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HEDoctoral network2023–2027

MAGic-MOLFUN · MAtching Genes with MOLecules for FUNctional Analysis

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2023-01-01 → 2027-12-31
EU contribution
€2,747,131
Participants
12
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

MAtching Genes with MOLecules for FUNctional Analysis

The MAGIC-MOLFUN doctorial network (DN) will train the next generation of specialists for transforming natural products research. They will be educated in a combination of wet-lab and computational skills to integrate genome mining and metabolomics with cutting-edge pathway discovery- and engineering approaches. There is a fast-growing demand for these combination of skills, but these are rarely taught in current integrated training programs. These multidisciplinary skills and qualifications will be acquired while achieving the scientific goals of the program, namely understanding and developing the complex biosynthesis and production of microbial NPs for cross-sector applications such as medicine, food, agriculture, or biotechnology. Within the research program, 3 research objectives (RO) will be addressed. We will (i) develop novel computational tools and algorithm to improve the identification and prediction quality of biosynthetic gene clusters in genomic data. Furthermore, (ii) we will use cheminformatics approaches to link metabolomics data of NPs with the genomic data of the producers, which will greatly improve the compound discovery and dereplication process. These two approaches will finally (iii) converge to be applied to find and characterize novel bioactives (antibiotics, pre-/probiotics, agrichemicals, bio-pigments) in bacteria and fungi. The scientific training program is complemented by a comprehensive transferable skill training that will equip the DCs for todays’ demands of a successful career in industry and academia. The skills obtained in the DN will enable the DCs to work not only in natural product research but also many other data-intensive areas of biotechnology.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The MAGIC-MOLFUN doctorial network (DN) will train the next generation of specialists for transforming natural products research. They will be educated in a combination of wet-lab and computational skills to integrate genome mining and metabolomics with cutting-edge pathway discovery- and engineering approaches. There is a fast-growing demand for these combination of skills, but these are rarely taught in current integrated training programs.These multidisciplinary skills and qualifications will be acquired while achieving the scientific goals of the program, namely understanding and developing the complex biosynthesis and production of microbial NPs for cross-sector applications such as medicine, food, agriculture, or biotechnology. Specifically, the Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will work in three areas: (i) develop novel computational tools and algorithms to improve the identification and prediction quality of biosynthetic gene clusters encoding NP biosynthesis in genomic data. This genome-centred approach is complemented by (ii) the use cheminformatics approaches to link metabolomics data of NPs with the genomic data of the producers, which will greatly improve the compound discovery and dereplication process. These two data-centric approaches will finally (iii) converge into experimental applications that discover and characterize novel NPs with promising bioactivities (e.g., antibiotics, pre-/probiotics, agrichemicals, bio-pigments).The scientific training program is complemented by a comprehensive transferable skill training that will equip the DCs for todays’ demands of a successful career in industry and academia. The skills obtained in the DN will enable the DCs to work not only in natural product research but also many other data-intensive areas of biotechnology.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET · Kongens LyngbyCoordinatorDenmark
  • C-LECTA GMBH · LeipzigGermany
  • CHROMOLOGICS APS · SborgDenmark
  • Corteva Agriscience LLC, USA · IndianapolisUnited States
  • EBERHARD KARLS UNIVERSITAET TUEBINGEN · TuebingenGermany
  • FUNDACION CENTRO DE EXCELENCIA EN INVESTIGACION DE MEDICAMENTOS INNOVADORES EN ANDALUCIA · Armilla GranadaSpain
  • Hexagon Bio, Inc. · Menlo ParkUnited States
  • NAICONS SRL · SaronnoItaly
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA · GranadaSpain
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO · MilanoItaly
  • UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE · GlasgowUnited Kingdom
  • WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY · WageningenNetherlands

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union