Objective
Living systems are the product of evolution in a dynamically changing world; they endlessly adapt to new challenges imposed by their environment. Yet, our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms involved in adaptation to dynamic environments is very sparse. Even though gene regulation is well-known to endow cells with the ability to adjust their phenotype according to environmental fluctuations, we know little about genetic changes that fuel regulatory evolution or about the benefits and costs of regulatory changes. This lack of knowledge impacts several fields in biology: from the biomedical challenge of cancer plasticity where evolved gene regulations allow cancer cells to escape treatment, to the challenge of synthetic biology where gene circuits must be controlled despite environmental fluctuations.
This project builds on genomic advances to determine how the evolution of gene regulation depends on 1) mutational effects – “what can happen?”, and 2) the selective advantage of regulatory changes in dynamic environments – “who can survive?”. These fundamental questions will be addressed at the transcriptomic scale by combining innovative experimental and computational approaches in a powerful model organism: the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Using a novel high-throughput method by which the transcriptomes of thousands of genotypes can be profiled in different environments, we will determine how random mutations potentiate or constrain regulatory evolution and we will identify genetic variants altering gene regulation. By competing random mutants and performing functional assays under diverse regimes of selection, we will determine when and for which genes the evolution of expression regulation is beneficial.
This work will advance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying regulatory differences and of their adaptive value in dynamic environments, providing an empirical foundation for the development of predictive models of regulatory evolution.
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 mutation
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2023-COG
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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.