Objective
For millennia, microbial communities have supported essential human activities - preserving food, treating waste, and fertilizing soil. Yet, given their vast metabolic versatility, we have only begun to tap into their full potential. To advance microbial biotechnology, we must design synthetic communities (SynComs) composed of a few well-selected microbial species that together perform desired functions. Ensuring that these community functions remain stable despite ecological and evolutionary dynamics is perhaps our biggest open challenge.
This project will establish a novel theoretical framework that connects trait evolution within individual species to the emergent function of the microbial community. Rather than suppressing within-species evolution, we will predict how environmental conditions and species composition can be tuned to enhance community function as evolution unfolds. To validate and refine this framework, we will experimentally compare evolved and ancestral synthetic communities from three published studies. Building on these insights, we will develop a new approach to microbial community design: isolating small communities from natural environments and improving them to achieve novel functions that improve as species evolve. As a proof of concept, we will engineer communities that produce microbial pigments that are valuable to the chemical industry and ideal for public engagement.
By integrating eco-evolutionary theory with biotechnology, this project will deepen our understanding of evolution in multi-species systems and apply these principles to design communities with new, scalable functions. Ultimately, we aim to shift microbial biotechnology from reliance on single species or undefined consortia toward a precise science of eco-evolutionary control.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
1015 LAUSANNE
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.