An international team of researchers, led by the University of Exeter, have been awarded a Wellcome Discovery Award grant of almost £5 million to investigate one of the body’s most fascinating microscopic structures – motile cilia.

Cilia are tiny, hair-like protrusions found within diverse aquatic organisms and also inside the human body. They play key roles not only in aquatic ecosystems by propelling tiny organisms, but also in supporting animal development and maintaining health.

In humans, the coordinated beating of motile cilia helps clear mucus in our lungs and move cerebrospinal fluid within our brains. However, when they don’t work properly it can lead to serious disorders – known as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a motile ciliopathy – which can cause chronic lung disease, infertility, hydrocephalus, and other life-threatening or life-limiting complications.

The pioneering new project, called UNICIL (UNIty and diversity of MultiCILiary function) led by Professor Kirsty Wan from the University of Exeter’s Living Systems Institute, will see six leading research groups from across Europe come together to uncover the core biophysical principles of how motile cilia function across different scales — from single cells to entire tissues.

Prof. Kirsty Wan, said: “Despite major recent advances in resolving the molecular architecture of these complex structures, it’s rather surprising that we still lack understanding of how cilia come together to generate effective fluid flow in diverse natural settings.

We are thrilled that Wellcome supports our long-term ambition bringing together biology, physics and maths to tackle this grand challenge. Together, theory and experiments with expertise across disciplines and species will usher in a new era of cilia research.”

Together with Profs Gáspár Jékely (Heidelberg University, Germany), Pleasantine Mill (University of Edinburgh, UK), Eric Keaveny (Imperial College London, UK), Juliette Azimzadeh (Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France) and Laurent Kodjabachian (IBDM, Marseille, France), the team will harness the power of model organisms to study motile cilia function and coordination.

By combining cutting-edge imaging, genetics, cell biology, multiscale physical and computational modelling, this discovery-led project will transform how scientists understand motile ciliary dynamics across diverse organisms. The findings could eventually improve how we diagnose and treat ciliopathies, for example through emerging gene therapies.

This groundbreaking interdisciplinary research promises not only to open new frontiers in basic biology, with direct implications for human health, and reshape how scientists approach some of the most puzzling genetic disorders — and offer hope to thousands affected by cilia-related diseases.