Objective
The escalating climate crisis, population growth cause serious challenges to system reliant to plants, posing a critical threat to agricultural productivity and global food security. In the urgent quest to develop resilient crops, CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes present a powerful and precise genome-editing tool. Their primary advantage lies in enabling non-transgenic improvement by acting transiently without the integration of foreign DNA, thereby potentially streamlining regulatory approval and public acceptance. However, the transformative potential of this technology is severely hampered by a fundamental bottleneck: the efficient delivery of these macromolecules into plant cells. To address the delivery challenge, we propose the development of a novel, sustainable nanocarrier platform centred on a biocompatible silicon core, which serves as a scaffold for a precise layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. This enables the meticulous encapsulation of functional CRISPR-Cas9 RNP complexes, thereby shielding them from enzymatic degradation in the extracellular environment. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) will be incorporated to promote enhanced cellular uptake and internalisation by overcoming the cell wall barrier, while choline-based deep eutectic solvents (DES) will be employed to stabilise the RNP payload and ensure its release upon intracellular entry. By introducing the cargoes into pollen, we aim to achieve heritable edits that are directly transmitted to the progeny seeds following pollination. This method leverages the natural process of fertilisation, offering a transformative, genotype-independent solution for rapid crop improvement. The successful execution of this research will provide a robust and versatile platform technology to accelerate the development of more stress-resilient crops, ultimately contributing to sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security in the face of a rapidly changing climate.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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.
20018 Donostia San Sebastian
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.