Objective
Biofilms are antibiotic-resistant, sessile bacterial communities that occupy most moist surfaces on Earth and represent a major mode of bacterial life. Another common feature of bacterial life is exposure to viral parasites (termed phages), which are a dominant force in bacterial population control throughout nature. Surprisingly, almost nothing is known about the interactions between biofilm-dwelling bacteria and phages. This proposal is designed to fill this gap using a combination of novel methodology, experimental systems, and mathematical modeling. We have recently developed a new microscopic imaging technique that allows us to image and track all individual cells and their gene expression inside biofilms. First, we will use this technique for tracking the population dynamics of bacteria and phages within biofilms at single cell resolution. By genetically manipulating bacterial hosts and their phages, and by varying environmental conditions, we will investigate the fundamental biological and physical determinants of phage spread within biofilm communities. Second, we will study how biofilms respond to phage attack on both intra-generational and evolutionary time scales, focusing in particular on proximate response mechanisms and the population dynamics of phage-resistant and phage-susceptible cells as a function of biofilm spatial structure. Lastly, we will combine our novel insights to engineer phages that manipulate the composition of biofilm communities, either by subtraction of particular bacterial species or by addition of novel phenotypes to existing biofilm community members. Altogether, the proposed research promises to uncover the major mechanistic and evolutionary elements of biofilm-phage interactions. This combined work will greatly enrich our knowledge of microbial ecology and motivate novel strategies for bacterial biofilm control, an increasingly urgent priority in light of widespread antibiotic resistance.
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 microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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) ERC-2016-STG
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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.
4051 Basel
Switzerland
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.