Project description
Mapping translation in early development
Early embryonic development relies on accurate protein production, yet how cells manage when, where and how much protein is produced is mostly unclear. Misregulation can result in embryonic death or developmental abnormalities. Funded by the European Research Council, the TRANS-CODE project will use single-molecule imaging combined with genome-wide ribosome profiling to understand the mechanisms driving translational control in live embryos with unmatched resolution. Scientists will depict how local and cell-type-specific translation patterns are formed by mapping translation efficiencies across all genes in developing C. elegans embryos. TRANS-CODE will also study how RNA-binding proteins help direct spatial and temporal control of protein production, contributing to a fundamental understanding of cell identity development and processes.
Objective
The translation of mRNAs by ribosomes is a key step in decoding the information stored in our genome. Animal development requires a strict regulation of translation, in particular when transcription is absent, as in most early embryos. A range of mechanisms ensure that mRNAs are translated with the right efficiency and location, in the right cell types and exactly when their protein products are needed. Disruption of this regulation can lead to developmental defects and embryonic lethality. Despite the recognized importance of translation regulation, the impact of translation regulation, and especially localized translation, on protein levels remains largely unknown for most genes. Furthermore, the mechanisms that drive localized and cell-type-specific translation are poorly understood, partly due to a lack of methods that enable the real-time visualization of translation in live embryos.
The goal of this proposal is to discover translationally regulated mRNAs across the genome in early development, and reveal, with single-molecule precision, how spatiotemporal cues and cell type-specific mechanisms drive differential protein translation. Using ribosome profiling, we will create a genome-wide single-cell map of translation efficiencies during embryonic development of C. elegans, thus delineating the translation landscape that guides development. Using real-time single-molecule translation imaging, we will reveal how local translation patterns are formed and maintained between and within cells. Finally, we will explore how RNA-binding proteins modulate both translation efficiencies and spatial organization, to reveal the underlying mechanisms that drive translation during development. This combination of genome-wide and single-molecule studies will lay the groundwork for understanding how spatial cues and cell-type-specific mechanisms drive precise protein expression, which ultimately shapes cellular identity in early 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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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)
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)
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Topic(s)
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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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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3584 CS Utrecht
Netherlands
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