Implementation
Four highly interlinked scientific work packages (WPs) will frequently handover results and materials from one task to another.
In WP1 and WP2, TUM (Dietz) and NIC build engulfing shells and shell building blocks. In WP3, AU produces aptamers (DNA/RNA molecules that can selectively bind a target) against virus material as produced by UREG and TUM (Protzer) in WP4. Aptamers will be handed to TUM (Dietz) and NIC for integration in shell prototypes (WP1, WP2). TUM (Dietz) and NIC will use imaging and biophysical assays to validate and refine in-vitro shell-to-virus binding capacity. Promising candidates will be handed to UREG and TUM (Protzer) for neutralization assays in a mouse model. In a final “blind” proof of concept, the whole pipeline will be fully integrated and run on virus-like particles with an influenza hemagglutinin (HA) from the current season, as well as a virus test sample whose entire specifics will be unknown to AU, TUM (Dietz), NIC. Work packages on dissemination, communication, exploitation (WP5) and Project Management (WP6) complement the scientific part.
WP1: Synthetic nano-shells that engulf and neutralize entire virus particles
Objectives
- Create a library of discrete, size-adaptable shells that can fully engulf entire virus particles, with variants for spherical and filamentous viruses
- Realize modular swap-in / swap-out of virus-binding moieties
- Realize specific and strong binding of shells to target viruses
WP2: Shell assembly from small units on the surface of virus particles
Objectives
- Create a set of nucleic acid molecular building blocks that can polymerize into engulfing shells on viruses
- Create a set of protein molecular building blocks that can polymerize into engulfing shells on viruses
- Realize modular swap-in / swap-out of virus-binding moieties
- Realize specific and strong binding of shells to target viruses
WP3: Generate molecular binders to viruses
Objectives
- Generate an aptamer selection pipeline against virus-like proteins
- Generate an aptamer selection pipeline against purified virus-like particles and actual viruses (enveloped and nonenveloped)
- Generate strain-insensitive aptamers
WP4: Supply virus test samples and run neutralization assays
Objectives
- Generate a library of virus-like particles displaying envelope proteins from diverse viruses
- Generate a library of lentiviral pseudo-type viruses
- Generate hepatitis B viruses as an example for a real enveloped virus
- Generate hepatitis B core particles and adeno viruses as examples for non-enveloped viruses
WP5: Communication, dissemination, exploitation
Objectives
- Raise awareness and promote the VIROFIGHT project objectives and results to all potential users (e.g. policymakers, research community and other stakeholders)
- Pave the way for a successful exploitation of the VIROFIGHT project outcomes, in particular via the setup and implementation of the VIROFIGHT exploitation strategy and plan
- Provide consortium partners with guidance, privacy, IPR and data protection requirements
WP6: Project Management
Objectives
- Provide leadership, governance, legal and ethical supervision, technical coordination and management support, including, monitoring and controlling
- Ensure effective planning, implementation, coordination and realization of the project activities including successful completion of the tasks and timely production of deliverables in high quality
- Ensure high quality standards in the project work by establishing a risk management