ERC Advanced Grant · 2022
Molecular Mechanisms for Construction of Protective Mucus Hydrogels
Our bodies produce copious mucus daily to shield vulnerable epithelial cell surfaces in the lungs, intestines, and other organs. Mucus is crucial for defense against pathogens and other environmental hazards, but the mechanisms by which mucus hydrogels assemble and execute their functions are poorly understood. The main obstacle has been that the enormous, heavily glycosylated, and flexible mucin proteins constituting mucus are not readily amenable to structural and molecular approaches. However, I contend that mucin glycoproteins have exquisitely specific abilities and interactions that are ultimately understandable on the molecular level. By carrying out the research plan described…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.