Objective
Humic substances (HS) are complex and heterogeneous mixtures of polymers formed in soils, sediments and natural waters during the decay of plant biomass. HS represent an important carbon source in aquatic environments accounting for up to 80% of the total dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Historically, HS were considered to be biologically inert but discovery of the “microbial loop” changed this view in which DOC enters planktonic food webs through incorporation into bacterial biomass and protozoan grazing upon bacteria.
Despite extensive research it is still not clear how exactly HS are converted and degraded by microorganisms in nature. We particularly lack a detailed understanding of the metabolic diversity present in a community that is used to attack the complex structure of these heterogeneous polymers. Based on current structural concepts it is assumed that HS cannot be degraded by simple enzymatic reactions but rather by a combination of different enzymes including peroxidases, phenol oxidases and many carbohydrate active enzymes.
The proposed project aims to resolve the genomic and metabolic diversity of freshwater microbial communities involved in HS cycling using state of the art sequencing-based approaches. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approaches will be used to perform in-depth genomic analysis of freshwater microbial communities and to study their physiological response to HS based on gene-expression analysis. Different habitats and ecological niches will be sampled and analyzed to enable detailed comparative analysis (e.g. aerobic vs. anaerobic habitats).
Considering the environmental and economic importance of HS it is very important to understand mechanisms involved in HS cycling in nature. The proposed project will provide the scientific community with a detailed description of microbial diversity and activity involved in freshwater HS cycling and the data will be a valuable foundation for future research in this field.
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 biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- agricultural sciences agricultural biotechnology biomass
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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-2010-RG
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.
Coordinator
12489 Berlin
Germany
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.