Project description DEENESFRITPL Changes in metabolites due to abiotic stress help fight plant pathogens Plant pathogens pose a major threat to crops. Although certain abiotic stressors can provide resilience to subsequent pathogen infection, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. The EU-funded MICROBIS project will address this knowledge gap by identifying changes in metabolites that enhance plant tolerance to pathogens following periods of abiotic stress. MICROBIS will cultivate the model organism Arabidopsis and expose it to water and temperature stress followed by a pathogen and then measure and analyse metabolome changes. Finally, artificial intelligence algorithms will be applied to select species of agronomic interest that metabolically respond to sequential stress as Arabidopsis does. The results will help to develop new strategies to ensure food security under current climate change conditions. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Ensuring food security and accessibility represents a global challenge since world population grows exponentially while crop quality and productivity is restricted by limitations on arable areas and increasing incidence of stress conditions due to climate change. Plant pathogens are major threats for optimal crop yield and preservation of the harvest. Although plant immune responses are well characterised in isolation, pathogen infections frequently occur in combination with other stress conditions. Importantly, the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions under combinatorial stress is unpredictable as the operating molecular mechanisms differ from those triggered under each individual stressor. Certain abiotic stressors ultimately confer resilience to subsequent pathogen infection, i.e. cross-tolerance, however the network of molecular events involved remains undeciphered. Recent studies suggested that metabolites could retain stress memory and modulate combinatorial stress responses, but their potential role in cross-tolerance has been barely investigated. Hence, this MSCA is aimed at identifying changing metabolites after abiotic stress periods that enhance plant tolerance to pathogens. To this end, comprehensive conditions and time-courses for sequential stress will be defined to cultivate Arabidopsis thaliana plants under frequent abiotic stressors, namely drought and temperature shifts, followed by pathogen challenge. Subsequently, metabolome changes will be profiled and systemically analysed to retrieve central features. The biological relevance of candidates will be assessed in planta. Finally, artificial intelligence algorithms will be applied to select species of agronomic interest that metabolically respond to sequential stress as Arabidopsis does and thus initiate translation of cross-tolerance strategies into crops. Consequently, this MSCA will contribute to the development of new strategies to ensure food security under current climate change conditions. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutritionagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturenatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes Keywords plant combinatorial stress cross-tolerance plant pathogen priming Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2020 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator CENTRE DE RECERCA EN AGRIGENOMICA CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB Net EU contribution € 172 932,48 Address PARC DE RECERCA DE L UAB CAMPUS UAB EDIFICI CRAG BELLATERRA 08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles Spain See on map Region Este Cataluña Barcelona Activity type Other Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 172 932,48
