PARAGONE
Vaccines for animal parasites (H2020-SFS-2014-2-635408)
Helminth and ectoparasitic infections of ruminants and poultry have a huge impact on the biological efficiency of these vital food sources. Indiscriminate antiparasitic use has led to drug resistance across the globe. The main alternative to the dwindling supply of antiparasitics is vaccines.
Partners from the Europe, Uruguay, SMEs and pharma, will directly move forward prototypes against the ruminant helminths Fasciola hepatica, Cooperia spp., Ostertagia ostertagi, Teladorsagia circumcincta, the ectoparasitic mites, Psoroptes ovis (ruminants) and Dermanyssus gallinae (poultry).
They will utilise novel adjuvants or delivery systems to maximise efficacy of some of the prototypes. Moreover, immunology studies will focus on pathogens that have previously proved problematic, often because they release immunosuppressive molecules that must be overcome for vaccines to work or because recombinant vaccines have failed to elicit protection observed with native prototypes.
Fundamental, is engagement of the scientists with pharma and other stakeholders (farmers, veterinarians, regulators) via many dissemination activities that will be used to obtain feedback on how the vaccines can be best deployed in the field.
The output will be at least two prototypes to the point of uptake by pharma, government or philanthropic agencies, and a clear pathway to commercialisation for all prototypes studied.
General objectives
The overall objective is to develop vaccines for the control of helminth and ectoparasitic infections that have a major impact on the efficiency of ruminant and poultry production systems worldwide. Currently, control of these relies almost exclusively on antiparasitics, which is no longer sustainable due to the widespread prevalence of drug resistance as well as consumers’ concerns regarding residues in food.
The main alternative to the dwindling supply of antiparasitics is vaccines: these prevent rather than cure infection, will have more durable protection with no associated residue issues, so represent green, sustainable and environmentally-friendly forms of control.
Role of the University of Cordoba
- To test protective capacity of a Fasciola hepatica prototype comprising a cocktail of current best candidates.
- To study mechanisms of protective and non-protective responses in Fasciola hepatica infection.
- To test protective pacacity of a Cooperia oncophora vaccine in C. punctata in sheep.
- To test a novel adjuvant delivery system for optimizing responses in ruminants using the best vaccine prototypes.
PROVIDE
PROVIding smart DElivery of public goods by EU agriculture and forestry (H2020-ISIB-2014-633838).
The PROVIDE project seeks to provide a conceptual basis, evidence, tools and improved incentive and policy options to support the «smart» provision of public goods by the EU agriculture and forestry ecosystems, in the light of trade-offs and conflicts brought about by prospective intensification scenarios, using a transdisciplinary approach.
PROVIDE will consider a wide range of public goods, including the scope for intensification to produce negative externalities, in relation with a wide set of legislations. It will address the issue in a multi-scale framework working both at the EU level and at case study level in thirteen Countries of the EU. The practical results of the project will be: a renewed («un-packed») conceptualization of the notion of public goods; an operational framework to support the smart provision of public goods; a toolbox putting together an inventory/mapping of options, operational means for valuation and evaluation, and a selection of evaluated policy/sector mechanisms; a consolidated and long-lasting community of knowledge and practice.
The project will achieve the above results through a mapping and inventory of public goods and the mechanisms producing such goods, allowing to identify ‘hotspots’ for mechanisms and policy development. Around these ‘hotspots’, the project will then value different public goods and explore value transferability across several regions and ecosystems. Next, to meet a smart production of public goods, consistent with the current needs of productivity, bioeconomy strategy and rural development, innovative policy tools and mechanisms will be comparatively assessed and evaluated. The outcomes of these activities will feed information into the framework and toolbox.
All these processes will be co-developed with stakeholders, so that the framework and toolbox will be a co-constructed product allowing incremental development also beyond the lifetime of the project, maximizing PROVIDE’s impact.
General objectives
The objective of the PROVIDE project is to develop a conceptual basis, evidence, tools and improved incentive and policy options to support the «smart» provision of public goods by the EU agriculture and forestry ecosystems. PROVIDE will consider a wide range of public goods and legislations, and will address the issue in a multi-scale framework, working both at the EU level and at case study level in thirteen countries of the EU.
