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RNA polymerase In immune Synergy Exploration (RISE): multi-omics dissection of phosphorylation-regulated transcriptional control in plant immunity

Objective

Plants survive pathogen attack by rapidly reprogramming gene expression. Recent discoveries from my host lab revealed that cell-surface and intracellular immune systems act synergistically: intracellular immunity amplifies the strength and duration of cell-surface responses through precise regulation of defence genes. Yet, the molecular mechanism underlying this amplification remains unknown. The RISE project will test the hypothesis that RNA Polymerase II (Pol II), the central enzyme for gene transcription, is a key regulatory node in this synergy. I will 1) map Pol II transcriptional dynamics during combined immune activation using nascent RNA sequencing at single-nucleotide resolution; 2) identify phosphorylation events that fine-tune Pol II activity through data-independent-acquisition phospho-proteomics, focusing on its C-terminal domain phospho-dynamics that couple immune signals to transcription; and 3) integrate transcriptional and proteomic data into causal gene regulatory networks using time-aware algorithms constrained by prior biological knowledge. This multi-omics approach will generate high-resolution datasets and reusable pipelines to reveal how phosphorylation codes shape Pol II behaviour and enable stronger and longer-lasting immune programs. The project addresses Horizon Europe priorities by advancing understanding of plant resilience, contributing to open-science resources, and informing sustainable agriculture. It will also strengthen my technical, computational, and leadership skills. Building on my international research path from China to Germany and now to the Netherlands, the MSCA fellowship will enable me to mature into an independent researcher in plant molecular biology.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 217 076,16
Address
RAPENBURG 70
2311 EZ Leiden
Netherlands

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

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