Objective
"Diatoms are the most successful group of eukaryotic phytoplankton in the modern ocean. Recently completed whole genome sequences have revealed a wealth of information about the evolutionary origins and metabolic adaptations that may have led to their ecological success. A major finding is that they have acquired genes both from their endosymbiotic ancestors and by horizontal gene transfer from marine bacteria. This unique melting pot of genes encodes novel and largely unexplored capacities for metabolic management. The project will address the current gap in knowledge about the physiological functions of diatom gene products and about the evolutionary mechanisms that have led to diatom success in contemporary oceans. We will exploit genome-enabled approaches to pioneer new research topics addressing:
1. How has diatom evolution enabled interactions between chloroplasts and mitochondria that have provided diatoms with physiological and metabolic innovations?
2. What are the relative contributions of DNA sequence variation and epigenetic processes in diatom adaptive dynamics?
By combining these questions, we will uniquely be able to identify sentinel genes that have driven major physiological and metabolic innovations in diatoms, and will explore the mechanisms that have selected and molded them during diatom evolution. We will focus our studies largely on diatom responses to nutrients, in particular nitrate and iron, and will exploit the advantages of Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model diatom species for reverse genetics. The proposed studies will revisit textbook understanding of photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism, and will refine hypotheses about why diatoms dominate in contemporary ocean settings. By placing our studies in evolutionary and ecological contexts, in particular by examining the contribution of epigenetic processes in diatoms, our work will furthermore provide insights into how the environment selects for fitness in phytoplankton."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences botany
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2011-ADG_20110310
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
75794 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.