GLYCOVAX – A Training Network for the Rational Design of the Next Generation of Well-Defined Glycoconjugate Vaccines
GLYCOVAX - A Training Network for the Rational Design of the Next Generation of Well-Defined Glycoconjugate Vaccines
Full title: GLYCOVAX - A Training Network for the Rational Design of the Next Generation of Well-Defined Glycoconjugate Vaccines
Grantor: H2020 Marie Skłodowska- Curie ITN programme
Grant number: 675671
Grantor's website: http://www.glycovax.eu/
Duration: 01.11.2015-31.10.2019
Coordinator: Novartis Vaccines and diagnostics S.R.L. (NVD), SIENA, Italy
Beneficiary: University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine (MEDRI)
Total funding: EUR 3.560.797.00
Total funding (MEDRI): EUR 247.761.00
Brief description:
The project aims at the education of promising young scientists who learn how to rationally design well-defined and innovative glycoconjugate vaccines to improve current preventive therapies and tackle unmet medical needs. GLYCOVAX is based on a profound interaction between the academic and industrial sectors, involving 9 academic groups and 2 industrial partners with complementary expertise in chemical/enzymatic synthesis of carbohydrates, conjugation techniques, high throughput screening technology, structural glycobiology, vaccinology and immunology. In this highly multidisciplinary environment 14 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) are trained in the growing field of glycoscience and vaccinology, enriching their skills and combining different state-of-the-art methodologies for the rational design of innovative glycoconjugates.
Glycoconjugate vaccines represent the key for success of vaccination in children. Combination of novel approaches for glycan synthesis and site-selective conjugation methods now gives access to conjugates defined in sugar component and attachment site, thus leading to robust structure-immunogenicity relationship. By combining the beneficiaries’ expertise in carbohydrate synthesis, bioconjugation, high throughput screening, structural glycobiology, vaccinology and immunology, together with the experience in project management, GLYCOVAX is creating a multidisciplinary environment where 14 young researchers are contributing to develop a novel route towards improved, safer and better characterized glycoconjugate vaccines, and contemporarily acquire transferable skills which will lead them to become the new leaders of academic or industrial research.
