PHASAGE
PhasAGE – Excellence Hub on Phase Transitions in Aging and Age-Related Disorders
networking
PhasAGE consortium is centrally positioned in a network of academic, industry, healthcare, and policymaker stakeholders.
The synergies already established with ongoing collaborative projects and with National and European research infrastructures will promote better access to relevant disease databases and research networks. The establishment of a sustainable framework will promote novel research interfaces benefiting both IBMC/i3S and the partner’s institutions.
Throughout the project duration, the PhasAGE consortium is committed to expanding this network and strengthen the links with international research consortia and scientific infrastructures.
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
H2020 TWINNING PROJECTS
Twin4Promis – Twinning for Excellence in Research, Training and Innovation in Protein Misfolding Diseases
Project Coordinator: Giorgios Skretas, Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Greece | Grant agreement No. 101079363
The EU-funded Twin4Promis project aims to set up a research and training hub in protein misfolding diseases to bridge the gap between the communities that study the misfolding of soluble and integral membrane proteins. Partners wish to consolidate this research community and address challenges associated with isolation and characterization of membrane proteins implicated in misfolding diseases. The results generated by the project will provide the groundwork for identifying novel molecules for therapeutic interventions in misfolding diseases associated with integral membrane proteins. Both projects share a common goal of advancing research in protein misfolding diseases.
Twin4Promis is funded by the “Widening Participation & Spreading Excellence” component of Horizon Europe Programme (call Twinning “HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03-1”), under Grant Agreement No. 101079363.
TWIN2PIPSA – Twinning for Excellence in Biophysics of Protein Interactions and Self-Assembly
Project Coordinator: Cláudio M. Gomes, FC.ID/ULisboa – Faculdade de Ciências Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal | Grant agreement No. 101079147
Proteins are the workhorses of cells. These macromolecules have complicated 3D structures that directly influence the proteins’ functioning. The folding and misfolding of proteins is linked to a plethora of so-called conformational diseases including cataracts, metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative pathologies. Understanding the mechanisms of healthy and pathological self-assembly is key to modulating protein interactions that will underlie the rational design of protein-based biomaterials and therapeutic antibodies to treat these pathologies. The EU-funded TWIN2PIPSA project will enhance Portugal’s experimental and computational capabilities for research and innovation in the field through twinning with three universities that are global leaders. Both projects will join forces to foster research on protein aggregation and misfolding in disease.
TWIN2PIPSA is funded by the “Widening Participation & Spreading Excellence” component of Horizon Europe Programme (call Twinning “HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03-01”), under Grant Agreement No. 101079147.
IMpaCT – Imaging life from Molecules to cells
Project Coordinator: Pedro Martins, ITQB-Nova, PT | Grant agreement No 857203
The project aims at building knowledge on Cryo-EM methodologies at ITQB NOVA (PT). The interaction with IMpaCT will complement the expertise of the PhasAGE team on CryoEM. Both projects will benefit the institutions by increasing the impact and visibility of Structural Biology and Biophysics at the national and European level.
This project has received funding from Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 857203.
REMODEL – Research Models in Infection, Cancer and Tissue Regeneration
Project Coordinator: Anna Olson, IBMC/i3S, PT | Grant agreement No 857491
The project aims to capacitate IBMC/i3S with innovative model systems that can replace animal experiments for translational research. PhasAGE and REMODEL will build a solid interdisciplinary framework to go from molecular driven research to translational applications with advanced organoid in vitro models.
This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 857491.
H2020 MCSA RISE PROJECTS
REFRACT – Repeat protein Function, Refinement, Annotation and Classification of Topologies
Project Coordinator: Silvio Tosatto, UniPD, IT | Grant agreement No 823886
REFRACT aims to extend our knowledge on the mechanism of tandem repeat protein (TRP) function and evolution, establishing a common classification and best practices. The resulting guidelines for classification, functional characterization and experimental analysis of repeat proteins and aggregation-prone sequences will directly feed into PhasAGE scientific activities, benefiting all participating research teams.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823886.
IDPfun – Driving the functional characterization of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
Project Coordinator: Silvio Tosatto, UniPD, IT | Grant agreement No 778247
The IDPfun consortium aims to research novel ways to detect and characterize different IDP phenomena in their evolutionary context. By developing ontologies and classification, it intends to facilitate the comprehension of IDP complexity and understand IDP functional mechanisms in several biological processes and in the context of disease. The resulting achievements will leverage PhasAGE research activities, benefiting all participating research teams.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 778247.
COST ACTIONS
Non-globular proteins in the era of machine learning (ML4NGP) CA 21160
Action Chair: Alexander Monzon, UniPD, IT | Grant Holder: Silvio Tosatto, UniPD, IT
The ML4NGP Action aims to establish an interdisciplinary pan-European network to favour this interplay, fostering experimental frameworks designed to provide information to computational methods, and novel computational methods developed, trained and benchmarked with experimental data. The Action is a continuation of the PhasAGE project and stems from the collaboration of the partners involved. Both projects share a common goal of advancing protein research that will achieved by joint training activities and scientific meetings.
COST Action ML4NGP, CA21160, is supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES
EUROPEAN INFRASTRUCTURES
ELIXIR Europe – ESFRI Research Infrastructure for life science data support the Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDP) Community
The ELIXIR Europe supports IDP Community that aims to define standards, tools and resources to accelerate the identification, analysis and functional characterisation of IDPs. A better understanding of IDR-mediated interactions and their structure and function will help in developing new therapeutic strategies to treat human diseases.
*ELIXIR is partly funded by the European Commission within the Research Infrastructures programme of Horizon 2020.
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – INFORMATION ON EU FUNDING
All major results, communication and dissemination activities carried under PhasAGE funding must acknowledge the support of the EU funding with the following statement, possibly accompanied by the EU logo:
- For communication activities: “This project has received funding from European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952334.”
- For infrastructure, equipment and major results: “This [infrastructure][equipment][insert type of result] is part of a project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952334.”
