January 7, 2025
WWTF Grant for Tim Clausen
The Life Sciences Call 2024 “Synthetic Biology” of the WWTF (Vienna Science & Technology Fund) was open to cutting-edge projects that draw upon the design and construction approaches of synthetic biology to enhance understanding of a fundamental question in biology, biomedical or clinical research. A project led by Tim Clausen, Senior Group Leader at the IMP and member of our SFB consortium, will be funded with ca. € 900.000 to study how myosin, the protein responsible for muscle contraction, matures within cells.
“Sounds of Silence – codons and chaperons in the protein folding concert”
This project, coordinated by Tim Clausen, will study how myosin, the protein responsible for muscle contraction, matures within cells. Proper folding of myosin is crucial for muscle function, but can be disrupted by subtle genetic changes, leading to diseases. The project team, which includes the labs of Johannes Zuber (IMP) and Alexander Bronstein (ISTA, Klosterneuburg) has developed a molecular tool to track myosin folding in cells. Aside monitoring protein biogenesis in its native environment, this tool enables studying the folding process of over 500,000 myosin variants. Using machine learning to analyse these complex data sets, the scientists will explore how synonymous changes – genetic differences within single codons – affect protein structure and stability. In addition, the scientists will use the folding reporter to screen for chaperones, important molecular helpers involved in myosin maturation. The project will leverage advanced synthetic biology techniques to manipulate and study protein folding at an unprecedented scale. Findings from the project could build the foundation for new treatments for muscle diseases caused by protein misfolding.
This is one of three funded projects led by IMP researchers related to this call. Read the full story in the IMP News here.
Read more about the WWTF Life Sciences Program here.
