IBDase

Partner 1. University of Bern. Five research groups are involved in IBDase:

- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology (website in german), University Hospital Inselspital (Coordinator). The research center offers an interdisciplinary research environment in translational medicine with a focus in basic mechanisms of innate immunity and implications in clinical research of chronic inflammatory diseases.

- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Divison of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM). Clinical studies, meta-analyses and methodological research. Epidemiological expertise and administration of project databases.

- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine (IBMM). Hydrolases of the brush border membrane in the intestine, including the astacin-like metalloprotease meprin.

- Clinic of Gastroenterology (website in german). Clinical trials. Cohort of IBD patients.

Partner 2. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, University, Hospital Gasthuisberg, Department of Gastroenterology. They have expertise in IBD genetics and human genetics studies, European IBD cohorts (including Eastern Europe) and host a human IBD biobank including serum and DNA.

Partner 3. Université d’Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, Laboratoire de Pathogénie Bactérienne Intestinale. They have expertise in the characterisation of Adherent-Invasive E. coli strains (AIEC) associated to Crohn's disease, interaction of AIEC with epithelial cells and macrophages, and development of animal models to study AIEC virulence factors.

Partner 4. Progenika Biopharma, S.A. is a biotech SME with expertise in genetic analysis of polymorphisms. They contribute with their experience in statistical analysis of phenotype-genotype correlations (high numbers of genotypic variables) and DNA array technology (design, production, validation).

Partner 5. Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Institute of Zoology (website in german), Department of Cell and Matrix Biology: They bring a longstanding competence in protein biochemistry of metalloproteases (e.g. meprin alpha and beta) and their inhibitors. Their research focus is to characterize single P/PIs regarding their function within the whole degradome, by using cell culture and animal models (zebrafish, targeted knock-down of P/PIs using Morpholinos).

Partner 6. Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Immunobiology of Dendritic Cells and Immunotherapy Research Unit. Expertise in mucosal dendritic cell biology & in dendritic cell-epithelial cell cross-talk, in vitro and in vivo, for bacterial handling in the gut under physiological and pathological conditions.

Partner 7. University of Gothenburg, Department of Medical Biochemistry: Experts in mucin biology and biochemistry with a special focus on intestinal mucins and the MUC2 mucin. Experts in advanced mass spectrometry for proteomics and glycomics (mucin glycosylation) as well as in general cell biology and large scale production of recombinant proteins.

Partner 8. University of Southampton. Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair: They have strong track record and years of expertise in the analysis of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in inflammatory bowel disease.

Partner 9. University Tor Vergata of Rome. Internal Medicine Department (website in italian).  Longstanding expertise in the IBD research field, and particularly in the mechanisms by which immune cells regulate P/PI expression during gut inflammation.

Partner 10. SCIPROM Sàrl. Sound experience in scientific project management. Supports researchers in European and National projects, networks, and research consortia. Project construction, submission, negotiation, execution and management.