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In a nutshell:
• A new regulatory cycle: CHAPEROME explores how chaperones actively control protein synthesis on the ribosome.
• Keeping cells healthy: The project investigates how chaperones and translation factors cooperate to help cells cope with stress and changing physiological demands.
• Ten million euros in funding: The European Research Council (ERC) will support the project, led by Marina Rodnina (Göttingen), Johannes Buchner (Munich), and Judith Frydman (Stanford, USA), for six years.
Of the 712 proposals submitted for this ERC Synergy Grant call, only 66 projects were selected for funding. Each successful team will receive an average of 10.3 million euros. “We are delighted that our CHAPEROME project was chosen for this highly competitive program,” says Marina Rodnina, director at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen and the project’s coordinator. The consortium brings together Johannes Buchner from the Technical University of Munich and Judith Frydman from Stanford University (USA).
With the new funding, the team will investigate the regulatory role of chaperones in translation – an aspect that, according to Rodnina, “has been underestimated so far.”
Triple responsibility
During translation, ribosomes synthesize proteins according to the genetic code in messenger RNA (mRNA). Yet, a protein’s three-dimensional structure is just as crucial as its amino acid sequence: only a correctly folded protein can function properly. Here, chaperones play an essential role. They assist proteins in folding, prevent aggregation, and ensure protein quality control. If folding fails, chaperones guide misfolded proteins toward degradation pathways, where they are broken down and recycled. This keeps the cellular environment clean and prevents the accumulation of toxic protein waste – a hallmark of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
To stay healthy, a cell must maintain a fine balance between translation, folding, and degradation. Recent findings suggest that these processes are directly linked.
Sensors and regulators
“Under normal conditions, the cell has enough chaperones to handle small amounts of misfolded proteins,” explains Rodnina. “But under stress, when damage increases, chaperones become limiting. If translation factors themselves depend on chaperones, they may fail to fold correctly – slowing down translation as a result.”
Buchner adds: “We believe that chaperones act as sensors and regulators that fine-tune translation rates, efficiency, and mRNA selection. This mechanism could directly shape how the cell adjusts its proteome – the complete set of proteins – to changing conditions. CHAPEROME could thus reveal an entirely new level of translation control.”
To test this idea, the researchers will map which translation factors rely on which chaperones, combining their complementary methods and expertise.
A roadmap for protein production
“We aim to understand how chaperones and the translation machinery form dynamic networks,” says Frydman. “These networks may reveal how human cells ensure the quality of their proteins as they develop into nerve cells or respond to stress. Ultimately, we want to chart a detailed roadmap showing when and how fast proteins are produced.”
By revealing how chaperones coordinate translation, the CHAPEROME project could provide fresh insights into cellular specialization, development, and disease. Since dysregulation of translation is linked to neurodegeneration, developmental disorders, cancer, and aging, the findings may eventually open the door to new therapeutic approaches.
About the ERC and Synergy Grants
Established in 2007, the ERC is Europe’s premier funding body for frontier research. It supports outstanding scientists of any nationality and career stage in carrying out groundbreaking projects across Europe – and occasionally beyond.
The ERC Synergy Grant program funds small groups of two to four principal investigators and their teams who combine complementary expertise to tackle ambitious questions. These grants encourage bold ideas, cross-disciplinary research, and the development of new methods and technologies – pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge.
Prof. Dr. Marina Rodnina
Department of Physical Biochemistry
Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
Phone: +49 551 201-2900
Email: rodnina@mpinat.mpg.de
https://www.mpinat.mpg.de/5162804/pr_2523 – Original press release
https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/erc-2025-synergy-grants-results – Press release of the European Research Council
https://www.mpinat.mpg.de/rodnina – Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen
From left to right: Prof. Dr. Marina Rodnina, Prof. Dr. Johannes Buchner, and Prof. Dr. Judith Frydm ...
Copyright: Irene Böttcher-Gajewski / MPI-NAT; Andreas Heddergott / TUM; private
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