changes in time and space as well, depending on what the molecule is doing – and which other structures – at any certain moment. Visualising and mapping the structure and interactions of biological molecules in space and time is critical to understanding the function and ultimately the development of catalysts, therapeutics and biofuels, to name a few. The EU-funded iNEXT-Discovery project is combining the requisite instrumentation and expertise accumulated by experts in structural biology, medicinal chemistry, translational medicine, biological imaging and food research, and making it available to enthusiastic European scientists. The joint research activities building on cross-disciplinary mentorship will enhance the growth and development of new communities and accelerate discoveries.
Objective
Structural biology reveals the molecular architecture of life; the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules and how they interact to form complex machineries and cells. Structural biology is key to innovations in chemistry, biotechnology and medicine: new drugs, advanced vaccines, novel biomaterials, engineered enzymes for food production, a cleaner environment, and efficient biofuels. iNEXT-Discovery takes on the challenge of proactively supporting the uptake of existing tools, and the innovation of new tools, to promote scientific Discovery and translation in a range of disciplines, building on the success of the H2020 project iNEXT (infrastructure for NMR, EM and X-rays for Translational research).
iNEXT-Discovery brings together a strong network of leading structural biology facilities in partnership with regional experts and ESFRI communities in medicinal chemistry, translational medicine, biological imaging, and food research, to disseminate knowledge and services. We aim to stimulate the wider uptake of structural biology across Europe, across scientific disciplines and research sectors. Significant hardware and software advances allow targeting transnational access to advanced instrumentation also to scientists without previous expertise in structural biology: uptake will be facilitated by training and thematic calls focused on new communities. Access to our instrumentation and expertise will ultimately allow European scientists to gain structural insight that can translate into innovations in the biomedical, food, biotechnological and biomaterials sectors. Our joint research activities will roll-out advances in key technologies for translational research: fragment screening for drug development, EM efficiency and capacity, NMR applications to extend structures beyond three dimensions, and integrative structural biology approaches to look at macromolecules in cells. All our activities support innovative research of both academic and industrial users.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discovery
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinemedicinal chemistry
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologystructural biology
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
1066 CX Amsterdam
Netherlands
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Participants (27)
601 77 Brno
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69117 Heidelberg
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OX4 2JY Oxford
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28006 Madrid
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2311 EZ Leiden
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LS2 9JT Leeds
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14109 Berlin
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22100 Lund
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3584 CS Utrecht
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60323 Frankfurt Am Main
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91190 Saint Aubin
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75794 Paris
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
75015 PARIS 15
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50121 FIRENZE
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
50121 Florence
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08290 Cerdanyola Del Valles Barcelona
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0X11 0DE Didcot
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67404 Illkirch Graffenstaden
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11635 Athina
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1099 085 Lisboa
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00196 Roma
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8000 Aarhus C
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02109 WARSZAWA
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1053 Budapest
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13125 Berlin
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01513 Vilnius
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1081 HZ Amsterdam
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