The Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF) has become one of two Polish winners of the latest edition of the prestigious ERA Chairs grant at the European Commission, receiving support of €2.5 million.
ERA Chairs (European Research Area Chairs) is an initiative of the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program, aimed at raising the level of research in European Union regions with limited research and innovation resources. The program enables outstanding scientists and managers to form research teams that develop key areas of research relevant to the development of local institutions, the country and Europe as a whole.
In Poland, so far only two scientific units, specifically two institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, have managed to win funding from this program twice – the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences.
The PERFECTION project, funded through a grant, aims to facilitate groundbreaking research on non-natural amino acids and their applications in medicine. As part of the project – “In search of PERFECTION: unnatural amino acids in chemical biology for biological and medical applications”, the Institute will establish a new unit – the Department of Chemical Biology for Biological and Medical Applications. It will be headed by Prof. Marcin Drąg, a respected chemical biologist, Foundation for Polish Science Award laureate (Polish “Nobel”) and inventor of a technology platform that uses natural and unnatural amino acids to monitor the activity of proteolytic enzymes (proteases).
According to the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF PAN), proteases play a crucial role in biological processes, with their dysfunction linked to numerous diseases, ranging from cancer to viral infections. Non-natural amino acids enable the creation of highly selective diagnostic and therapeutic tools, significantly enhancing treatment effectiveness.
Professor Drąg’s technology has already contributed to the success of research on SARS-CoV-2. His team’s findings, published in Nature Chemical Biology, were instrumental in developing Paxlovid, a medication used to treat COVID-19.
The PERFECTION project will support the development of novel diagnostic tools and therapies for many previously incurable conditions. “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the potential of non-natural amino acids as key structural components for future drugs,” emphasizes Professor Drąg in an official statement.
“The Institute has unique experience in developing medical diagnostic platforms, for example, based on microfluidic techniques and spectroscopic methods (diagnostics of bacterial infections, cancer diagnostics, organ-on-chip platforms). However, we have so far lacked a team working in the field of biochemistry and chemical biology that could inspire new diagnostic targets and develop innovative drugs. We hope to achieve a synergistic effect between the new team led by Professor Drąg and research groups already working at the institute.” – highlighted Dr. hab. Adam Kubas, the Institute’s director.
The PERFECTION ERA Chair project will increase the competitiveness of Polish science on the international arena and open up new prospects for the economy by introducing innovative solutions at the borderline of chemistry and biology, in line with the current policy of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland.
The project involves over 20 academic and industry partners from Europe, the USA, Canada, and Australia.
Ph: The Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS
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