About
Viral infections pose a major threat to global health, with the potential for pandemic outbreaks causing profound medical and socio-economic impacts. The frequent occurrence of zoonotic spillover events, rapid virus adaptation, increased antiviral drug-resistance, and limited ‘one bug, one drug’ efficacy of current antiviral drugs, leave the human population highly vulnerable to newly emerging viruses, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in antiviral research, with a focus on developing therapies that target the host rather than the virus, offering the potential for broad-spectrum antiviral effectiveness. Peroxisomes, essential cell organelles involved in cellular lipid homeostasis, represent promising targets for such innovative strategies, due to their critical roles in both viral replication and the host immune response. However, progress in this promising field is impeded by a lack of experts with combined expertise in virology and peroxisome/organelle biology. The VirION (Viruses’ Interplay with the Organelle Network) programme addresses this gap by training 15 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in an interdisciplinary framework that integrates virology, peroxisome biology, systems biology, and entrepreneurial thinking. Our trainees will be uniquely positioned to identify peroxisome-associated druggable targets, develop innovative tools and models, and drive the development of host-directed, broad-spectrum antiviral strategies. In VirION, academic institutions, medical research centres, research institutes, and industrial partners will synergise to provide DCs with cutting-edge research expertise in this groundbreaking field, alongside essential interpersonal skills and best practices. This comprehensive training will enhance their employability as future leaders and strengthen Europe's capacity to tackle the growing threat of viral infections.