Obiettivo Bacteria have a range of immune mechanisms, but it is unclear why this diverse armamentarium evolved. The most important immune mechanisms are (1) Surface Modification (SM) (2) Abortive infection (Abi) (3) Restriction Modification (R-M) (4) CRISPR-Cas and (5) prokaryotic Argonaute (pAgo), all of which can occur as stand-alone mechanisms or in combination. The individual mechanisms differ in key aspects, such as their fitness costs (constitutive versus inducible), specificity (indiscriminate versus specific), the recipient of the benefits (individual versus group), the speed of de novo resistance evolution (rapid versus slow), and heritability of immunity. Here I will take a combined in vitro and in vivo approach to tease apart the variables that drive the evolution of these diverse stand-alone and integrated bacterial immune strategies in nature, and examine their associated co-evolutionary dynamics. I focus on three ecological variables that are consistently important in host-symbiont co-evolution: (1) force of infection (2) spatial structure (3) presence of mutualists (plasmids). First, I will perform in vitro manipulations using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 variants that carry either single or multiple immune mechanisms. Next, I will sequence metagenomes, transcriptomes and viromes of microbial communities from environments that differ in ecological variables that are important in vitro, to examine their importance in vivo. Key ecological mechanisms identified in the first two parts of the project will be used to guide mesocosm experiments to experimentally confirm that these mechanisms are the drivers of the observed patterns of resistance and co-evolution in nature. Finally, I will share my data with mathematical biologists to generate theoretical models to predict and manipulate the evolution of bacterial immune mechanisms, which will facilitate tailored species protection in agriculture and industry. Campo scientifico natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutation Parole chiave bacteria phage plasmid surface modification restriction modification CRISPR-Cas prokaryotic argonaute abortive infection Programma(i) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Argomento(i) ERC-2016-STG - ERC Starting Grant Invito a presentare proposte ERC-2016-STG Vedi altri progetti per questo bando Meccanismo di finanziamento ERC-STG - Starting Grant Istituzione ospitante THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 420 837,00 Indirizzo THE QUEEN'S DRIVE NORTHCOTE HOUSE EX4 4QJ Exeter Regno Unito Mostra sulla mappa Regione South West (England) Devon Devon CC Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 1 420 837,00 Beneficiari (3) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo netto dell'UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER Regno Unito Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 420 837,00 Indirizzo THE QUEEN'S DRIVE NORTHCOTE HOUSE EX4 4QJ Exeter Mostra sulla mappa Regione South West (England) Devon Devon CC Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 1 420 837,00 UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO Nuova Zelanda Contribution nette de l'UE € 62 500,00 Indirizzo SAINT DAVID STREET 9054 Dunedin Mostra sulla mappa Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 62 500,00 THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL Regno Unito Contribution nette de l'UE € 15 000,00 Indirizzo BROWNLOW HILL 765 FOUNDATION BUILDING L69 7ZX Liverpool Mostra sulla mappa Regione North West (England) Merseyside Liverpool Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 15 000,00