Objective
Sexual reproduction is one of the most fundamental of biological processes: (i) the creation of gametes, (ii) their fusion and (iii) the formation of a viable embryo are all shaped by a major evolutionary force: post-copulatory sexual selection comprising sperm competition and cryptic female choice. This project will make substantial advances in all three areas, using birds (mainly zebra finch) as model organisms. (i) Sperm size and shape: A major hypothesis for the enormous variation across species in the design of male gametes is that a trade-off exists between sperm size and number. We will test this, by estimating (for the first time) the energetic costs of making sperm. (ii) Sperm-female and sperm-egg interactions. We will establish, how sperm from different males interact within a female and will do this, uniquely, by using transgenic zebra finches whose sperm flagella are labelled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). This allows us to distinguish (in the oviduct and in ova) the sperm from GFP- and normal males and to visualise how they interact to generate last male sperm precedence. (iii) The genetic and environmental causes of embryo mortality. We will explore the environmental effects of temperature on embryo development and survival and consider the special case of brood parasites that expose their ova to elevated temperatures through ¿internal incubation¿. We will explore the genetic effects of DNA integrity, aneuploidy and compatibility on embryo survival. Together, these three interconnected strands will revolutionise the study of reproduction, answering the most outstanding questions in the field through a combination of novel techniques and novel hypotheses.
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.
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
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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-2010-AdG_20100317
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
S10 2TN Sheffield
United Kingdom
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.