Prestigious ERC grant will fund new research into virucides

For the first time, the POLYVIR programme, led by Dr Samuel Jones in the School of Chemistry, will develop new polymers that will allow a wide range of viruses to be destroyed on contact.

The work, funded by the European Research Council’s (ERC) Consolidator grant, will look at new broad-spectrum virucides, which stick to and then break open viruses, allowing for a wide range of viruses to be destroyed on contact in biological and non-biological environments.

Viruses are a major threat to global health and economies, which we are not adequately prepared to tackle. Disinfectants, also called virucides, are highly effective at destroying a wide range of viruses on contact but are also extremely toxic. 

Dr Jones’ team has recently discovered a new broad-spectrum antiviral mechanism, which they will exploit with the support of this prestigious ERC award, allowing them to produce biocompatible virucides for the first time. This could mean that broad-spectrum anitiviral treatment options may be a real possibility in the future.

Dr Jones was one of 328 researchers from across 25 EU member states to get some of the €678 millon grant.

Dr Jones said: “We are poised to make significant discoveries in this space and develop the next generation of broad-spectrum and biocompatible disinfectants that could have uses in prevention and treatment of viral infections. This research will lead to impacts on global approaches to tackling the threat viruses pose. I am honoured to receive such a prestigious award and am excited to get started developing the next generation of broad-spectrum antivirals. I’m grateful to the ERC for this opportunity, to my colleagues, friends, and family for their support in shaping my application, my research group for their continued hard work and dedication and to everyone who has supported me throughout my career to date.”

The ERC Consolidator grants, provided through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, are designed to support outstanding scientists and scholars as they establish independent research teams and develop promising scientific ideas. In this round, 328 researchers from across 25 EU member states have been awarded grants totalling €678 million. The projects cover all disciplines, from life sciences, to engineering to humanities.

President of the European Research Council Professor Maria Leptin said: “Congratulations to all the researchers who have won ERC Consolidator Grants, in this latest round for the mid-career stage. Whilst we had the funds available to back more applicants this year than in 2023, the fact remains that many applicants who were rated as excellent in this competition will still not be funded due to lack of budget. This waste of talent can only be tackled by increasing the investment in blue-sky research in Europe.”