Role of the University of Cordoba
UCO leads Work Package 4 (WP4), entitled «Improve valuation of public goods». WP4 targets objective 3 of the project, which is to develop and test improved tools for valuing costs and benefits of public goods in support to policy and other governance mechanisms. The specific objectives of WP4 are to:
- To select the most adequate valuation and scale approaches for each of most relevant public goods pointed out in WP3 (task 4.1);
- To adapt valuation approaches chosen to different local conditions (concrete agricultural and forestry ecosystems) (task 4.2);
- To test the suitability all of the approaches chosen in a real setting both, for local public goods to be valued at ecosystem level and global public goods to be valued at EU scale and to implement valuation exercises of public goods at ecosystem (local public goods) and EU (global public goods) scales (task 4.3);
- To analyse the determinants of values in view of using values for mechanism evaluation (task 4.4)
- To test if value transferability is feasible considering different environmental and social factors (task 4.5);
- To report the lessons learned in form of guidelines as input for policy making (task 4.6).
FUNGIBRAIN
Sensing and integration of signals governing cell polarity and tropism in fungi.
Cell polarity and directed growth (tropism) are fundamental biological processes. Most fungi are dependent on these processes because they grow as polarised filaments called hyphae, whose growth and development are governed by physical and chemical cues from the environment. Such cues include surface-contact, light, nutrients, mating partners, host organisms, or ‘self’ hyphae from within the fungal colony. The capacity to re-orient hyphal tip growth in response to external signals forms the basis of the saprotropic, symbiotic and parasitic lifestyles of fungi. For example, dimorphic transitions and directed hyphal growth are intimately associated with virulence in fungal pathogens.
The cellular components that control these morphogenetic decisions therefore play key roles in fungal adaptation to environmental change and the invasion stages of infectious growth. Extensive background work has led to the emerging concept of a «fungal brain», which integrates exogenous and endogenous signals to determine the shape and direction of hyphae, both at the levels of the individual cell and of the fungal colony. However, in spite of the universal importance of these processes, surprisingly little is known about their genetic and cellular bases.
FUNGIBRAIN brings together pioneering expertise from fungal model organisms such as baker’s yeast, fission yeast and the filamentous yeast Ashbya gossypii, and world-class teams working on filamentous fungi, including important human or plant pathogens (Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum and Ustilago maydis). The project integrates genetic, biochemical, biophysical, cell biology and systems biology approaches to define common patterns of signal integration and hyphal tropism. Early evidence suggests that these cellular targets are conserved across a broad range of fungal species and thus will have direct and important applications in antifungal treatments and biotechnology.
General Objectives
- Establish a detailed understanding of conserved fungal signalling networks that regulate polarized and directed fungal cell growth in a wide range of fungal models and pathogens
- Identify novel conserved targets for antifungal drug discovery in these signalling networks
- Develop novel high throughput, live-cell fungal tropism screens of mutant and chemical libraries
- Develop an outstanding interdisciplinary Training Programme on analyzing, manipulating and inhibiting the polarized growth and tropisms of fungi
Role of the University of Cordoba
- Interplay between intracellular pH and MAPK signalling in the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum
- Host plant signals and cell receptors activating chemotropic growth in Fusarium
- Training of 1 ESR (Tania Fernandes Ribeiro) and 1 ER (Stefania Vitale)
- Organization of the Final International Meeting on «Signal Responses & Tropisms»
Investigador Principal: Antonio C. Di Pietro
Correo electrónico de contacto: ge2dipia@uco.es
Página web del proyecto: http://www.inflammation-repair.manchester.ac.uk/FungiBrain/
HUGS
HUmins as Green and Sustainable precursors of eco-friendly building blocks and materials (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015-675325).
