University of Oulu leads €10 million ERC project – international team of scientists aims for a breakthrough in collagen research
The European Research Council (ERC) awards Synergy Grants to exceptionally ambitious projects that bring together the expertise of several researchers to tackle a challenging research question.
Of the €10 million awarded to CollagenQUEST (Quantitative Understanding of Enzymatic Collagen Modifications in Space and Time), €2.5 million will go to the University of Oulu. This is the second ERC Synergy Grant awarded to the University of Oulu and the first Synergy Grant project to be coordinated by the university. The funding has been awarded for six years.
Collagen-modifying enzymes at the heart of the research
Collagens are the most abundant proteins in the body and are found throughout its tissues as part of the extracellular matrix. They help maintain the structure of the skin, bones and joints, among other tissues, and regulate cell function. There are 28 known types of collagen in humans, each with distinct roles, but how they acquire their specialised properties is not yet fully understood.
Collagens are known for their unique triple-helical structure, but their function also depends on essential chemical modifications that take place as they are formed. These modifications are carried out by specialised enzymes, and disruptions to their activity can have serious consequences, including abnormalities in foetal development.
In CollagenQUEST, researchers aim to decipher the “hidden code” of collagen modification: the rules that enable collagen-modifying enzymes to make the right chemical changes to collagen proteins in the right place and at the right time. They will also investigate whether the same enzymes modify other proteins within cells.
“We aim to understand how cells produce the body’s most important structural proteins with remarkable precision, and the biological rules that govern this process,” says Professor Johanna Myllyharju at the University of Oulu, who coordinates the international project.
The research brings together collagen research, enzyme biology, structural biology and human genetics. Alongside Myllyharju, the principal investigators are Professor Federico Forneris (University of Pavia, Italy), Professor Rachel Lennon (University of Manchester, UK) and Dr Yoshihiro Ishikawa (University of California, San Francisco, USA).
The project will use a broad range of methods, including advanced structural biology techniques, mass spectrometry, AI-based design and gene editing in research models, as well as cell, animal and human samples.
Recognition of research excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration
An ERC Synergy Grant is a major recognition of research excellence and the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration.
“CollagenQUEST is an excellent example of how strategically targeted, long-term investments in synergistic research profiles and research infrastructures create internationally unique ecosystems that attract outstanding talent to Oulu and make the University of Oulu a sought-after partner for collaboration with researchers at the world’s leading universities and research institutes,” says Aki Manninen, Dean of the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.
“Local interdisciplinary expertise and carefully chosen international partners lay the foundations for a project that can succeed even in the most competitive research funding calls. The fact that the project is led from Oulu reflects the international recognition of Professor Johanna Myllyharju’s research.”
“This is exactly what the University of Oulu should aim for: not just taking part in world-class research, but leading it. The first ERC Synergy Grant coordinated by the University of Oulu demonstrates that we have the scientific expertise, research environments and international appeal to compete at the very highest level in Europe,” says Matti Latva-aho, Vice Rector for Research at the University of Oulu.
