Objective
The social insects are established model systems for the study of social evolution and are emerging model systems for studying the evolution of behaviour, aging, and complex social phenotypes. However, we know very little of the genetic basis of social insect phenotypes. This is a major limitation because the genetic architecture underlying traits determines how traits respond to selection. The purpose of the proposed research is to develop and implement novel approaches to study the evolution of social insect phenotypes. The two main research objectives are to compare the genetic architecture of two fungus growing ant species that differ in social complexity and to use artificial selection to study how different components of pharaoh ant phenotypes independently respond to selection. While Europe has emerged as a centre of social insect research, it has lagged behind the United States in the field of quantitative genetics, the study of the genetic basis of phenotypes. The researcher (Dr. Linksvayer) has been trained in quantitative genetics at leading institutions in the United States and has pioneered the application of quantitative genetic approaches to social insect systems. The host institution, the Centre for Social Evolution at the University of Copenhagen, is a leading European institution for the study of social insect evolution and has unique facilities, personnel, and experience with the two proposed study systems; the host (Prof. Boomsma) is one of the leading scholars in the field. The proposed research is an ideal match of the unique attributes of the host institution and researcher, and thus provides a perfect opportunity for the transfer of knowledge between Europe and the United States. The study of the genetic and molecular bases of traits is rapidly expanding, and the proposed research will strongly contribute to the establishment of European excellence and competitiveness in this 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 genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
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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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-2-IIF
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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.
Coordinator
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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.