HUGS aims to provide an innovative, highly multidisciplinary and top educational program focusing on the valorisation of these two key side products from lignocellulosic biorefineries by implementing an international network of excellence able to provide both scientific innovation and training in environmentally sound alternatives to produce chemicals, fuels and materials from Humins and Levulinics. Three different innovative strategies have been identified from the processing of 2nd generation and waste feedstocks such as agricultural residues and waste paper streams.
General Objectives
- To establish a highly innovative as well as integrated PhD training network with EID’s actively involved in education and training programmes.
- To integrate the knowledge and experience of the MSC fellows into the Avantium R&D environment and to disseminate Avantium’s world class high-through-put technologies and biorefinery development to the fellows.
- To increase the fundamental knowledge on raw humins formation (depending on sugar source) and evaluate the structure/properties relationships of raw humins.
- To evaluate the physical chemical safety aspects of humins and furanics in general and the potential of humins and levulinates for being converted into fine chemicals, polymers and biofuels
- Exploration and development of designed optimised multifunctional advanced catalysts based on humins derived nanostructured carbons by integrating UCORDOBA expertise on carbonaceous supports, catalysis and materials engineering with the high throughput capabilities of AVT
- To minimize the environmental impacts of these new materials and related processes by controlling the atmospheric emissions, effluents, recyclability and biodegradability.
Role of the University of Cordoba
- Derivatization/carbonization of humins: a methodology will be developed towards humins deconstruction into valuable chemicals (e.g. furfural and HMF) as well as oligomers for various purposes
- Conversion of methyl levulinate into methyl pentenoate The scientific challenge is to find the best catalysts system, that will favour the hydrogenation of the ketone in Methyl Levulinate to t Methyl 4-hydroxypropanoate over the hydrogenation of the product unsaturated pentenoic acid.
Supervisor: Rafael Luque Álvarez de Sotomayor e-mail: q62alsor@uco.es
Photo4Future
Accelerating photoredox catalysis in continuous-flow systems (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2014-641861).
The Photo4Future Innovative Training Network establishes a training network with five beneficiaries from academia and three beneficiaries from industry to tackle the challenges associated with photochemistry in a coherent and comprehensive fashion. In total 10 Early Stage Researchers will be recruited within the Photo4Future network. The network will provide them with opportunities to undertake research with the aim to overcome the current limitations towards the applicability and scalability of photochemical transformations.
This will be achieved through a rational design of novel photocatalytic methodologies, improved catalytic systems and innovative photoreactors. Furthermore, the ESRs will be trained in the Photo4Future graduate school, covering training in scientific, personal and complementary skills.
General Objectives
Development of novel photocatalytic methodologies relevant for the pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industry. The chosen targets are all recognized as particularly challenging.
The heterogeneous photocatalysts will be evaluated in the reactions developed by the other partners and will be immobilized in microchannels and millireactors. Their efficiency will be also studied by in-situ spectroscopical tools.
Role of the University of Cordoba
- Mechanochemical preparation of advanced nanophotocatalysts.
- Preparation of well-defined nanophotocatalyst by means of ball-milling.
Supervisor: Rafael Luque Álvarez de Sotomayor e-mail: q62alsor@uco.es
EUrope 2038
Europe 2038-Voice of the youth.
How will Europe look like in 2038? What visions do young citizens of today have for a future Europe? What are their answers of today’s major societal challenges like ageing, financial crisis, clean energy, mobility/migration, freedom and security? Which measures do young citizens suggest to overcome terrorism and violence, inequalities and social exclusion, prejudice and discrimination?
The present project seeks to answer these urgent questions and to find ways to create a common understanding of the European Union as well as to contribute to a common Union’s history.
General Objectives
Collect the opinions of young European citizens about their worries and ideas about Europe in a pan-European survey. Encourage the participation of ethnic, religious and cultural minority young men and women who face various forms of discrimination and are marginalized in many European countries.
Organize a series of national and international events in several European countries for empower and strengthen multipliers to actively engage against violence, social exclusion, and discrimination.
Formulate a pan-European declaration, including the perspectives of the young citizens, the professionals and volunteers.
University of Cordoba role
- Develop sub-sections of the pan-European survey and translate the final survey into the Spanish.
- Program the national survey online according to commonly agreed procedures.
