Two Leiden researchers have been awarded ERC Proof of Concept grants. These grants, each worth EUR 150,000, will help the grantees in their efforts to bridge the gap from basic science to real-life applications
Aziflu: innovative approach to influenza
Influenza (flu) infections continue to be a major health issue and the next viral pandemic may well be an influenza one. Hermen Overkleeft's Aziflu project is based on the discovery of a new class of medicine that works differently from the commonly used Tamiflu, and may work better with resistant influenza strains. The aim is to explore whether this drug can be developed through collaboration with pharma companies or through a new biotech company, for example. The project aims to help prepare for a future influenza pandemic.
New drug discovery platform
With the ExSELence project, Sebastian Pomplun aims to accelerate drug discovery and make it more accessible, also to smaller institutions. He will do so with a novel drug discovery platform that overcomes key limitations of traditional screening technologies. These methods often struggle with DNA/RNA-binding protein targets.
The platform integrates advanced synthesis and computational analysis to enable efficient, selective screening. The project will demonstrate the platform's capabilities by targeting EXO1, a promising cancer therapeutic. The initial results are promising: selective identifiers have been identified and the platform is protected by a recent patent application.
