Project description
Exploring transposon regulation in plants
Transposons are DNA sequences that move within genomes, contributing to genetic variability and evolution. However, their regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. The ERC-funded MOBICODE project will explore transposon regulation in plants using a detection method that enables single-cell, real-time monitoring of transposon movement, enhancing our understanding of transposition regulation. The project will validate the assumption that transposition is more frequent in somatic tissues by using single-cell RNA sequencing. It will then identify novel regulators of transposition with a genome-wide CRISPR screen alongside RUM. Finally, it will explore internal regulatory motifs in transposons by mapping mutation hotspots. This research aims to clarify the complex networks that control transposon movement.
Objective
Transposons are ubiquitous DNAs capable of changing their genomic locations. While historically perceived as detrimental and damaging to host genomes, they have also been a major source of genetic variability, driving evolution. Unfortunately, the regulatory mechanisms of transposons remain largely unknown, primarily due to the lack of experimental methods to trace their movement. This project therefore aims to dissect the regulation of transposons in plants with unprecedented detail. This goal is enabled by a distinctive method developed in my lab, RUM (Real-time detection of transposon jUMping). RUM provides real-time, single-cell detection of transposon movement, offering a powerful platform to unravel the complexities of transposition regulation. Specifically, this project will focus on three major objectives investigating at multiple scales, from tissue to cellular and molecular levels. Firstly, it has long been assumed that transposition occurs more frequently in somatic tissues, however, this assumption has yet to be empirically validated. To comprehensively evaluate cell type-specific transposition activity, I will integrate RUM with single-cell RNA sequencing. This approach will provide a detailed map of cellular competence for transposition. Secondly, while epigenetic silencing is well known as a mechanism controlling transposons, significant gaps remain in our understanding of post-transcriptional and pre-integrational regulation. To identify novel regulators of transposition, I will perform a custom genome-wide CRISPR screen in combination with RUM. Thirdly, internal and auto-regulatory sequence motifs within transposons remain poorly studied. To address this, I will generate random mutations within RUM and map mutation hotspots associated with active transposition. Altogether, this study will illuminate the complex regulatory networks governing transposon movement, bridging longstanding knowledge gaps in biology.
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 DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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)
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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-COG
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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.
DH1 3LE DURHAM
United Kingdom
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