CORDIS · 101170416 · HORIZON

LIFE-19 UNalphabeting the Central Dogma of Life

Coordinator: UNIVERZITA KARLOVA (CZ)

This proposal aims to construct a bacterial strain LIFE-19 which relies solely on 19 amino acids to build all its proteins. While all living cells known to human beings produce proteins from the same 20 coded amino acids, the study of origins of life imply that earlier cells may have functioned with a smaller alphabet. This is thought-provoking in the present biological context, wherein each of the 20 serves a distinct and vital role. Although many scientists have engaged in theoretical exercises involving the reduction of this amino acid alphabet, the inherent biological intricacy and a lack…

EU contribution
€2.5M
Total cost
€2.5M
Period
2025-07-01 → 2030-06-30
Framework
Horizon Europe (2021–2027)
Funding scheme
HORIZON-ERC
Call
ERC-2024-COG
Status
SIGNED

About Horizon Europe (2021–2027)

Horizon Europe is the EU's current research and innovation programme, covering 2021 to 2027 with a budget of roughly €95.5 billion. Its three pillars are Excellent Science (frontier research and mobility), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness (mission-driven collaborative projects in health, climate, digital, security and food) and Innovative Europe (the EIC and EIT). It also funds five EU Missions targeting cancer, climate adaptation, smart cities, oceans and soils.

EU contribution: €2.5M awarded to the consortium. The project runs over approximately 5 years from 2025-07-01 to 2030-06-30.

Full record on CORDIS — partners, deliverables, publications, news.

Open on cordis.europa.eu → Grant DOI ↗

Frequently asked questions

Who funds this research project?
This project is funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe (2021–2027) programme, under the HORIZON-ERC funding scheme.
What is the EU contribution?
The European Commission contributes €2.5M toward a total project budget of €2.5M.
Which EU programme funds it?
The project is funded under Horizon Europe (2021–2027), call ERC-2024-COG.
Who coordinates the project?
The project is coordinated by UNIVERZITA KARLOVA (CZ).
What is the project timeline?
The project runs from 2025-07-01 to 2030-06-30 — approximately 5 years.
Where can I find the full project record?
The complete record — partners, deliverables, publications and news — is published on CORDIS under project ID 101170416.