ERC Consolidator Grant – Interview with awarded researcher César Rodriguez-Emmenegger
This year, the European Research Council has awarded 328 researchers with a Consolidator Grant. With funding of €2 million over the next five years, César Rodriguez-Emmenegger, ICREA research professor and principal investigator at the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Spain, aims to accelerate the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We caught up with him to hear about his project and its potential transformative impact on medicine.
Photo provided by IBEC
Congratulations on your ERC consolidation grant. This grant enables outstanding scientists to establish their independent research teams and develop their most promising scientific ideas. How does it feel to be rewarded?
Receiving the ERC Consolidator Grant is a monumental milestone for both my career and my research journey. I have dedicated years to developing the idea of designing and fabricating synthetic cells capable of combating bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains. To have this vision recognized and supported by one of the most prestigious European grants is deeply gratifying. I feel a profound sense of happiness and honour. This award not only validates the hard work and dedication of my team and me but also motivates us to push the boundaries of innovation further.
What will the grant enable you and your team to do?
“We aim to pioneer an alternative to conventional antibiotics”
The ERC Consolidator Grant opens an exciting chapter for my team and me. It provides us with the resources and freedom to move beyond the conceptual phase of our synthetic vesicles – engineered structures designed to fight bacteria, including those resistant to antibiotics – toward creating and optimizing functional prototypes and in vitro demonstration. With this support, we aim to pioneer an alternative to conventional antibiotics, addressing one of the most pressing global health challenges.
Additionally, this grant will significantly enhance our visibility within the scientific community. It allows us to expand our network of collaborators, foster interdisciplinary partnerships, and establish ourselves as leaders in the emerging field of synthetic cells for medicine. We hope this recognition will inspire new ideas and drive forward a new niche within the SynCell society.
The PhagoSynCell project in a nutshell
PhagoSynCell aims to capture the essence of phagocytosis – a fundamental biological process by which cells engulf and destroy harmful entities – and harness it to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Cesar and his team will design microscopic cell-like entities capable of ‘hunting’ and eliminating pathogens, including those resistant to antibiotics.
The main innovation lies in the elimination mechanism, which is not based on drugs. Therefore, this approach bypasses the regulatory complexities associated with drug-based treatments. More importantly, it eliminates the risk of new forms of resistance, a pressing global challenge in antibiotic use.
César Rodriguez-Emmenegger: “I see PhagoSynCell as the first step in pioneering a new class of therapeutics that do not act like traditional drugs but instead emulate the functions of living systems. I like to call them ‘quasi-living therapeutics’. This project represents a bold stride toward leveraging the principles of nature to solve some of our most critical medical challenges, offering a glimpse into the future of biomedicine.”
You’ve just mentioned the term synthetic cells. How would you define a synthetic cell?
“An engineered entity capable of replicating some of the hallmark functions of life”
We are living in an extraordinary era, where the convergence of molecular science, physics, engineering, and biology is creating the foundation for revolutionary breakthroughs. Among these is the potential to create artificial surrogates of real cells. While achieving a fully functional artificial cell remains a long-term goal, the term synthetic cell already encompasses a broader and highly impactful spectrum.
For me, a synthetic cell is an engineered entity capable of replicating some of the hallmark functions of life. This could include the ability to reproduce, communicate, compute, interact with other cells, and perhaps even predate. Importantly, this is a functional definition – it does not demand that synthetic cells be exact replicas of their natural counterparts. I believe we should take inspiration from the Impressionists, capturing the essence of life rather than striving for a strict imitation.
This perspective opens a world of possibilities. It allows us to transcend natural building blocks and incorporate synthetic components, enabling these cells to perform entirely novel functions in areas like engineering, the food industry, bioremediation, or medicine. The potential applications are vast, and this flexibility is what makes synthetic cells such an exciting frontier.
What contribution could this project make to synthetic cell research in Spain?
“We aim to position Spain as a key player in this transformative scientific domain”
This ERC project, alongside the efforts of other scientists working on synthetic cells in Spain, marks a significant step forward in establishing this vibrant and rapidly evolving field within the country. Synthetic cell research is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing from biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering, and its potential applications span medicine, industry, and environmental science. By contributing to this global movement, we aim to position Spain as a key player in this transformative scientific domain.
I hope that the visibility and momentum generated by this project will help build a sufficient critical mass of expertise, resources, and collaboration in Spain to solidify synthetic cell research as a thriving and influential field. This critical mass is essential for fostering innovation, attracting talent, and enabling the field to reach its full potential.