Objective
Recent discoveries suggest that all eukaryotes contain an organelle of mitochondrial ancestry (a homologue), suggesting that the organelle is essential for eukaryotic life. To understand why, requires comparative analyses of diverse mitochondrial homologue s to identify common essential functions. My project will study hydrogenosomes, mitochondrial homologues that make hydrogen, found in diverse anaerobic eukaryotes including trichomonads, fungi and ciliates. I will use a flexible and multidisciplinary approach with training in molecular cell biology and sequence analysis, to address two questions. To investigate a common function for hydrogenosomes and mitochondria, I will determine if ciliate hydrogenosomes can make FeS clusters.
This is an essential fun ction of yeast mitochondria and is the leading hypothesis for an essential role of all mitochondrial homologues. I will also investigate how mitochondria are converted into hydrogenosomes. Anaerobic ciliates represent a unique but largely unrealised oppo rtunity to tackle this question, because they have converted their mitochondria to hydrogenosomes on at least four separate occasions. To understand the facility by which ciliates achieve this, I will determine the evolutionary origins of ciliate hydrogenase, the canonical enzyme for hydrogenosomes.
I will also investigate whether ciliate hydrogenosomes have retained an organelle genome, providing a direct evolutionary link between the two organelles. I will do this work at Newcastle University where there are excellent facilities with Prof. Martin Embley, an expert on hydrogenosomes. My own expertise in mitochondrial genomics and anaerobic ciliates complements that of Prof Embley, and will ensure a productive and timely synergy. My project is innovative and original and addresses Life Sciences Priority (LSH-2003-1.2.2-3) to provide basic information on the fundamental biology of mitochondria as vital eukaryotic organelles.
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 evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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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.
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-7
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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.
IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships
Coordinator
United Kingdom
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.