NAC-DRUG · Nucleic Acid Based Drug Design Training Center
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2004-06-01 → 2008-05-31
- EU contribution
- €1,656,359
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - NAC-DRUG (Nucleic acid based drug design training centre)
The general objective of 'Nucleic acid chemistry in drug design' (NAC-DRUG) was to educate PhD students in multidisciplinary research with focus on diagnostic and drug applications of nucleic acids. Core disciplines were selected from chemistry and molecular biology to train students in the design, synthesis and characterisation of new nucleic acids constructs; the properties of the constructs were evaluated in biochemical/molecular biological systems to ascertain their potential functions as drugs. All planned activities have been carried out successfully and within the planned schedule. 28 Early stage researcher (ESR) have been employed during the four years divided almost equally between female researchers (50.3% of all delivered person months - corresponding to 149.5 research months) and male researchers (49.7%, corresponding to 147.5 research months). During the whole project period 73% of the research months were used for PhD students from EU and associated countries. Three researchers with partner and children also participated successfully in the NAC-DRUG project as well. Meetings: The NAC-DRUG held several scientific meetings during the four-year period divided on: two summer schools, two symposium, 30 seminar lectures, 12 center meetings with 35 lectures. For cumulative reporting of publication, approximately 135 publications have been published in international journals by the supervisors of NAC-DRUG during 2004-2008. At this stage 18 joint publications, four conference proceedings and two patent applications have been published including the early-stage researcher as co-author. Two publications are in press and seven publications have been submitted and six manuscripts are in preparation. The number of publications achieved was, unsurprisingly, linked to the duration of the fellowship and the level of experience of the fellows. At the present time ten fellows have received their PhD degree from their home university and seven former ESRs are employed as postdocs at universities around the world and two are employed in the pharmaceutical industry.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The Nucleic Acid Based Drug Design Training Centre (NAC-DRUG) will provide training at the highest international level for European PhD students within the field of drug design based on nucleic acids and nucleic acid components. The training will be built upon research and teaching at the interface between chemistry and molecular biology and will be based on the core disciplines: bimolecular NMR, molecular modelling, RNA molecular biology and synthetic nucleoside and nucleotide chemistry, with the latter being the major activity. Data from molecular modelling and NMR structural investigations will be used as the foundation for designing synthetic molecules, and to understand their properties and structure. The RNA molecular biology laboratory will be responsible for molecular biology studies and biological evaluation. A large number of collaborative European research projects will benefit from the results of the training activities. Each fellow will be supervised by one or two faculty members and assigned to a research unit, and will be allocated an independent project that is a part of a major ongoing research program. Each fellow is expected to join the centre for 3-36 months. They will have the possibility to join appropriate courses to provide the basic knowledge for their research project. A wide range of courses at the Masc. or PhD levels are offered at this university and the fellows can choose among these according to the present knowledge of the fellow and the requirements of their projects. Research seminars are included in the training activities to give the fellows experience in discussing science with other students and researchers. The fellows will be given tuition in how to present scientific work to an audience in a seminar forum. Research management training will be supported leading graduate to increasing levels of influence of the fellows on the development of their individual projects.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN DENMARK · ODENSE MCoordinatorCity levelDenmark
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union