Objective
Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. One of the most important forms of epigenetic modifications is the methylation of DNA. Contrary to vertebrates, DNA methylation is not present in all insect species and is relatively sparse in insect genomes. In insects, DNA methylation is mostly found in gene bodies and at exon/intron boundaries, as opposed to vertebrates, where it mostly occurs in promoter regions. Taken together, this suggests that DNA methylation has a different role in insects, but its precise function is currently not understood. The fundamental feature of social insects (ants, bees, wasps and termites) is sophisticated division of labor, whereby different reproductive and behavioral castes coexist in insect societies. In this project I propose to use the parthenogenetic army ant Cerapachys biroi as a model species to investigate the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of reproduction and behavior. This project, jointly supervised by Prof. Daniel Kronauer (Rockefeller University, USA) and Prof. Laurent Keller (University of Lausanne, Switzerland), will be divided in two parts. First, I will use whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to identify genes for which changes in methylation status are associated with changes in reproduction and behavior. Second, I will use these candidate genes to investigate the causal relationship between DNA methylation, gene expression, alternative splicing and the regulation of reproduction and behavior. This project, which combines an elegant experimental design and state-of-the-art molecular techniques, will provide important information on the mode of action of DNA methylation and its role in the regulation of division of labor in insect societies.
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 DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
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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
1015 LAUSANNE
Switzerland
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.