- Carry out national data collections according to a commonly agreed sampling procedure.
- Assure a minimum of 250 youth to participate in the survey.
- Set up of social media tools to communicate with youth and multipliers during the entire project.
- Organize at least one event including national multipliers (teachers, youth and social workers, volunteers) on commonly agreed dates and invite a national EU representative.
- Advertise the project and the national events in national and local media.
- Analyze the survey data and prepare a national report which will be communicated to multipliers.
- Nominate a minimum of three national delegates to present the declaration «Europe 2038» at the EU.
BIOECONOMY
VALORACIÓN SOCIOECONÓMICA SOSTENIBLE DE LA BIODIVERSIDAD TRANSFRONTERIZA ANDALUCÍA -MARRUECOS.
Estrategia y Plan de dinamización socioeconómica de recursos naturales en Marruecos, en base de los resultados del proyecto piloto (acción 3.1), mediante el desarrollo de unidades de orientación, capacitación y tutelaje para el desarrollo y puesta en funcionamiento de microempresas y cooperativas sectoriales. En base a los resultados de la experiencia piloto de dinamización socioeconómica en JBEL MOUSSA, se definirá una estrategia gracias al análisis de las lecciones aprendidas, a la realización de entrevistas dirigidas a expertos y a la organización de talleres de trabajo con profesionales. Esta estrategia será la base para la definición del plan de dinamización socioeconómica de todo el ámbito de intervención marroquí. Éste se llevará a cabo mediante un diagnóstico general, con talleres para ajuste y validación, y a un programa de difusión del mismo. El resultado es un documento operativo que supondrá la “hoja de ruta” que ha de dirigir el proceso de desarrollo socioeconómico sostenible en Marruecos basado en la valoración de la biodiversidad común con Andalucía.
Impulso del turismo sostenible: mediante la tematización de alojamientos turísticos al turismo ornitológico, fomentando la ampliación de la temporada y el empleo estable. En este sentido se definirá el diseño y las características de un club del producto y se expondrán, entre empresarios turísticos, las buenas prácticas en tematización y gestión de clubes de productos turísticos que se están llevando a cabo en distintos puntos de España y Andalucía. Asimismo, se establecerán diferentes diseños de tematización ornitológica adaptando el contenido en función del tipo de servicio de los alojamientos, fomentando la complementariedad con otros productos/servicios y las sinergias que nos ofrece la temática ornitológica en relación con un producto determinado (vinos, gastronomía, artesanía,…) o con un local de restauración. Asimismo se establecerán reuniones de trabajo sobre la importancia que tiene el story telling, es decir, las historias y los relatos para vender un producto.
Manuales sectoriales de buenas prácticas ambientales: serán temáticos y con un contenido muy visual y didáctico, recogiendo la forma de realizar un aprovechamiento de los recursos de cada sector, de manera sostenible y en equilibrio con los hábitats y las especies. Se realizarán en francés y en árabe.
Objetivos Generales
Valorizar las potencialidades que tiene la biodiversidad de interés común para Andalucía y Marruecos como base para potenciar un desarrollo socioeconómico sostenible endógeno mediante estrategias comunes basadas en la demostración in situ de las oportunidades y beneficios que tienen los espacios que cuentan con una importante diversidad biológica compartida (las riberas norte y sur del Estrecho comparten un 75% de su flora vascular, destacando la presencia de formaciones endémicas de pinsapo así como de encinas, alcornoques y una gran variedad de formaciones de matorral y pastizales entre otras).
Rol de la Universidad de Córdoba
La mayoría de las acciones son de tipo inmaterial destinadas a:
- Ejecutar estrategias críticas de desarrollo basadas en la biodiversidad de interés común en ambas orillas.
- Poner en valor las oportunidades de desarrollo y beneficios basados en la biodiversidad transfronteriza.
- Llevar a cabo proyectos pilotos demostrativos.
- Realizar una transferencia continua de experiencias.
- Implicar a las entidades socioeconómicas en el desarrollo sostenible del ámbito de intervención.
