Objective
Microbial symbionts are ubiquitous in eukaryotes, playing a major role in the evolution of their hosts not only by contributing to the diversification of immunity traits or microbiome-supplemented digestion but also to the origin of new species itself. Among the most enigmatic symbiont-induced mechanisms are those that directly modify mating behavior in animals, ultimately leading to reproductive isolation through changes in the host’s courtship or mate choice. Indeed, how microbes alter mating behavior, generating barriers to reproduction during the process of speciation, remains unknown. The aim of this proposal is to gain a mechanistic understanding of the genetic and neuronal functional principles underlying microbial manipulations of the host nervous system that induce reproductive isolation by manipulating mating behavior.
Identifying the mechanisms of microbial manipulation driving behavioral isolation requires a tractable host- symbiont system amenable to behavioral, genetic, and neurophysiological investigation and experimental manipulation to establish causality. Here, I develop a novel neurogenetic host-symbiont system in Drosophila to study the effects of bacterial Wolbachia endosymbionts on the behavioral (AIM 1), neuronal (AIM 2), and genetic (AIM 3) diversification of mating rituals. In an innovative cross-disciplinary approach, we will integrate experimental ethology and functional genetics with circuit neuroscience and optogenetics in a comparative evolutionary framework to elucidate how bacteria induce behavioral isolation.
Shedding light on the neurogenetic principles of symbiont-induced behavioral diversification provides a unique opportunity to isolate causal bacterial modifications of the underlying genetic and neural processes. This bears the ground-breaking opportunity to determine a direct link between neural circuit variation and behavioral evolution, addressing a major gap in the field.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology
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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.1.1 - 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-2026-STG
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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.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.