Objective
Temperature instability caused by climate change, including milder winters and unseasonal frosts, pose a growing threat to global agriculture. Temperate plants acquire freezing tolerance through a process called cold acclimation, triggered by the gradual decreasing temperatures of autumn and early winter. However, rising winter temperatures disrupt this natural adaptation, leaving crops increasingly vulnerable to sudden frost events. Addressing this challenge is critical for developing resilient cultivars capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions. The primary goal of tuneCHILL is to pioneer innovative strategies for inducing plant cold acclimation at higher temperatures. This project builds on the hypothesis that chilling-responsive gene networks can be reprogrammed to activate under milder conditions by leveraging the regulatory mechanisms underlying plant cold responses. Drawing on my expertise in transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of plant adaptation to winter, and supported by promising preliminary data, I propose an integrative research programme to uncover novel pathways modulating plant chilling responses. Using the model species Arabidopsis thaliana and the crop model Fragaria vesca (woodland strawberry), I aim to:
1. Identify and manipulate key factors that suppress the chilling response under moderate cold conditions.
2. Reengineer non-coding regulatory sequences to enhance F. vesca adaptation to warmer winters.
3. Discover small peptides capable of stimulating cold acclimation in crops, independent of low-temperature exposure.
This ambitious research programme will provide transformative insights into the regulation of chilling responses in plants. By developing practical tools and strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change, tuneCHILL will contribute to the creation of climate-smart crops, advancing agricultural sustainability and resilience in an era of increasing temperature extremes.
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
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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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-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.
08193 CERDANYOLA DEL VALLES
Spain
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.