- Mejorar el asociacionismo y la cooperación empresarial.
- Impulsar la promoción y comercialización de los productos y servicios.
- Fomentar la creación de empresas.
- Impulsar los criterios de calidad de productos y servicios.
- Fomentar la conectividad turística hispano-marroquí.
- Ampliar la oferta turística.
- Demostrar las oportunidades y beneficios de la valorización de la biodiversidad transfronteriza sobre el territorio.
- Mejorar los aspectos ambientales aplicables a diferentes sectores.
- Realizar una transferencia/contratransferencia continua entre todos los agentes implicados en la ejecución de BioEconomy.
Investigador Principal: Luis Rodríguez García
CATCH-C
Compatibility of Agricultural Management Practices and Types of Farming in the EU to enhance Climate Change Mitigation and Soil Health.
The Catch-C project assesses the farm-compatibility of ‘Best Management Practices’ (BMPs) that aim to promote productivity, climate change mitigation, and soil quality. Information collected on current management will be spatially organised with the help of a typology of the main farm types and agro-ecological zones across Europe. Biophysical impacts of management practices will be assessed from a large set of current field experiments by the partners. BMPs will be formulated, along with their trade-offs and synergies between productivity, climate change mitigation, and soil quality. The project will identify barriers against adoption and formulate ways to remove these. In interaction with policy makers, Catch-C will develop guidelines for policies that will support the adoption of BMPs and that are consistent with regional, agro-ecological and farming contexts.
General Objectives
Catch-C will firstly (WP2) set up a typology of the main farm types and agro-ecological zones across Europe. This frame, coupled to a pan-European database of socio-economic and biophysical data, will be used for spatially organising the information collected on current management and on the impacts expected from changes in management.
Secondly, biophysical impacts of management practices will be assessed primarily from a large set of current field experiments, executed by the participants. BMPs will be formulated, along with their trade-offs and synergies between productivity, climate change mitigation, and soil quality. Farmers, however, often do not adopt BMPs.
Thirdly, the project will identify the barriers against adoption, and will formulate ways to remove these. Catch-C will survey farmer views on BMPs in all participant countries, assess costs and benefits of implementation, identify technical and ecological bottlenecks preventing adoption, develop a decision support tool, and prioritize innovation requirements to address bottlenecks.
Policy measures can promote adoption of BMPs in various ways, such as voluntary measures, regulation, and economic incentives. In interaction with policy makers, Catch-C will develop guidelines for policies that will support the adoption of BMPs; and that are consistent with regional agro-environmental and farming contexts.
Dissemination includes dissemination to the farmers and policy communities, and scientific publication. The project results on BMPs, their adoption and feasibility in different farm types and environments will raise awareness about the pros and cons of respective management and policy options. Farmers and policy communities will be reached via workshops, brochures, farmers press and web-based tools.
University of Cordoba role
To establish and further improve the farm-compatibility of the identified Best Management Practices with the FTZ Units over Europe. These analyses will show the applicability of a wide range of Best Management Practices (BMPs) at the farm level, their costs to the farmer, the effectiveness, and the likely uptake across a wide range of farm types.
- Developing a Compatibility Frame as research tool
- Surveys and interviews with farmers about their ideas for implementing BMPs
- Assessing agro-technical, ecological and economic barriers against adoption of BMPs
- Listing and prioritizing innovations that will help to overcome these barriers
- Developing a decision grid for farmers to show the effectiveness, costs and benefits, and other consequences of adopting BMPs tailored to major FTZs over Europe.
- Deriving practical guidelines, rules of thumb, and other operational tools for farmers. These may include target levels for SOM%; annual organic input requirement to sustain target SOM%; farm level sustainability indicators; tools to help implement control strategies for soil borne pathogens; decision tools for optimizing farm nutrient management.
EBRO-ADMICLIM
ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION MEASURES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE EBRO DELTA (LIFE13 ENV/ES/001182)
The project LIFE EBRO-ADMICLIM puts forwards pilot actions for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change in the Ebro Delta (Catalonia, Spain), an area vulnerable to sea level rise and subsidence.
