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HECOFUND2023–2027

TALENTS · Training AlliancE for Novel Microbiome-Modulating TherapieS

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2023-01-01 → 2027-12-31
EU contribution
€1,512,000
Participants
17
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-Cofund-D

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Training AlliancE for Novel Microbiome-Modulating TherapieS

To cope with the increasing threat of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in particular, pharmaceutical research must take new ways by using the growing knowledge about the human microbiome as well as novel bioinformatic tools. Developing novel therapeutic modalities with the capacity to overcome the problems of existing antibiotics, such as e.g. resistance development, neglected microbial metabolism, or unintended microbiota alterations, requires close collaboration with clinical scientists. Especially the exploitation of microbiota holds untapped potential for prophylactic or therapeutic interventions against chronic inflammatory and infective diseases. To be prepared for such modern research and development of novel anti-infectives, a new generation of trained scientists with the capacity to work across established disciplines is required. Heart of the TALENTS project is a graduate school that brings together the fields of pharmaceutical research, chemistry, medicine, and bioinformatics in an interdisciplinary training network aiming to investigate and exploit human microbiota for finding new drugs to fight infectious diseases. The TALENTS Graduate School established at Saarland University creates an important bridge between the Faculty of Sciences and the Helmholtz-Institute of Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, located at the main campus Saarbrücken, with the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Saarland located on the campus Homburg, respectively. To warrant transdisciplinary research training, indeed, each fellow is supervised by at least two PIs affiliated with complimentary faculties or institutes. The objectives were to recruit 15 international Ph.D. students for advanced research training on this topic, and thus to i) create new knowledge and tools leading up to the identification of promising new drug candidates for further pharmaceutical development and ii) excellent career opportunities for the fellows.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

TALENTS aims to build up an international programme for interdisciplinary and transsectorial training of 15 doctoral candidates (DCs) as needed for the next generation of drug researchers. Research projects are structured in 3 clusters (PCs): PC1 will investigate the microbiome by transcriptomic and metagenomic analysis of diseases to identify and isolate microorganisms/metabolites for therapeutically modifying the microbiota. PC2 will focus on pathoblockers targeting virulence factors as alternative to traditional antibiotics with lower risk of resistance development. PC3 will address the delivery needs across biological barriers, to achieve efficient and targeted transport to the site of action. Throughout the PC structure of 15 individual, but interconnected research projects, we aim to develop and exchange disease models, analytical methods and microbiome-related results. By generating knowledge on correlations and causalities between microbiota and disease TALENTS will advance the development of novel microbiome-modulating therapies TALENTS is builds on an earlier joint venture of Saarland University, University Clinics Saarland and Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland to foster transdisciplinary doctoral training between different faculties and institutions. In addition, TALENTS is intersectorial by implementing a unique supervision structure for each DC with an external expert advisor and translation-oriented training for individual career development, also including secondments in a complementary industrial or clinical sector. Working on challenging research projects, the candidates will acquire specific knowledge and skills at the interface of clinical medicine, microbiology and pharmaceutical science, pivotal for state-of-the-art infection research and microbiome interventions. By collaborations of experts from natural sciences, medicine, and bioinformatics, TALENTS provides high-level multidisciplinary and intersectorial training.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITAT DES SAARLANDES · SaarbruckenCoordinatorGermany
  • BIOSOLVEIT GMBH · Sankt AugustinGermany
  • BUNDESINSTITUT FUER RISIKOBEWERTUNG · BerlinGermany
  • CHARITE - UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN BERLIN · BerlinGermany
  • EVOTEC INTERNATIONAL GMBH · HamburgGermany
  • FIRALIS · HuningueFrance
  • FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERG · ErlangenGermany
  • HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR INFEKTIONSFORSCHUNG GMBH · BraunschweigGermany
  • Lactopia GmbH · SaarbruckenGermany
  • MYBIOTECH GMBH · UberherrnGermany
  • PHARMABIOTEC GMBH · SaarbrueckenGermany
  • PHARMACELSUS GMBH · SaarbruckenGermany
  • UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER · MuensterGermany
  • UNIVERSITAT LINZ · LinzAustria
  • UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW · GlasgowUnited Kingdom
  • URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH · SaarbrueckenGermany
  • VIB VZW · ZWIJNAARDE - GENTBelgium

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union