Objective
Cell wall deficient (L-form) bacteria are thought to be important in various resistant, persistent or chronic infections. L-form cells are highly abnormal in size and shape and are sensitive to osmotic shock but highly resistant to antibiotics that work on the cell wall (e.g. penicillins and cephalosporins). How these unusual cells arise and how they proliferate in the absence of a wall, is poorly understood. The Errington lab recently developed a model system for studying this long standing problem in the tractable model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. A key element of L-form biology that awaits further investigation lies in how these cells revert to the walled state. This reversion or regeneration requires the resumption of cell wall synthesis and the reacquisition of the normal regular rod cell shape. Regeneration is presumably important for the resumption of disease in patients with persistent or recurrent infections. Therefore, blocking regeneration might offer a way of dealing with problem infections. A better understanding of the mechanisms of regeneration might also be important for various biotechnological applications. The aims of this proposal are as follows. First, to use state of the art imaging methods to characterise the poorly understood regeneration process. Second, to attempt to identify mutations that prevent or enhance the rate of regeneration, and characterise the genes affected, so as to understand the process better. The genes identified might provide novel targets for drugs to target persistence. Finally to explore the extent to which regeneration of L-forms can be exploited as a novel vehicle for efficient transformation or genome transplantation processes.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs antibiotics
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine transplantation
- 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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF
See other projects for this call
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
NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne
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.