We propose an integrated approach for managing water, sediment and habitats (rice fields and wetlands), with the multiple aim of optimizing ground elevation (through inputs of inorganic sediment and organic matter), reducing coastal erosion, increasing the accumulation (sequestration) of carbon in the soil, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), and improving water quality. This type of approach has not been applied so far in the European Union, and it is clearly innovative internationally.
The main pilot adaptation actions focus on sediment inputs from the Ebro River into its Delta. The aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of permanently restoring the sediment flow, both from a water treatment plant on the Ebro (Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona, CAT) and from the reservoirs along the lowest stretches of the Ebro. Essential for this is a good assessment of the transport capacity of the river and the channels. Mitigation pilot actions are also proposed for the rice fields and wetlands, to optimize carbon and nutrient sequestration and GHG emissions, and increase the ground elevation.
The final conclusions drawn from these pilot actions will allow the elaboration of a Climate Action Plan for the Ebro Delta with specific and effective measures for the mitigation and adaptation of the area to the climate change.
General Objectives
The project LIFE EBRO-ADMICLIM puts forwards pilot actions for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change in the Ebro Delta (Catalonia, Spain), an area vulnerable to sea level rise and subsidence.
We propose an integrated approach for managing water, sediment and habitats (rice fields and wetlands), with the multiple aim of optimizing ground elevation (through inputs of inorganic sediment and organic matter), reducing coastal erosion, increasing the accumulation (sequestration) of carbon in the soil, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), and improving water quality. Put it in another way, the idea is to jointly manage the inputs of inorganic and organic matter (i.e. sediment and plant residues respectively) of the ground, in order to optimize vertical accretion processes (soil formation) and organic matter decomposition (GHG emissions) in rice fields and in constructed wetlands.
This type of approach has not been applied so far in the European Union, and it is clearly innovative internationally. The main pilot adaptation actions focus on sediment inputs from the Ebro River into its Delta. The aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of permanently restoring the sediment flow, both from a water treatment plant on the Ebro (Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona, CAT) and from the reservoirs along the lowest stretches of the Ebro.
Essential for this is a good assessment of the transport capacity of the river and the channels. Pilot actions are also proposed for the rice fields and wetlands, to optimize carbon and nutrient sequestration and GHG emissions, and increase the ground elevation.
The results will serve to establish guidelines for a program of adaptation and mitigation measures (with emphasis on the rice sector) in which it will be essential to design a strategy for voluntary reduction of GHG emissions commanding the support of the rice sector. Improved rates of GHG emissions and carbon sequestration through a change in management practices (for example, a more efficient water management system) would represent a significant improvement that could be applied in other coastal wetlands and rice fields in the EU.
To be specific, we expect:
• Determine the capacity of the irrigation network for transporting and distributing sediments (action B1).
• Determine the theoretical and real capacities of the river for transporting different sediments (clay, silt, sand) under different flow conditions (action B2).
• Optimize the functioning of the constructed/artificial wetlands (green filters) in order to maximize the rate of carbon sequestration, soil elevation and of the reduction of nutrients and pollutants in the drainage canals (action B3).
• Evaluate accurately the carbon stock and accretion rates in the fields where the GHG emission experiments are carried out (action B4).
• Evaluate the GHG emissions in the Ebro Delta rice fields and achieve a reduction in GHG via specific agricultural practices (Actions B4 and B5).
• Evaluate the impact on birdlife of changing water management practices during the post-harvest period and its relationship to GHG emissions (action B5).
• Evaluate accurately the subsidence affecting the Delta and determine which areas are most vulnerable to a relative rise in sea level (action B6).
• Draw up a Climate Action Plan for the Ebro Delta (action B7) with specific and effective measures of adaptation and mitigation for climate change, establishing the directives and actions to be carried out following the finalization of the project. Likewise, there will be a proposal for agricultural practices and measures specifically orientated to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Role of the University of Cordoba
The University of Córdoba involved in the development of actions B1, B2 and C1:
B1. Pilot test of injection of sediment into the Ebro Delta irrigation network. The objective of this action is to carry out inputs of sediments to evaluate the transport and distribution capacity of the irrigation canals, to evaluate the rate of silting within the rice fields, and to offer a solution for the silt and sediments generated at the Tarragona Water Consortium (Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona, CAT) water treatment plan by transforming them into a resource which would contribute to the adaptation to climate change.
