Project description
Studying the evolution of venom in marine snails
Understanding how traits emerge in organisms is a key challenge in evolutionary biology. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the VENORIGN project addresses this by studying venomous marine snails, specifically the Conoidea group, which includes cone snails. These snails have undergone significant evolutionary changes, shifting from non-venomous to venomous. VENORIGN investigates the rapid genomic and morphological changes driving this transition, focusing on the venom toxins responsible. By comparing venomous and non-venomous species, the project will identify the processes behind venom acquisition and loss. The findings will clarify the evolution of venom in these snails and offer a broader understanding of how novel traits evolve across various species, including human pathogens.
Objective
The VENORIGN project aims to understand the evolution of novelty in biology. A major goal of contemporary evolutionary biology is to decipher the molecular basis of major phenotypic innovations in organisms, such as winged flight in birds and echolocation in whales. However, most cases of evolutionary novelty involve complex interactions among multiple genes, each with only minor effects. To address this challenge, we turn to venomous marine snails, specifically the Conoidea group, which includes cone snails and related species. Venom in these snails is linked to a limited set of proteins called toxins, representing the primary genetic changes responsible for the shift from non-venomous to venomous animals. The long-standing interest in cone snail toxins provides a unique context for studying this transition. Yet, the origins of the conoidean venom system and the processes governing multiple venom losses remain poorly understood. This project tests the hypothesis that the origin and loss of conoidean venom resulted from rapid genomic and morphological changes and will investigate these genetic and morphological alterations driving venom's emergence and disappearance. Using cutting-edge methods spanning morphology, taxonomy, genomics, and transcriptomics, we will analyze venomous and non-venomous conoidean and related species. This comprehensive comparison will reveal the processes governing venom acquisition and loss, shedding light on the principles of evolutionary novelty. Our work extends beyond venomous snails, offering a novel model to understand the molecular foundations of significant evolutionary changes. These findings will contribute to our understanding of how novel traits emerge in various biological systems, including human pathogens and agricultural development.
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
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy cetology
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-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-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
0313 Oslo
Norway
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.