Objective
"The essentials of sperm function differ little from one species to another, and yet there is tremendous diversity among species in the type and number of sperm a male produces. My research programme aims to understand how these traits, which are fundamental to male fertility, evolve. Specifically, I aim to identify selective forces acting on sperm, spermatogenesis and the testis, and adopt a multidisciplinary approach to test the working hypothesis that post-copulatory sexual selection has been a major force during sperm and testis evolution. Such a research programme is needed, because evolutionary biologists have traditionally treated the testis as a “black box” (ignoring the details of its function) whereas more clinically-orientated research has usually not considered how evolutionary history shapes the complex machinery of spermatogenesis. The time is ripe for a more integrative programme.
In this project, I will build on recent progress to develop Macrostomum flatworms as a model system for studying the evolutionary biology of sperm, spermatogenesis and the testis. By in-depth studies of two closely related flatworm species, and comparative studies incorporating additional species, I will focus on testing how two radically different fertilization mechanisms affect the evolution of male reproductive function. The project will provide crucial information on the genetic architecture of sperm traits; on plasticity in sperm traits; and on how post-copulatory sexual selection shapes male reproductive phenotypes beyond gross testis size.
The results of the project will begin to build a more complete “evolutionary ecology of spermatogenesis”, with wide implications for our understanding of the male gamete and its production by the testis; thus they will be applicable both to the immediate field of evolutionary biology, and to related areas of biomedical and clinical research."
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine andrology
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology evolutionary ecology
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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-2012-CIG
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.
MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)
Coordinator
33615 BIELEFELD
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.