ViRNA-DD

Our project aims at funding for a Doctoral Training Network. Such networks implement doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and the private sector across Europe and beyond. These doctoral programmes should respond to well-identified needs in various research and innovation areas, expose the researchers to the academic and non-academic sectors, and offer research training, as well as transferable skills and competences relevant for innovation and long-term employability. For these programs it is therefore required to have both a cutting-edge research proposal, in particular addressing questions arising at the European level, and to have a well-planned training program that provides young researchers with new skills not usually found in common university programs, and that will give them a head start for their future career. Our research project will focus on the study of RNA structures in mosquito-borne viruses, emphasizing their potential as drug targets. Non-coding and regulatory RNA, a vital part of cellular machinery, have long been overlooked compared to proteins in antiviral strategies, despite their greater stability to mutations. The work addresses the urgent need to understand RNA in the context of viral diseases like Dengue, West Nile, and Zika, which are increasingly endemic in Europe due to climate change and globalization. By integrating experimental techniques and computational modeling, the project aims to determine high-resolution RNA structures, uncover their dynamic behavior, and explore their druggability. These efforts will involve different resolution biophysical and biochemical experimental methods investigating different scales, as well as cutting-edge multiscale modeling and simulations to understand RNA dynamics and interactions. A major objective is to overcome the limitations of existing RNA structural studies, such as the small size of analyzable systems and the lack of training data for machine learning approaches. By creating an open-access database of conserved RNA structures and their dynamic properties, the project seeks to provide a foundation for future antiviral drug development. On the training side, a key goal is to bridge the gap between disciplines, providing doctoral students with interdisciplinary approaches in biology, physics, chemistry, and AI-based modeling techniques. The program also targets the lack of comprehensive RNA-focused training in European universities, aligning with the Marie Curie Doctoral Training Network's objectives.