Objective
Soil compaction is a major constraint on root growth, reducing lateral root branching and limiting plant access to water and nutrients. While the physical effects of compaction are well documented, the hormonal and genetic mechanisms underlying root responses—particularly lateral root branching—remain largely unexplored. Auxin is a central regulator of lateral root development, but how auxin signaling interacts with mechanical stress to influence branching is not well understood. To address this, I will use state-of-the-art high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) to examine how lateral root branching is altered as roots grow across compacted soil zones. This approach mimics natural field conditions, where roots encounter heterogeneous soil with randomly present compacted and non-compacted regions.
The host lab has made groundbreaking discoveries showing that ethylene accumulation in compacted soil triggers a cascade of signaling events that modulate ABA and auxin signaling to reshape root growth. Recently, the lab published a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of rice roots grown in compacted and non-compacted soils in Nature journal, identifying key auxin signaling genes induced by soil compaction in the pericyle cells from where lateral root development initiates. Building on these findings, I will investigate whether these genes are also involved in regulating lateral root branching under soil compaction. To uncover cell-specific gene expression changes associated with this process, I will apply spatial transcriptomics, enabling the identification of novel genes and pathways that control lateral root development under mechanical stress. This integrated approach will advance our understanding of root branching plasticity in response to soil compaction and contribute to strategies for breeding crops with improved resilience to challenging soil conditions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
NG7 2RD Nottingham
United Kingdom
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.