Project description
History of quinoa adaptation revealed
Quinoa is a highly nutritious grain from South America that can contribute significantly to global food security. The EU-funded PALEOQUINOA project will exploit preserved ancient DNA molecules in archaeological specimens to track the genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in quinoa over the last 3 500 years. By combining DNA techniques and cutting-edge computational methods, scientists will generate the first genome-scale dataset of ancient quinoa to determine its domestication history. Researchers will also investigate, for the first time, the transcriptome and epigenetic regulatory gene expression networks of ancient quinoa seeds in relation to environmental changes. This multidisciplinary approach will also help improve the genetic makeup of quinoa, thereby increasing its suitability as a crop at the time of ongoing biodiversity crisis.
Objective
Quinoa is a highly nutritious grain identified by the UN as an essential crop to improve world food security. Pre-Columbian cultures started the domestication of quinoa about 7,000 years ago in the highland and coastal environments of the Andes where it is adapted to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The spread of quinoa out the centres of domestication likely required adaptation to new environments supported by favourable alleles at critical genetic and epigenetic loci. However, domestication as an intensive selection process can also lead to a reduction of the genetic diversity of domesticates, reducing their adaptability plants and threatening food security. Accessing the genetic makeup of dated archaeobotanical samples provides a powerful opportunity to examine the genomic information that has changed at various stages of domestication, enabling the identification of lost genetic diversity at key loci. Archaeological studies have reported quinoa remains dating back to 4,000 years before present, but the ancient genetic diversity remains under characterised. PALEOQUINOA will take advantage of the excellent preservation of ancient DNA molecules in archaeological specimens to track the genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in quinoa in the last 3,500 years. The unique combination of advanced ancient DNA techniques and cutting-edge computational methods will generate the first genome-scale dataset of ancient quinoa and characterise the domestication history of this crop. In addition to the genome, PALEOQUINOA will also investigate, for the first time, the transcriptome and epigenetic regulatory gene expression networks of ancient quinoa seeds, in relation to environmental changes. The new knowledge gained through this multidisciplinary approach will shed light into the evolutionary history of crop domestication and facilitate improvements in the genetic makeup of quinoa to increase its suitability as a crop at the time of ongoing biodiversity crisis.
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 genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computational science
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- 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.
75794 PARIS
France
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.