Self-organisation and barrier functions of the mammalian glycocalyx – Training glycoscientists across disciplines and borders to stimulate new approaches, understanding and biomedical applicationscore
GLYCOCALYX · Horizon Europe grant · 2025-12-01–2029-11-30
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01 · scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN · topic HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01. CORDIS record →
Objective
Virtually all mammalian cells are covered with a dense and complex coat of sugar chains (glycans) known as the glycocalyx, which is essential for multicellular life. Interfacing the cell surface with the cellular environment, glycocalyces accomplish critical functions in signalling and communication between cells, controlling tissue development, homeostasis and repair, inflammatory and immune responses, neuronal connectivity, and symbiosis with gastrointestinal bacteria. However, when dysregulated, they can promote immune diseases, neurodegeneration and cancer. While glycocalyces act as the first line of defence against pathogens, some pathogens have evolved to hijack the glycocalyx to promote infection. Despite their importance, mammalian glycocalyces remain the ‘dark matter’ of biology, under-studied owing to the historical lack of preparative and analytical tools to probe the local molecular composition and transient interactions of molecules within glycocalyces, and missing physics rules to interpret experimental observations. The GLYCOCALYX Doctoral Network will provide 15 doctoral candidates with training in bespoke physics, chemistry and biology methods – essential disciplines that will be integrated to enable us to resolve the dynamic organisation of glycocalyces, and how they perform the many selective barrier functions essential to multicellular life. We will develop chemical, analytical and computational TOOLS for glycocalyx research and use them to define physics and molecular RULES that underpin glycocalyx self-organisation and barrier functions. Practical scientific training in state-of-the-art research methods will be complemented by a coordinated programme of industry-relevant transferable skills tailored to prepare the doctoral candidates for future careers in the sector of medical technologies and its underpinning innovations.
Beneficiaries (18)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS | UK | coordinator | €1,046,214 | |
| CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS | FR | participant | €944,007 | |
| UMEA UNIVERSITET | SE | participant | €649,260 | |
| LUDGER LIMITED | UK | participant | €348,738 | Yes |
| IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE | UK | participant | €348,738 | |
| TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN | AT | participant | €302,543 | |
| MASSIVE PHOTONICS GmbH | DE | participant | €290,272 | Yes |
| UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM ERLANGEN | DE | participant | €290,272 | |
| ASOCIACION CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION COOPERATIVA EN BIOMATERIALES- CIC biomaGUNE | ES | participant | €282,188 | |
| I3S - INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACAO E INOVACAO EM SAUDE DA UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO | PT | participant | €279,445 | |
| LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN | DE | associatedPartner | — | |
| UNIVERSITE GRENOBLE ALPES | FR | associatedPartner | — | |
| UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO | PT | associatedPartner | — | |
| ELYPTA AB | SE | associatedPartner | — | Yes |
| MEDSKIN SOLUTIONS DR.SUWELACK AG | DE | associatedPartner | — | Yes |
| FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERG | DE | associatedPartner | — | |
| ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE DE LYON | FR | associatedPartner | — | |
| Nanograb Limited | UK | associatedPartner | — | Yes |
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