Driving next generation autophagy researchers towards translation

euflag DRIVE logo Financing: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 765912.
Duration: November 2017 – April 2022
Web: https://drive-autophagy.eu/
Web EU: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/765912



Consortium description:

DRIVE brings together 14 beneficiaries from 8 different European countries with industrial and academic backgrounds:

  • Academisch Ziekenhuis Groningen, UMCG, NL, Department of Cell Biology, Prof. Dr. Fulvio Reggiori
  • Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, University Paris ,INEM, FR, Dr. Patrice Codogno
  • University of Helsinki, UH, FI, Department of Biosciences, Prof. Dr. Eeva-Liisa Eskelinen
  • The Weizmann Institute of Science, WIS, IL, Department of Biological Chemistry, Prof. Dr. Zvulun Elazar
  • University of Oslo, UiO, NO, Department of Molecular Medicine, Prof. Dr. Anne Simonsen
  • Universitaet Klinikum Freiburg, UKF, DE, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Prof. Dr. Clauidne Kraft
  • Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC, ES, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Dr. Patricia Boya
  • Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, EKU, DE, Department of Molecular Biology, Prof. Dr. Tassula Proikas-Cezanne
  • The Institute of Cancer Research, ICR , UK, Dr. Vladimir Kirkin
  • Kings College London, KINGS, UK, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Dr. Heinz Jungbluth
  • Anaxomics Biotech SL, AX, ES,Dr. Judith Farrés
  • Fraunhofer IME ScreeningPort, IME, DE, Dr. Ole Pless.
  • Adjuvatis SAS, ADJ, FR, Dr. Charlotte Primard
  • QPS Netherlands BV, QPS, NL, Dr. Fabrizia Fusetti

Project Description:

The manipulation of autophagy has an enormous therapeutic potential to revolutionize the way we currently treat cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory and infectious diseases. Despite the great promises made by pioneering medical studies, the still limited applied research on autophagy has hampered the translation of fundamental knowledge into clinical-grade products and improved healthcare. Applied autophagy research is essential to understand the roles of autophagy in the different physiological and pathological situations, to generate (disease) models and develop biomarkers and assays to assess its progress. The goal of the ETN Driving next generation autophagy researchers towards translation (DRIVE) is to train young scientists to fill this gap. DRIVE will equip its ESRs with an unique combination of knowledge and experimental expertise that are brought together in this consortium by the different partners. The realization of their projects in applied autophagy research will benefit of an exceptional interdisciplinary platform integrating cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, chemistry and “omics” approaches. In addition, DRIVE ESRs will acquire competencies to exploit the results for the development of products and techniques of commercial value. These ESRs will also be trained in disseminating results and knowledge through modern channels of communication. Anaxomics will contribute to the contextual understanding of autophagy in different pathological backgrounds using systems biology based approaches. A system view of the relevant physiological function is essential to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of autophagy in different pathological backgrounds and to identify any common patterns and crosstalk. The inescapable fact that biological pathways are highly interconnected represents one of the major motivations for adopting a system-level approach. Moreover, systems biology approaches provide an optimal framework for integrating and synthesizing diverse knowledge into a consistent and unified view. Analysis of data in the context of biological networks has the potential to reveal unexpected or underappreciated biological connections.


Get to know the molecular and cellular machinery of autophagy with this animated movie done by the experts in DRIVE. Autophagy Reports (2022) 1:1, 414-417, DOI: 10.1080/27694127.2022.2096115

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