baseclick is part of MITGEST, a new EU funded Doctoral Network
The EU has funded the new Doctoral Network “MITGEST” (Quality Control of the Mitochondrial Gene Expression System in Health and Disease). Supported under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, and coordinated by the University of Udine, the MITGEST network consists of six research institutions and two companies and will pursue innovation in the field of mitochondrial dysfunction and its many disease manifestations.
Mitochondria are considered the powerhouses of the cell, generating the majority of the chemical energy needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions. Dysfunction of the mitochondria is at the root of many human disorders that can present at any age with a wide range of overlapping clinical phenotypes. Mitochondrial dysfunction has also been implicated in common conditions such as cancer and ageing. Still, the understanding of the links between mitochondrial dysfunction and disease pathophysiology is limited.
In particular, using its patented click chemistry technology in association with additional conjugation technology, baseclick will explore the targeting of RNA/oligonucleotides to the mitochondrial matrix. The overarching aim will be mitochondrial delivery of anti-sense oligonucleotides to enable mitochondrial disease therapy.
MITGEST’s findings will provide the critical information for the development of effective treatments and disease biomarkers that represent an urgent unmet need in the biomedical area of mitochondrial dysfunction. Recruitment for the 11 PhD positions will start in September 2022.