Objective
Trachipleistophora hominis is a member of the microsporidia, a large group of obligate intracellular parasites of other eukaryotes including patients with HIV/AIDS. Microsporidia were originally thought to be early-branching eukaryotes lacking mitochondria. Recent data, key elements published by the proposed host laboratory, have now shown that they are highly reduced fungi with largely metabolically cryptic remnant mitochondria called mitosomes. During their evolution to parasitism the genomes of microsporidians have become highly streamlined, resulting in a strong dependency of the parasites on substrates imported from their hosts. In my project I will analyse the relatively large (~8 Mb) newly sequenced (by the host laboratory) genome of T. hominis and compare it to the much smaller (~3 Mb) published genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and to several partial genome sequences from other microsporidians. These analyses will allow me to compare and contrast the degree of reductive genome evolution undergone by different microsporidians during their separate evolutionary histories and adaptation to different hosts. As part of these analyses, I will reconstruct a putative proteome for the T. hominis mitosome, focusing particularly on hypotheses of candidate transport proteins. These hypotheses will then be tested by laboratory work, including localisation studies and functional characterisation. The proposed project, host laboratory and their collaborators will provide me with state of the art training in bioinformatics and molecular biology aimed at understanding the biology of a group of important human parasites. Research on this topic goes to the heart of a fundamental issue for eukaryotic biology - identifying the origin of essential components of eukaryotic cells. It speaks directly to the FP7 Health Priority “Systems Biology” (HEALTH-2007-2.1.2) to combine and integrate data from biological pathways in unicellular eukaryotic organisms to human cells and organs.
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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
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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-IEF-2008
See other projects for this call
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
NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne
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.