Objective
Human induced environmental gradients have a strong effect on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Despite the valuable ecosystem services (such as biogeochemical cycling and xenobiotic degradation) provided by microbial communities, environmental conservation policies usually neglect microbial diversity. This can be in part attributed to our poor understanding of microbial community responses to anthropogenic influences in natural landscapes. Urban ecosystems are key examples of environments that are strongly impacted by anthropogenic activity. In addition to our need to understand how microbial communities respond to urbanization, urbanization gradients are also excellent model systems to study how the taxonomic and functional diversity and composition of microbial communities respond to anthropogenic stress in general.
In the here proposed project, we will study microbial communities in freshwater ponds located across well characterized urbanization gradients in Belgium. We will apply metagenomics in a molecular trait based approach in an effort to determine the influence of human induced environmental gradients on the biogeochemical cycling and xenobiotic degradation pathways in microbial communities. Also, we will analyse the role of the mobilome - mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons - as a source of rapid evolution in microbial communities under anthropogenic stress. We will take a metacommunity approach in order to quantify the relative importance of local (environmental) and regional (spatial) processes in shaping bacterial communities across the studied gradients.
Our proposed study is unique as it combines the nascent theory of evolving metacommunities with a high throughput molecular approach, metagenomics, to better understand the impact of urbanization on microbial community structure and function.
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 chemical sciences electrochemistry electrolysis
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences freshwater biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
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.