Project description
Proteomics solution for taxonomic identification
Proteomics, the taxonomic identification of tiny organic samples using proteins, has shown promise in ecology, archaeology, wildlife forensics, and food-chain authentication. It is also cost-efficient, minimally destructive, and applicable in cases where DNA has not been preserved. However, zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS), a key method for its widespread use, faces significant challenges, including difficulty in distinguishing certain taxa and limitations when samples are mixed or contaminated. The ERC-funded PReciSe project aims to develop an innovative proteomics-based solution for taxonomic identification that is reliable, cost-efficient, fast, accurate, and scalable. By integrating advanced techniques with ZooMS, the project will address its limitations while fully leveraging its strengths.
Objective
Taxonomic identification of tiny organic samples using proteins (proteomics) has major, but only partially realised, potential in archaeology, ecology, wildlife forensics and food-chain authentication. It is a cost-effective and minimally destructive alternative to DNA analysis that can be applied even when DNA is not preserved. However, the most widespread method, known as ‘zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry’ (ZooMS) or peptide mass fingerprinting, cannot differentiate some taxa of major historical and ecological significance. Contaminated and mixed samples are also poorly resolved by ZooMS. Yet existing alternative methods are comparatively slow and expensive, even when optimised. The PReciSe project will develop a new proteomics approach to taxonomic identification that is fast, cheap, precise, reliable and realistically scalable to sample batches of varying size. The method will combine the speed and simplicity of ZooMS with the discriminating power of more complex techniques. It will immediately solve archaeological and ecological problems (extending to wildlife forensics in the case of endangered species) through the implementation of a research and commercial service at the National Laboratory for Age Determination in Trondheim. Moreover, by transferring innovations to industrial partners, environmental agencies and public health organisations, it will ultimately provide an alternative for quick and inexpensive supply-chain verification of aquaculture and livestock feeds – in order to exclude species that may be unsustainably sourced (e.g. in fishmeal) or potentially harmful (e.g. ruminant byproducts). Applications of the innovation will range from archaeological discoveries, to revealing the past and present sustainability of life in the oceans, to enhancing global food security and public health.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesfisheries
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsproteomics
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecology
- agricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedomestic animalsanimal husbandry
- humanitieshistory and archaeologyarchaeologybioarchaeology
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Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
7491 Trondheim
Norway