PathoGenoMics

ERA-NET PathoGenoMics

FCT is a partner in the PathoGenoMics(PGM) network, an ERA-NET that began in 2004 and involved 15 partners from 10 European countries (Portugal, Germany, Austria, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain), who cooperated to promote and fund transnational research into the genomics of microorganisms that cause disease in humans (with special emphasis on genomic studies of bacteria and fungi) and to implement the European Research Area (ERA).

PGM launched three transnational Calls (2006, 2008 and 2010) with a total budget of 46 M€. Part of the budget available for the Calls launched was dedicated to consortia in which all the Principal Investigators were young researchers (minimum 2/maximum 9 years post-PhD). A total of 144 pre-proposals were submitted to the Call , 34 of which were funded, corresponding to a success rate of 23.6%. Of the consortia funded, 11 contain Portuguese teams, 1 of the consortia is coordinated by a young Portuguese researcher and has the participation of another Portuguese team. FCT participated in the three Calls with total funding of approximately 1.37 M€.

Projects Financed with Portuguese Participation

CALL 2010

- Analysis of the cellular mechanisms underlying the early response of the host to stress induced by Listeria infection. Project led in Portugal by Didier Cabanes (IBMC), with a total budget for 3 years of €100,000.

- Helicobacter pylori diversity in pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance, and evasion from natural and vaccine-induced immune responses. Project led in Portugal by José Carlos Machado (IPATIMUP), with a total budget for 3 years of €100,000.

- Global analysis of antisense regulatory mechanisms in Staphylococcus aureus. Project led in Portugal by Susana Domingos (ITQB), with a total budget for 3 years of €87,500.

- Characterization of host cell pathways altered by effectors of Brucella, Chlamydia, and Coxiella: identification of novel therapeutic targets. Project with Portuguese coordination by Jaime Mota (ITQB) and with the participation of another national research team led by João Paulo Domingues (INSA), with a total budget for 3 years of €200,000.

CALL 2008

- ADHRES-Signature Project. Project led in Portugal by Isabel Sá-Correia (IST), with a total budget for 3 years of 93 432 €.

- Pathogenomic of increased Clostridium difficile virulence. Project led in Portugal by Adriano Henriques (ITQB), with a total budget for 3 years of 181 800 €.

- Development, prevention and early diagnostic detection of Clostridium difficile-associated pseudomembranous colitis-an interdisciplinary network. Project led in Portugal by Miguel Godinho Lifewizz Lda, with a total budget for 3 years of 142 000 €.

CALL 2006

- Parasite and host genetic diversity in Helicobacter infections. Project led in Portugal by José Carlos Machado (IPATIMUP), with a total budget for 3 years of €95,000.

- Large scale screening of potential key factors involved in the commensalism/virulence transition of Enterococcus faecali. Project led in Portugal by Maria de Fátima Silva Lopes (ITQB), with a total budget for 3 years of 86 435 €.

- A global RNAi approach to unravel eukaryotic host functions that modulate bacterial infections. Project led in Portugal by Céu Figueiredo (IPATIMUP), with a total budget for 3 years of €180,000.

- Spatio-temporal analysis of Listeria-host protein interactions. Project led in Portugal by Didier Cabanes (IBMC), with a total budget for 3 years of 112 962 €.

Awards

One of the PGM's objectives was to promote and encourage the training of human resources in the genomics of microorganisms that cause disease in humans. In this context, between 2004 and 2012, 6 Calls were launched to reward the best PhD theses in this area. Each student selected received a prize of €2,000 and was offered participation in an international congress with an oral presentation of their PhD work. During this period, PGM awarded 18 doctoral theses, 3 of which were by Portuguese researchers:

- João Paulo Gomes (2007): "Contribution for the understanding of biological differences among Chlamydia trachomatis serovars using genomics and transcriptomics".
- Cristina Dias Rodrigues (2008): "Revealing Host Factors Important for Hepatocyte Infection by Plasmodium".
- Alexandra Isabel Cardoso Nunes (2010): "Genomic and Transcriptomic Features of Chlamydia trachomatis: Tracking the Basis for the Ecological Success".