Physics of Parasitism (SPP 2332)
Deadline: 8. Mai 2024
In 2020, the Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) established the Priority Programme “Physics of Parasitism” (SPP 2332). The programme is designed to run for six years. The present call invites proposals for the second three-year funding period.
Parasitism is a close and antagonistic relationship between two different species. Traditionally, parasitology was concerned mainly with organismic studies, while today’s parasitology focuses on medically-relevant cellular and molecular mechanisms. The Priority Programme defines a new frontier in parasitology, namely the physics and mechanics of parasites interacting with their hosts. This interaction is controlled by the anatomy of the parasites, the physics of their locomotion (e.g. swimming or crawling) and the mechanics of their attachment to host structures. Parasitism has evolved many times and hence, there are numerous and often convergent solutions to the challenge of how to physically hijack a host. These long periods of co-evolution have equipped parasites with high degrees of optimality. Examples are extremely adapted parasitic tools such as suckers and shields, or refined locomotive devices that allow navigation and attachment in various body fluids, in crowded and confined spaces, and in highly viscous environments. The Priority Programme aims to establish a comparative and quantitative framework of the physical constraints and mechanical forces acting at the dynamic parasite-host interfaces.
The Priority Programme has a clear focus on the application of concepts and methods from physics to understand the general foundations underlying parasitism. Both projects from single groups and collaborative projects are welcome. Projects to be considered for funding should address at least one of the following aspects:
- The anatomy and mechanical properties of parasites
- The physics of interaction of parasites with their microenvironments
- Parasitic locomotion in natural and nature-inspired microenvironments
- The mechanics of parasites attachment to host structures
To achieve these goals, the Priority Programme brings together parasitologists, cell biologists and tissue engineers with physicists, mathematicians and computational scientists. Thus, the technical tools used should include high-end combinations of state-of-the-art biological, biophysical and physical tools as well as simulation methods and artificial intelligence.
The following topics will not be considered for funding in the framework of the programme:
- Projects that focus on non-eukaryotic pathogens
- Projects that are solely based on genetics, structural biology, engineering or veterinary and medical parasitology
