Objective
Mutualism, cooperative interaction between different species, is widespread in nature. Despite its ubiquity and recognised importance for ecological communities, how mutualism evolves and persists remain major unresolved questions in evolutionary biology. The reason for this is that mutualistic interactions can often be exploited by parasites, and high degrees of species interdependence can increase extinction risk. Applying established network theory to interpret biological details of mutualistic interaction networks has great potential to reveal crucial system properties such as enhanced network resilience through species interdependence.
I propose an interdisciplinary study combining network theory with detailed empirical analyses of a so far uncharacterised mutualistic network of subterranean ants, aphids and microbes. The ants protect aphids from predators, and in turn harvest honeydew, processed plant sap excreted by the aphids. In addition, symbiotic gut bacteria in both ants and aphids synthesise essential amino acids and assimilate nitrogen. These bacteria are crucial for upgrading the sugar rich but otherwise nutritionally poor plant sap and honeydew.
My project will improve our understanding of mutualisms by unravelling the metabolic and behavioural mechanisms underlying species interdependence in this specialised symbiotic network. To this end, I will (i) assess covariance between bacterial communities of associated ants and aphids, (ii) determine the functional roles of bacterial communities in honeydew composition, and (iii) assess ant behavioural specificity in choice of aphid partners. I will then (iv) further interpret my findings in a broader context by applying network theory to this focal network and other comparable mutualistic networks, thereby adding to our general understanding of the evolution and stability of mutualism.
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 evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry amines
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IOF
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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.
Coordinator
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
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.