MICROBES AND MAN Research Programme October 13, 2004 Berlin Soile Juuti Programme manager Finland

Funding agencies of MICMAN Academy of Finland The main governmental funding agency of basic science in Finland Annual research funding over 200 million € The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) Foundation based on governmental funding Annual reserach funding ab. 60 million €

Budget: 5,4 million € 15 projects (26 research groups) 125 persons; 45 doctoral students A joint coordination MICMAN 3 Finland: 4.1 M€ Sweden: 1.3 M€ Finland: 21 groups Sweden: 5 groups

To increase the knowledge of the interaction between host and microbes To apply this knowledge to the maintenance of health and the prevention and treatment of diseases OBJECTIVES OF MICMAN Researcher training and exchange Multidisciplinary networks Internationality

SHARED ACTIVITIES ( + ) programme memorandum: general description of the aims and the themes call for applications evaluation of applications proposal of decisions final scientific evaluation (in 2006) coordination: programme activities - Funding agencies support groups on their own country only - Research reports according to slightly modified practicies

THEMES OF THE 15 PROJECTS THEMES OF THE 15 PROJECTS Resident microbiota - influence of internal and external factors Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases 4 Other 2 9 Development and application of modern molecular biology methods

Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases Molecular biology of infections e.g., Host-pathogen interaction of Streptococcus pyogenes (bacteriological, immunological and genetic studies) Immune evasion mechanisms and molecules of microbial pathogens (Borreliae, Streptococci

Resident microbiota Development, composition and health effects under the influence of host itself and environmental factors (pathogenic and probiotic bacteria) e.g., Long-term impact of antimicrobial treatment for the microbial flora of the gastrointestinal tract The role of probiotics in the development of the mucosal immune system in infancy

Species studied Borrelia Chlamydia pneumoniae Cyanobacteria Echinococcus granulosus Escherichia coli Helicobacter pylori Lactobacillus Salmonella Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus Yersinia

MICMAN and Era-Net MICMAN will end 12/ however Continuation as a “virtual programme” We are ready and willing to collaborate regarding organizations of workshops, seminars, post-graduate courses, etc. Proposal for a graduate school ( ) under preparation  Annual Seminar of MICMAN: February 16-17, 2005 Helsinki, Finland ( >Events)

Allocation of funding to the transnational calls of Era-Net? (Academy of Finland, SSF?) MICMAN and Era-Net

Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases MICMAN PROJECTS 1. Reactivation and immune evasion of Borrelia infection - Aim: interactions of Borrelia spirochetes and the host during infection (e.g. production of gene expression data in interaction with host) 2. Pathogenesis of reactive arthritis - Aim: mechanisms and molecules behind the incomplete eliminarion of bacteria causing reactive arthitis (Salmonella/Yersinia). 3. Microbes and allergy: From population observations to animal models - Aim: relative role of genes vs. environment in atopic diseases (H.pylori)

4. Microbial factors and host resposes discriminating commensals from pathogens - Aim: bacterial factors and mechanisms that cause the host to regulate its reactions to asymptomatic colonisers and pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus) 5. A paradox of a microbe and man - what makes Staphylococcus aureus a pathogen? - Aim: to develop a system for the virulence gene expression studies in S.a. 6. Genetic susceptibility to streptococcal infections - Aim: to study e.g. molecular properties of various streptococcal strains MICMAN PROJECTS Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases

MICMAN PROJECTS 7. Microbial resistance to innate immunity - Aim: immune evasion mechanisms of microbes; deficiencies that predispose to infections 8. Host-microbe interaction in acute and persistent Chlamydia pneumoniae infection - Aim: molecular mechanisms by which C.p. contributes to the pathogenesis of acute and persistent infections 9. Microbial pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease - Aim: ethiological role of Chlamydia pneumoniae and other microbes and the host inflammatory response Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases

MICMAN PROJECTS 10. Bacterial-epithelial cross-talk and the establishment of the mucosal immune system - Aim: role of bacterial-epithelial cell interactions for intestinal leukocyte populations 11. Microbial ecology of man in health and disease: Emergence, spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in the normal microflora - Aim: e.g. to develop new molecular methods for analyses of normalflora 12.Host-microbe crosstalk in infancy: creating a balance between the internal and external environments - Aim: effects of probiotics on infants 13.DNA microarrays for studying interactions of probiotic, pathogenic and normal gut microbiota bacteria with human intestinal epithelial cells - Aim: gene expression patterns elicited in host intestinal cells by pathogenic, probiotic and normal intestainal bacteria Resident microflora

MICMAN PROJECTS 14. Infectious origins of the human genome. Human endogenous retroviruses in health and disease - Aim: Development of bioinformatics 15. Cyanobacteria and adjacent microbes: causes of acute human intoxications and indicators of water quality - Aim: acute intoxications associated with cyanobacteria; causative agents and mechanisms Other themes