Project description
Microbial alliances under threat
Seagrass meadows are essential marine ecosystems and powerful carbon sinks, but populations of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean are declining as ocean temperatures rise. Scientists suspect that its partnership with the sponge Chondrilla nucula, a relationship shaped by complex microbial communities, may offer insights into resilience under heat stress. However, the inner workings of this sponge-seagrass-microbe alliance remain largely underexplored. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MicroSymb project will study this alliance using advanced molecular tools, from metagenomics to stable isotope probing. By uncovering how nutrients and microbes flow between these partners, MicroSymb aims to reveal new nature-based strategies to protect marine ecosystems in a warming world and shed light on the unseen microbial forces that shape them.
Objective
Seagrass meadows are among the most productive marine ecosystems, playing essential structural and functional roles, and are recognized as the most efficient blue carbon sinks globally. The plant-associated microbiome, a diverse array of microbial taxa forming intimate symbiotic relationships with seagrasses, is critical for maintaining ecosystem stability and facilitating plant adaptation to environmental stressors. In the Mediterranean Sea, however, the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica is in decline due to climate change-driven stressors, particularly thermal stress. The sponge Chondrilla nucula is commonly found in association with P. oceanica, and it is hypothesized that this sponge-plant symbiosis enhances the metabolic capabilities of both organisms, mediated by key microbial communities, especially under thermal stress. Despite this potential, the precise dynamics of nutrient exchange and interactions between seagrasses and sponges, facilitated by their microbiomes, remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap limits our ability to fully comprehend the ecological and metabolic functions of these associations and hinders the development of nature-based solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change. MicroSymb aims to address this gap by studying the P. oceanica–C. nucula association through their microbiomes, utilizing field sampling, mesocosm and stable isotope probing experiments, metabarcoding, and meta-omics approaches. This project will evaluate the capacity of this association to adapt and remain resilient in the face of ocean warming. Throughout MicroSymb, I will acquire advanced skills in metagenomics, metaproteomics, and nutrient cycling within holobionts, while contributing my expertise in marine ecology, host-microbiome interactions, holobiont functioning, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. MicroSymb will position me at the forefront of host-microbiome research and the study of adaptive capacities in marine organisms amid climate change.
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 marine biology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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)
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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)
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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.
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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
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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80121 Napoli
Italy
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