BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
ERASysBio+ scheme
Sixteen transnational projects have received EUR24 million (£20 million) in funding under ERASysBio+, an initiative involving ministries and funding agencies from 13 countries that seeks to coordinate national research in systems biology and agree a common European research agenda. These transnational projects will address pressing global issues including food security, healthy ageing and diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis. The 13 projects listed this week and next involve UK-based organisations and will receive a total of EUR7.7 million from the BBSRC.
Award winners: Lee Sweetlove, University of Oxford, and David Fell, Oxford Brookes University
BBSRC funding: EUR710,000
Total funding: EUR1.1 million
FRIM - fruit integrative modelling
Award winner: James Murray
Institution: Cardiff University
BBSRC funding: EUR720,000
Total funding: EUR1.4 million
iSAM - integrative systems analysis of the shoot apical meristem
Award winner: Francesco Falciani
Institution: University of Birmingham
BBSRC funding: EUR380,000
Total funding: EUR1.1 million
LINCONET - modelling the gene regulatory network underlying lineage commitment in human mesenchymal stem cells: identification of drug targets for the anabolic treatment of degenerative disorders
Award winner: Magnus Rattray
Institution: University of Manchester
BBSRC funding: EUR440,000
Total funding: EUR2.1 million
SYNERGY - systems approach to gene regulation biology through nuclear receptors
Award winners: Chris Proud, University of Southampton, and J. Douglas Armstrong, University of Edinburgh
BBSRC funding: EUR610,000
Total funding: EUR700,000
SynProt - a systems biological approach to elucidate local protein synthesis code in plasticity and memory
Award winner: Brigitta Stockinger
Institution: MRC National Institute for Medical Research London
BBSRC funding: EUR380,000
Total funding: EUR900,000
LymphoSys - signalling pathways and gene regulatory networks responsible for Th17 cell differentiation
Award winners: Vincent Jansen, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Gary Coulton, St George's, University of London
BBSRC funding: EUR1. million
Total funding: EUR2.8 million
SHIPREC (salmonella host interactions project European consortium) - living with uninvited guests - comparing plant and animal responses to endocytic invasions
For the remaining winners, see Times Higher Education next week
IN DETAIL
Award winner: Andrzej Kierzek
Institution: University of Surrey
BBSRC funding: EUR530,000
Total funding: EUR1.3 million
TB-HOST-NET
With drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis emerging in many countries, there is now a need for the development of new therapeutic approaches and vaccines to shorten TB treatment and combat resilient strains. This project will analyse the interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen that causes most cases of TB, and the human immune system as it seeks to deliver models that can be used in the creation of therapeutic, diagnostic and vaccination strategies.