Project description
Transcriptome analysis of plant sperm cells
Crop breeding to improve agricultural plants and endow them with new resilience properties is critical for food sustainability on Earth. Although plant reproduction has been extensively studied, we lack fundamental knowledge on the mechanism. Are all sperm cells the same or do inherent differences endow them with improved fertilisation potential? The EU-funded SAMEorNOT project proposes to perform transcriptome analysis of sperm cells in the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The goal is to test the hypothesis that plants undergo preferential fertilisation. Apart from unprecedented knowledge, project results will help increase the efficiency of plant breeding programmes.
Objective
Human societies are sustained by flowering plants in different ways but especially as a key food supplier. However, it is known that increasing global temperatures strongly affect plant reproduction and the growing human population will require more food in short-middle term. Thus, to create new crop varieties more resistant to heat stress and with enhanced yield, a deeper understanding of the mechanism of plant sexual reproduction will be crucial for increasing the efficiency of plant breeding programs. Plant reproduction relies on a double fertilization process, in which two sperm cells from a pollen grain reach the ovule and one fertilize the egg cell while the other the central cell. In some species with dimorphic sperm cells a preferential fertilization of each sperm cell has been described, but for Arabidopsis thaliana as well as for many economically important crops with isomorphic sperm cells this question remains unclear. The main goal of this project is to identify by single cell RNA-seq analysis potential transcriptomic differences between the two Arabidopsis sperm cells. To do that, individual sperm cells from pollen tubes growing through female stylar transmitting tissue (semi in vivo) will be isolated by micromanipulation using a specially designed microfluidic chamber on an inverted microscope. The identification of differentially expressed genes would enable for the first time the creation of a sperm single-cell marker line to eventually explore a hypothetical preferential fertilization in Arabidopsis. These results can be adapted for plant breeding programs to develop impactful biotechnological tools, like haploid inducer lines with genetically modified sperm cells to specifically deliver components in the egg cell to induce in vivo gynogenesis. Additionally, the results will be a valuable scientific resource to address other topics beyond the preferential fertilization, like exploring hybridization barriers based on gamete recognition.
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 physical sciences optics microscopy
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
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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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HORIZON.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.4.1.5 - Fostering brain circulation of researchers and excellence initiatives
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-02
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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.
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal
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.