Project description
Cranial and limb diversity in squamate reptiles
Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) are regions of genomes highly conserved across distantly related organisms. Many of these play critical developmental roles in determining morphology. When UCEs are removed, considerable changes to the skulls and limbs of mammals may occur. However, the causal role UCEs play in development has not been fully studied. Via UCEs, the EU-funded ULTRAMOD project will characterise the enhancer landscapes of squamate reptiles that hypothetically support cranial and limb diversity. The project will relate the dynamics of these genomic landscapes to the modularity and integration of crania and limbs that occur across squamates using 3D scan data derived from museum specimens producing innovative sub-genomic data and 3D scans for online repositories.
Objective
The genomic determinants of morphological change are of great interest to evolutionary biologists, particularly how they relate to the loss and evolution of key traits. Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) are regions of genomes that are highly conserved across distantly related organisms. Many UCEs are located in cis-regulatory (enhancer) regions of the genome that play critical developmental roles in determining morphology; when UCEs are removed notable changes to the skulls and limbs of mammals can occur. These UCEs are highly conserved across vertebrates and the evolutionary loss of a single UCE (Sonic hedgehog limb enhancer) has been associated with partial and complete limb loss in squamate reptiles. However, much of what is known about the causal role UCEs play in development is derived from functional studies, which have only examined a handful of model species. A broader phylogenetic and genomic perspective of how UCEs relate to morphological variation would offer much needed information for interpreting the results of functional studies. Comparative genomics offers a means to dramatically increase the taxonomic sampling of UCEs, both through examination of annotated genomes and comparison of UCE loci obtained using sub-genomic sampling methodologies. I will use UCEs to characterize the enhancer landscapes of squamate reptiles that putatively underpin cranial and limb diversity. I will then relate the dynamics of these genomic landscapes to the modularity and integration of crania and limbs that occur across squamates using 3-dimensional (3D) scan data derived from museum specimens. This project will produce novel sub-genomic data and 3D scans that will be shared in online repositories. I will be aided by my hosts and their world-renowned museum collections to deliver this novel and cutting-edge project which will act as a springboard for my own independent research and teaching program.
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 zoology mammalogy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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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.
SW7 5BD London
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.