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October 13, 2004 Berlin. MICROBES AND MAN Research Programme 2003-2005. Soile Juuti Programme manager Finland. Funding agencies of MICMAN. Academy of Finland The main governmental funding agency of basic science in Finland Annual research funding over 200 million €
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October 13, 2004 Berlin MICROBES AND MAN Research Programme 2003-2005 Soile JuutiProgramme managerFinland
Funding agencies of MICMAN Academy of Finland • The main governmental funding agency of basic science in Finland • Annual research funding over 200 million € The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) • Foundation based on governmental funding • Annual reserach funding ab. 60 million €
MICMAN Finland: 4.1 M€ Sweden: 1.3 M€ • Budget: 5,4 million € • 15 projects (26 research groups) • 125 persons; 45 doctoral students • A joint coordination Finland: 21 groups Sweden: 5 groups 3
OBJECTIVES OF MICMAN To increase the knowledge of the interaction between host and microbes To apply this knowledge to the maintenance of health and the prevention and treatment of diseases • Researcher training and exchange • Multidisciplinary networks • Internationality
SHARED ACTIVITIES ( + ) • programme memorandum: general description of the aims and the themes • call for applications • evaluation of applications • proposal of decisions • final scientific evaluation (in 2006) • coordination: programme activities - Funding agencies support groups on their own country only -Research reports according to slightly modified practicies
THEMES OF THE 15 PROJECTS Other 2 4 9 Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases Resident microbiota - influence of internal and external factors Development and application of modern molecular biology methods
Host-microbe interactionsin the development and course of diseases Molecular biology of infections • e.g., • Host-pathogen interaction of Streptococcus pyogenes • (bacteriological, immunological and genetic studies) • Immune evasion mechanisms and molecules of microbial pathogens (Borreliae, Streptococci
Resident microbiota • Development, composition and health effects • under the influence of • host itself and • environmental factors (pathogenic and probiotic bacteria) • e.g., • Long-term impact of antimicrobial treatment for the microbial flora of the gastrointestinal tract • The role of probiotics in the development of the mucosal immune system in infancy
Species studied • Borrelia • Chlamydia pneumoniae • Cyanobacteria • Echinococcus granulosus • Escherichia coli • Helicobacter pylori • Lactobacillus • Salmonella • Staphylococcus aureus • Streptococcus • Yersinia
MICMAN and Era-Net • MICMAN will end 12/2005 ....however • Continuation as a “virtual programme” • We are ready and willing to collaborate regarding organizations of workshops, seminars, post-graduate courses, etc. • Proposal for a graduate school (2006-2009) under preparation • Annual Seminar of MICMAN: February 16-17, 2005 Helsinki, Finland (www.aka.fi/micman >Events)
MICMAN and Era-Net • Allocation of funding to the transnational calls of Era-Net? (Academy of Finland, SSF?)
www.aka.fi/micman soile.juuti@ktl.fi
MICMAN PROJECTS Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases 1. Reactivation and immune evasion of Borrelia infection - Aim: interactions of Borrelia spirochetes and the host during infection(e.g. production of gene expression data in interaction with host) 2. Pathogenesis of reactive arthritis- Aim: mechanisms and molecules behind the incomplete eliminarion of bacteria causing reactive arthitis (Salmonella/Yersinia). 3. Microbes and allergy: From population observations to animal models - Aim: relative role of genes vs. environment in atopic diseases (H.pylori)
MICMAN PROJECTS Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases 4. Microbial factors and host resposes discriminating commensals from pathogens - Aim: bacterial factors and mechanisms that cause the host to regulate its reactions to asymptomatic colonisers and pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus) 5. A paradox of a microbe and man - what makes Staphylococcus aureus a pathogen? - Aim: to develop a system for the virulence gene expression studies in S.a. 6. Genetic susceptibility to streptococcal infections- Aim: to study e.g. molecular properties of various streptococcal strains
MICMAN PROJECTS Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases • 7. Microbial resistance to innate immunity - Aim: immune evasion mechanisms of microbes; deficiencies that predispose to infections • 8. Host-microbe interaction in acute and persistent Chlamydia pneumoniae infection - Aim: molecular mechanisms by which C.p. contributes to the pathogenesis of acute and persistent infections • 9. Microbial pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease- Aim:ethiological role of Chlamydia pneumoniae and other microbes and the host inflammatory response
MICMAN PROJECTS Resident microflora • 10.Bacterial-epithelial cross-talk and the establishment of the mucosal immune system - Aim: role of bacterial-epithelial cell interactions for intestinal leukocyte populations • 11.Microbial ecology of man in health and disease: Emergence, spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in the normal microflora - Aim: e.g. to develop new molecular methods for analyses of normalflora • 12.Host-microbe crosstalk in infancy: creating a balance between the internal and external environments- Aim: effects of probiotics on infants • 13.DNA microarrays for studying interactions of probiotic, pathogenic and normal gut microbiota bacteria with human intestinal epithelial cells- Aim: gene expression patterns elicited in host intestinal cells by pathogenic, probiotic and normal intestainal bacteria
MICMAN PROJECTS Other themes 14. Infectious origins of the human genome. Human endogenous retroviruses in health and disease - Aim: Development of bioinformatics 15. Cyanobacteria and adjacent microbes: causes of acute human intoxications and indicators of water quality - Aim: acute intoxications associated with cyanobacteria; causative agents and mechanisms