ERC Consolidator Grant · 2016
The chemistry and physics of RNP granules: how they form, age and cause disease
Recent studies suggest that defective ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules and altered RNA processing cause neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, defective RNP granules only develop late in life, suggesting that young cells have mechanisms in place to prevent their formation. We recently demonstrated that physiological RNP granules form through phase separation in the cytoplasm and adopt a liquid-like state, but with time transition into an aberrant disease-associated state with solid material properties. Focussing on this conceptual advance, we will 1) investigate the molecular mechanisms of RNP granule formation;…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.