Objective
Fungi are particularly challenging pathogens; because they and their human hosts are eukaryotes. We will study how new traits such as drugR arise rapidly using Candida albicans, the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans. The work explores the ground-breaking concept that alterations in genome ploidy are prevalent in drugR isolates because these genome states promote persistence and drug resistance.
We recently found that C. albicans, thought to be an “obligate diploid”, can form haploids. This represents a major paradigm shift both technologically and conceptually. We are poised to exploit this unique opportunity to reinvent genomic approaches for C. albicans by leveraging next generation sequencing, high throughput analyses and more traditional genetics. Because haploids are much less fit than heterozygous diploids, our working hypothesis is that changes in ploidy, including whole genome ploidy and aneuploidy, occur frequently under drug stress and that they make major contributions to the rapid appearance of genotypic and phenotypic diversity, in part by promoting persistence.
The objectives of this proposal are to develop next-generation technologies that leverage haploids; to characterize the conditions and genes that promote ploidy transitions, especially in the presence of drug, in vitro and in vivo and to analyze their fitness consequences. This multi-disciplinary research program will integrate = approaches at the genetic, genomic, molecular, cellular and population levels and includes computational approaches to model evolutionary processes.
The project will lead to unparalleled advances in tools for the research community, and important insights concerning how diversity arises rapidly. It will assist in efforts to design diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for preventing and treating fungal diseases, prividing insights into the rapid appearance of drug resistance in eukaryotic pathogens, and chemotherapy resistance in cancer cells.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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-2013-ADG
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
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel
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.