GlycoAxis · Training the next generation of scientists on cell surface Glycans from Gram-negative gut microbiota as molecular keys to decOde the gut-immune-brain Axis

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Project objective

GlycoAxis aims to train 13 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to address a major blind spot in brain-health research: the molecular mediators linking gut microbiota to neuroinflammation. Across over 600 brain diseases, immune-inflammatory pathways and gut microbial imbalances co-occur, giving rise to the concept of a gut-immune-brain axis (GIBA). Yet current studies remain largely correlative and fail to identify the molecular effectors of this dialogue. GlycoAxis places Gram-negative surface glycans, lipopolysaccharides and capsular polysaccharides, as central molecular keys to decode the GIBA. These surface-exposed and structurally diverse molecules drive immune sensing, cross biological barriers, and can be chemically tagged, imaged and profiled, making them ideal candidates for functional and translational exploration. Only a coordinated effort combining chemistry, structural biology, microbiology, immunology, and neurobiology can tackle the complexity of GIBA and translate discoveries into innovation. GlycoAxis integrates these disciplines into a multisectoral and interdisciplinary network to train DCs while delivering tangible scientific and technological outputs. Through its multidimensional approach, it will (i) establish the molecular framework of gut bacterial glycans relevant to the brain; (ii) integrate advanced (neuro)immunological models to clarify how glycans are sensed by host receptors and modulate neuroinflammation; (iii) produce translational platforms for glycan profiling, imaging and biomarker discovery, paving the way for innovative diagnostics in brain health. Each DC will pursue an individual research project bridging fundamental and translational science, enriched by secondments with industrial partners. By moving the field from correlation to causation, GlycoAxis will strengthen Europe leadership at the chemistry-neuroscience interface and equip a new generation of scientists with cutting-edge skills for careers in academia and industry.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II · NapoliCoordinatorItaly
• AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
• BIOMIMX SRL · MILANOItaly
• BIOPOX SRL · NAPOLIItaly
• CORIS BIOCONCEPT SPRL · GEMBLOUXBelgium
• FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN · BerlinGermany
• GLYCOUNIVERSE GMBH & CO. KOMMANDITGESELLSCHAFT AUF AKTIEN · POTSDAMGermany
• HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO · HelsinkiFinland
• INNOVATION ACTA SRL · SIENAItaly
• LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · PlaneggGermany
• THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER · ManchesterUnited Kingdom
• UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID · MadridSpain
• UNIVERSITAET BERN · BernSwitzerland
• UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER · MuensterGermany
• UNIVERSITE DE NAMUR · NamurBelgium
• UNIVERSITE DU LUXEMBOURG · ESCH-SUR-ALZETTELuxembourg

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101311186