Objective
Plants are multicellular organisms with no brain, yet they respond to external stimuli by coordinating their cells into strategic growth-driven movement, termed tropisms. Specifically, local sensory information is encoded, processed and propagated across the tissue via stochastic transport of growth hormones, and the plant responds by growing. Notably, information-processing and growth (actuation) are merged; thus plants are a unique case of morphological computation. However, they have yet to be studied from this perspective. Doing so could offer groundbreaking insights into distributed computation in physical and biological systems. This research aims to provide such insights, by identifying the physical principles governing how plants use stochastic transport of molecules to encode in memory and process sensory information, and coordinate optimal movement in a large number of cells, enabling complex navigation. I propose a 3-part multiscale study based on tropisms combining theory and experiments; I build on our recent findings, based on response theory, showing that wheat shoots tropic response depends on a history of stimuli-where shoots sum and subtract stimuli over different timescales. In Aim 1 (tissue level) I interpret memory as both a signal-processing and movement-control function, showing it is an emergent property ubiquitous in plants. I extract response functions from tropism experiments across species, organs and stimuli, and analyze them via signal-processing and control theory, identifying computational and movement-control capabilities. Aim 2 reveals the microscopic-level underpinnings of emergent memory; I will identify physical mechanisms relating stochastic properties of biological signaling, observed via live microscopy, to macroscopic responses. Aim 3 (organism level) will reveal how plants combine computation and movement control to solve navigational problems (e.g. gradient detection) and identify the physical limits of their capabilities.
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.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics arithmetics
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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-2024-STG
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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.
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel
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.