B2. Pilot test of injecting sediment into the final stretch of the river Ebro. The objective of this pilot action is to determine the current capacity of the river Ebro for transporting sediments (sand and clay) to the sea and the Delta surface area.
C1. Monitoring the flows of water and sediments, water quality, and sediment deposition. The objective of river flow monitoring aims to track the sediment dispersion while determining the potential sediment transport capacity under the current hydrological regime. In the irrigation canals the objective of the monitoring is to assess the sediment transport capacity and the distribution through the irrigation network to the rice fields.
ReprObesity
Overweight-induced Hypogonadism as major factor for the generation and/or perpetuation of Metabolic Co-morbidities of Obesity: Contribution of Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanisms (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-655232).
Obesity is a global health problem whose prevalence is increasing substantially due to lifestyle changes. This complex medical condition is frequently linked to serious metabolic complications and deregulation of hormonal axes, which lead to perturbed homeostasis in conditions of overweight. Different studies have suggested that obesity is often associated to hypogonadism, a reproductive disorder that might also promote metabolic alterations, thus setting a vicious circle in the generation/perpetuation of obesity co-morbidities.
While the targets and molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still unknown, emerging evidence from experimental models of metabolic stress linked to hypogonadism strongly suggests the potential role of perturbations of hypothalamic Kiss1/NKB neurons. Likewise, the recently identified involvement of epigenetics in the control of Kiss1 expression at puberty, a crucial stage in sexual development that is metabolically gated, suggests also the contribution of these regulatory mechanisms to this phenomenon.
In this context, this project aims to elucidate the pathophysiological relevance of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in obesity-induced hypogonadism and their influence in the generation/ maintenance of the metabolic complications of overweight.
To this end, we will characterize the time-course of alterations of key hormonal and epigenetic factors in preclinical models of obesity and will evaluate the contribution of epigenetic modifications in deregulation of hypothalamic Kiss1/NKB neurons in conditions of overweight. In addition, we will analyse the potential role of gonadal steroids in this phenomenon.
This project will help to identify the molecular targets and epigenetic mechanisms responsible for the metabolic perturbations linked to obesity-induced hypogonadism, and will aid to define better tools for the treatment of these complications.
General Objectives
The general objective of this project is to elucidate the pathophysiological relevance of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in obesity-induced hypogonadism and its influence in the generation/maintenance of the metabolic complications of overweight.
Special attention will be paid to characterize the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the control of hypothalamic Kiss1/NKB neurons, as essential integrators of metabolism and reproduction, and the involvement of sex steroids, as key metabolic modifiers, in the development/progression of obesity and its associated metabolic diseases, including insulin resistance and T2DM.
Role of the University of Cordoba
- Specific Objective-1 (SO-1): To define the time-course of major alterations in endocrine, neuroendocrine and epigenetic profiles in pre-clinical models of obesity, with special attention to the impact of changes in circulating levels of gonadal steroids on endocrine/epigenetic responses to obesogenic insults causing metabolic deregulation.
- Specific Objective-2 (SO-2): To evaluate the role of epigenetic modifications in the control of hypothalamic Kiss1 and NKB expression, and their eventual contribution to the development of obesity-induced hypogonadism and its metabolic co-morbidities.
- Specific Objective-3 (SO-3): To address the specific contribution of epigenetic modifications in Kiss1 neurons to the development of obesity-induced hypogonadism and its metabolic co-morbidities by combining genetically manipulated mouse models (Kiss1-CreGFP) and virally mediated gene delivery systems (Adeno-associated viral vectors -AAV-).
Supervisor: Manuel José Tena Sempere e-mail: fi1tesem@uco.es
Investigador Principal: Juan Manuel Castellano Rodríguez e-mail: b82caroj@uco.es
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