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Kiwellins in the plant defense against pathogenic invaders

Project description

How kiwellin proteins help defend plants against pathogens

Plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi can have a major impact on global food security and plant ecology. However, knowledge on how plants can defend themselves against pathogen invaders is limited. Kiwellin proteins represent an emerging class of highly diverse proteins with antibody-like properties that act as countermeasures for plants against virulence factors secreted by pathogenic fungi. The EU-funded KIWIsome project will establish the functional, structural and mechanistic basis that enables this fundamentally new class of proteins to combat pathogens. This European Research Council initiative will not only offer perspectives for future plant engineering but also provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the continuing arms race between plants and their pathogenic invaders.

Objective

Plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi critically affect global food security and plant ecology. How plants defend themselves against pathogenic invaders and the molecular weaponry involved is still far from being complete. Kiwellin proteins (KWL) represent an emerging class of highly diverse proteins with antibody-like properties serving as countermeasures of plants against virulence factors secreted by pathogenic fungi. The aim of this ERC-project is to establish the functional, structural and mechanistic basis enabling this fundamentally new class of proteins in the defense against their pathogenic invaders. Thus, this ERC-proposal might not only offer new perspectives for a future plant engineering (e.g. towards resistance), but also provides a deeper fundamental understanding into the molecular mechanisms, underlying the everlasting arms race between plants and their pathogenic invaders.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-ADG

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Host institution

PHILIPPS UNIVERSITAET MARBURG
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 2 344 343,00
Address
BIEGENSTRASSE 10
35037 Marburg
Germany

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Region
Hessen Gießen Marburg-Biedenkopf
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 2 344 343,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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