Objective
Micro-organisms, in particular symbiotic bacteria, can affect the way that herbivorous insects utilise their host plants. The best known examples are the obligate endosymbionts that enable their hosts to feed on diets impoverished in essential nutrients. But recent research has identified new ways in which bacteria can influence insect-plant interactions, and which often involve facultative rather than obligate associations. In some species facultative symbionts are associated to host plant use, the best known example coming from pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) where surveys demonstrate that particular bacteria are strongly associated with aphids on certain food plants. The associations might be explained if symbionts benefit their insect hosts through the manipulation of plant-induced defenses (i.e. the systemic mobilization of plant defenses after insect attack, for example through the emission of volatile organic compounds that promote the effectiveness of natural enemies). I propose to explore systematically the effects of facultative insect bacterial symbionts on induced plant defences from plant gene expression to wider community effects using the pea aphid model system. This species has by far the best characterised symbiont community. My approach will bring together ideas and techniques from the evolutionary theory of symbiosis, community ecology, plant physiology and modern molecular plant biology. This project will be developed during two years at the Wageningen University in the laboratory of Prof. Marcel Dicke, a leading expert in plant induced defenses and multitrophic interactions. After my previous experience studying insect ecology in Spain and the United Kingdom, this fellowship is the ideal next step for reaching my scientific and professional maturity, to build up lasting cooperation and collaboration and finally to establish my own group afterwards.
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 microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry volatile organic compounds
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
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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-IEF
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
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands
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.