Project description
Insight into cell type evolution
Animals contain a diversity of cell types with distinct phenotypes and functions. Although these cells contain the same genome, different epigenetic, regulatory and transcriptional attributes endow them with this remarkable phenotypic diversity. The EU-funded ModEvoCell project is focusing on the evolution of the traits that define cell diversity. Researchers will study the transcriptome and map the regulatory regions of different cells of various placozoan species across phylogenetic divergence. Results will help generate a model of cell type evolution, shedding light on how different cell types emerge and diversify.
Objective
Cell types with distinct functions coexist and cooperate within a single animal, eventually contributing to the endless forms most beautiful that define the animal kingdom. These cell types are complex phenotypes defined by multiple traits—ontogeny, morphology, regulatory and transcriptional states, etc.—that are ultimately encoded by the same genome, and are thus subject to the evolutionary process. Therefore, to study the diversity of cell types from an evolutionary perspective we need to first understand the patterns of conservation and divergence in the various traits that determine cell phenotypes. Among these traits, gene regulation is uniquely amenable to be systematically catalogued and compared across species, and it is an ideal candidates to support a model of cell type evolution.
Here I propose to investigate the evolution of animal cell types in a multi-species comparative framework. I hypothesise that, by characterising the cell type and transcriptomic programmes of various species along a spectrum of phylogenetic divergence times, I will be able to infer a data-driven model to quantify the influence of regulatory divergence on cell type evolution. To that end, I will build cell type diversity atlases of six placozoan species and resolve their transcriptomic states at single-cell resolution using scRNA-seq, genome-wide profiling of regulatory regions (ATAC-seq and regulatory motif discovery), and gene regulatory network modelling. Placozoans are a uniquely well-suited model for this research: they have a strongly conserved yet profoundly simple bauplan, composed of few cell types, that can be fully resolve at the whole-organism level using single-cell transcriptomics. This taxon-rich survey across multiple species and cell types will allow me to address the fundamental question of how cell types emerge and diversify, and it will provide a theoretical basis to understand how regulatory divergence ultimately results in phenotypic innovation.
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 evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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.
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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.
08003 Barcelona
Spain
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.