Objective
Some of the most pressing problems facing mankind today relate to the consequences of global climate change (GCC). To date, most studies of GCC have focused on plants and animals while downplaying the role of microorganisms. However, microbial activity in the soil is responsible for some of the most fundamental processes such as decomposition and nitrogen fixation. It is not known if the composition of microorganisms in the ecosystem is altered by GCC, or how the functionality of the ecosystem is affected. It is obvious, however, that this can have huge consequences. We propose to take a more fundamental look at the effects of GCC by including the microbial ecosystem component.
We will investigate the effects of three important factors on microbial ecosystems: Rising temperatures, use of nitrogen containing fertilisers, and plant invasion. Through state-of-the-art sequencing technologies combined with cutting edge bioinformatics tools, we will investigate transcription under varying conditions. From this we will not only describe the composition of organisms but the actual metabolic activities. This will be combined with data on plants and herbivores in the same systems, leading to a whole new understanding of GCC and move the field from the descriptive to the quantifiable.
The group has unique access to an existing field study measuring the effects of temperature, nitrogen addition and plant invasion. We will perform metatranscriptomics analysis on the RNA present in the soil using next generation sequencing. This will yield massive datasets describing the ecosystems under different conditions. Through the use of bioinformatics we will be able to infer the diversity of organisms, describe transcription activity, and combine these novel findings with higher level interactions involving plants, herbivores and parasites. This study will be important both scientifically, politically, and economically. Thus, it is of great benefit for the EU to be involved.
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 ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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-IOF
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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.