Priority Programme “Integration of mitochondria into the cellular proteostasis network” (SPP 2453)
Priority Programme “Integration of mitochondria into the cellular proteostasis network” (SPP 2453) supports research teams studying protein targeting and quality control to explain mitochondrial protein import.
Funder: German Research Foundation
Due Dates: January 20, 2027 (elan registration) | January 27, 2027 (Proposal submission) | April 7–9, 2027 (Review colloquium)
Funding Amounts: Second three-year funding period
Summary: Supports collaborative research on the molecular mechanisms governing mitochondrial precursor protein targeting, quality control, and cellular stress responses.
Key Information: Only tandem or tridem projects combining mitochondrial protein import and cellular proteostasis expertise will be funded.
Description
The German Research Foundation (DFG) invites proposals for the second funding period of SPP 2453, a Priority Programme integrating mitochondrial protein import and cellular proteostasis research. The programme investigates how precursor proteins reach mitochondria, how failed import challenges cellular protein balance, and how disruptions to proteostasis affect mitochondrial biogenesis.
This funding period focuses on the molecular mechanisms and structural basis of targeting and quality control factors acting on mitochondrial precursor proteins. Research addresses co- and post-translational transport, cooperation between quality control factors across cellular compartments, and coordination of mitochondrial and cellular stress responses to restore import. The programme uses Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, and cultured mammalian cells to investigate these mechanisms.
