Objective
Organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts contain their own genomes, yet rely on nuclear-encoded genes for their maintenance. Despite the critical importance of these nuclear-encoded Recombination, Repair, and Replication (RRR) genes for genome stability, their functions in key Solanaceae crops, such as tobacco, potato and tomato, remain largely unknown. This knowledge gap is critical because the RRR genes not only govern plant resilience but may also serve as key modulators for improving the efficiency of mitochondrial gene editing tools like mito-TALENs.
Our central hypothesis is that disrupting RRR gene expression destabilizes the organellar genomes, potentially leading to male sterility and increased sensitivity to abiotic stress. Conversely, we hypothesize that modulating these genes can boost the efficiency of mitochondrial genome editing. We will test these hypotheses by characterizing the RRR genes in Solanaceae, generating transgenic lines with altered RRR gene expression, and evaluating the effects on genome integrity, plant fertility, and abiotic stress response. We will also investigate how RRR gene modulation affects the efficiency of mitochondrial gene editing and identify a novel layer of regulation by predicting and validating microRNA candidates. This project will generate a comprehensive catalog of Solanaceae RRR genes, drive the development of potato and tomato lines with cytoplasmic male sterility and enhanced stress resilience, and assess whether modulating these genes can significantly improve mitochondrial genome editing. This fundamental knowledge will provide new tools for crop improvement and contribute to global food security in the context of climate change.
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.
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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)
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Topic(s)
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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-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff Exchanges
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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-SE-01
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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.
35122 PADOVA
Italy
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.