1,2 Mio Dollar for “research on fundamental molecules of life”
Dr. Clara Correia-Melo from the Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute in Jena, along with Dr. Kasper Fugger from University College London and Prof. Dr. Pedro Beltrão from ETH Zurich, have been awarded a Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) Research Grant. Over the next three years, they will collaborate intensively on a project titled "Discovering the chemical space of bioactive modified nucleotides and their enzymatic repertoire."
Jena/London/Zürich. What started as a mere idea has now turned into reality. Dr. Clara Correia-Melo, Dr. Kasper Fugger, and Prof. Dr. Pedro Beltrão have joined the ranks of top 5% of scientists worldwide, to be awarded funding by the Human Frontier Science Program. What sets this grant apart is its focus on bringing together diverse fields of science to foster highly innovative research.
In her Junior Group "Host-Microbiome Metabolism in Aging" at the FLI in Jena, Clara and her team investigate the chemicals synthesized by cells, known as metabolites, but also how their exchange between cells, change during aging or upon stress. The focus is to understand and how these chemicals impact the onset, progression, and response to therapy of diseases. They approach this research from various angles, including in vitro characterization of cell-cell metabolite exchanges and in vivo validation of metabolic modulators of cellular and tissue function, within the host, host-microbiome, and microbial contexts.
This research is made possible through the integration of high-throughput platforms, metabolomics, proteomics, and computational approaches. The team has recently established robotic platforms for high-throughput functional characterization of mammalian and microbial systems. Additionally, they have set up a high-sensitivity mass spectrometry-based targeted metabolomics platform and continue to develop methods to comprehensively and precisely quantify metabolites involved in key metabolic pathways. These platforms not only play a critical role in the lab's research but also offer significant benefits to other research projects at FLI, which aim to incorporate metabolomics and microbiome analysis into their inquiries.
With the newly awarded HFSP Research Grant, the expertise and excellent technical resources of the FLI will now be combined with the renowned expertise of researchers from London and Zurich as part of the multidisciplinary project.
"Our current knowledge is just the tip of the iceberg. We are now poised to delve deeper and anticipate making intriguing discoveries on the nature and origins of fundamental molecules of life, as well as the machinery that enable their synthesis within cells," says Clara. This collaborative project will look into the chemical modifications that are added to nucleotides, which are essentially the 'building blocks' of life, forming the backbone of DNA and RNA, the molecules that carry our genetic information. “We expect this research to expand our fundamental understanding of life. By tracing the origins, impacts, and interactions of these nucleotides across various species, we aim to unlock new scientific knowledge and potentially pave the way for innovations in medical therapy” says Clara. Additionally, the team hopes to provide fresh insights into evolutionary biology, exploring the 'chemical conversations' occurring between different life forms at the molecular level, thereby enriching our comprehension of the intricate web of life on Earth.
Additional Information
The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) is an international funding organization for research in the life sciences. The program aims to support groundbreaking and interdisciplinary research aimed at addressing fundamental questions in biology. It promotes collaboration among scientists from different disciplines and countries to gain new insights into complex biological processes. HFSP funds research projects, fellowships for young scientists, and organizes programs for scientific collaboration and communication.
The Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) – upon its inauguration in 2004 – was the first German research organization dedicated to research on the process of aging. Around 350 employees from around 40 nations explore the molecular mechanisms underlying aging processes and age-associated diseases. For more information, please visit www.leibniz-fli.de.
The Leibniz Association connects 97 independent research institutions that range in focus from natural, engineering, and environmental sciences to economics, spatial, and social sciences and the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic, and ecological relevance. They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry, and the general public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,500 people, including 11,500 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2 billion euros. For more information: www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/.
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