Snoopy arrives in the cradle of science
10.02.2025
The first meeting of the European network COST Action CA23111 "Searching for Nanostructured or pOre fOrming Peptides for therapY" (SNOOPY), which brought together over one hundred experts from 42 countries, was held at the University of Padua.
SNOOPY, with funding of approximately 600,000 euros for four years, aims to study peptide nanostructures, small sequences of amino acids that self-assemble into complex architectures on a nanometric scale, with potential applications in neurodegenerative diseases, heart diseases, resistant infections, viral diseases, cancer therapies, bioelectronics, and as biodegradable substitutes for polluting electronics.
The initiative promotes an interdisciplinary network to create computational tools based on artificial intelligence, as explained by Daniela Kalafatovic, leader of COST Action CA23111 SNOOPY and professor at the University of Rijeka: «Thanks to our international community, bridging computational and experimental approaches that unite expert developers of machine learning algorithms, chemists, biologists, and medical experimenters, we aim to offer artificial intelligence-based computational tools to predict peptide self-assembly and clarify the links between nanostructure morphology and bioactivity. SNOOPY exemplifies COST's mission to promote inclusive and interdisciplinary networks that drive scientific excellence and innovation across Europe and beyond».
Research on these "molecular jewels" could revolutionise nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology, improving the understanding and treatment of various diseases, as well as contributing to a more sustainable future.
The discoveries of SNOOPY could indeed have applications in various fields, including the development of peptide nanostructures for bioelectronics, due to their ability to conduct current. Additionally, they could be used as biodegradable substitutes for electronics, reducing pollution, as well as accelerating chemical reactions in catalysis and contributing to environmental remediation by sequestering pollutant molecules in their bioarchitecture, promoting a more sustainable future.
«The synergy between the various skills in SNOOPY creates an unprecedented opportunity to enhance our understanding of these critical health challenges,» said Marta De Zotti from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Padua and Science Communication Coordinator of SNOOPY, who added, «It will be four intense years of sharing cross-disciplinary knowledge in one of the most promising fields of the scientific landscape».
