GRK 2719:  Proteases in pathogen and host: importance in inflammation and infection – RTG-PRO

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 443535983

Proteases have vital functions in every single cell; they coordinate the cells in multicellular organisms and determine the interactions between pathogen and host. In the proposed research training group (RTG-PRO) we aim to understand their role in infection and inflamma- tion. Emphasis is placed on epidemiologically important infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are all on the WHO's global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Another focus is on the role of proteases in primarily sterile inflammations: pancreatitis, allergy, and autoinflammation. The selection of pro- tease systems was guided by their relevance in unresolved clinical problems: (i) extracellular bacterial proteases, (ii) cytoplasmic Clp proteases and the ubiquitin proteasome system as well as (iii) lysosomal proteases in pancreatic acinar cells and neutrophils are studied in RTG-PRO. RTG-PRO deals with key questions: Cellular homeostasis or cell death with organ damage?Type 1 or type 2 immune response? Immune defense or immune evasion? Elimination of bacteria or colonization, invasion and persistence?The enzymatic activity of proteases can be influenced by biological and synthetic inhibitors. These could gain therapeutic potential, which further increases the appeal of the research topic. Scientists and clinicians from the Faculties of Medicine and of Mathematics and Natural Sci- ences of Greifswald University will combine their specific expertise to better understand the mechanisms by which proteases affect cellular and molecular functional networks.The consortium has an excellent infrastructure with unique assets at its disposal, including inter- nationally outstanding platforms for omics and in vivo/in vitro protein evolution technologies. In the RTG-PRO research program, essential life processes of clinical importance and biotechno- logical potential are studied from different perspectives using state-of-the-art methods. This is ideal for training excellent doctoral candidates and early career postdocs from the life sciences and medicine. The projects are inspiring and will cultivate the ability and willingness for inter- disciplinary cooperation, not least at the interface between the Faculty of Mathematics and Nat- ural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine. They thus offer the graduates and postdocs the best conditions for an attractive, challenging career in science or industry.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Universität Greifswald
• Participating Institution: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Barbara Bröker
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Ali Alexander Aghdassi; Professor Dr. Uwe T. Bornscheuer; VSN Murty Darisipudi, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Anca Dorhoi; Professor Dr. Jens Fielitz; Professor Dr. Sven Hammerschmidt; Dr. Silva Holtfreter; Professor Dr. Lars Kaderali; Professorin Dr. Elke Beate Krüger; Professor Dr. Michael Lammers; Professorin Dr. Ulrike Seifert; Privatdozent Dr. Matthias Sendler; Kristin Surmann, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Uwe Völker