Objective
A fitness landscape is like a landscape in physical space, but it maps genotypes (locations) to their fitness (elevation). The concept helps to frame Darwinian evolution as a process that drives a population towards peaks of high fitness. However, a rugged, multi-peaked landscape can prevent evolution of high fitness, because natural selection alone does not allow a population to traverse the valleys separating low from high peaks. Multiple recent experiments have revealed our ignorance about a fundamental aspect of Darwinian evolution. They show that most fitness landscapes are highly rugged, yet Darwinian evolution readily produces organisms with high fitness. SEASCAPES will study two possible solutions to this paradox. The first is environmental change, which can cause a fitness landscape to become a seascape with a dynamically changing topography. The second is weakly selected or neutral mutation – theory predicts that they can be steppingstones towards high fitness regions. My team and I will use cutting-edge experimental technology that combines high-throughput CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing, in vivo fitness (growth rate) measurements in E. coli, and deep learning to map fitness landscapes of up to a hundred trillion (1014) genotypes, for five very different study systems that include proteins and regulatory DNA regions. We will map each landscape in two or more abiotic environments that include different carbon sources, antibiotics, and other stressors. We will join these maps with population genetic models to test three core hypotheses. First, changing environments can allow populations to discover high fitness regions even in rugged landscapes. Second, weakly selected mutations can lead to high fitness regions in such landscapes. Third, environmental change and weakly selected mutations synergize to enhance adaptive evolution. SEASCAPES will transform fitness landscape research, and resonate in fields as different as medicine and protein engineering.
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 physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planetary geology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning deep learning
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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-ADG
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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.
8006 Zurich
Switzerland
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.