Objective
Global changes in climate, habitat structure and land-use patterns all have major consequences on biodiversity and the integrity of natural ecosystems. How organisms respond and adapt to changing environmental conditions is therefore a key question in biological research. Despite a rich history of scientific literature detailing both case studies and basic science of how climate and habitat degradation affects populations, an area completely understudied in the context of changing environment conditions is the role of the bacterial microbiome. It is becoming increasingly apparent that an organism does not function alone. Individuals are actually ‘superorganisms’ both in terms of function and genomic content. Bacteria are now known to influence many aspect's of host biology including reproduction, nutrition and health. Recent human-centric research has evidenced this view but insect models can also offer important advantages and insights. Butterfly models are especially appropriate because of extensive ecological and population data and roles as agricultural pests and indicators of climate change. In this proposed research I will combine traditional ecology physiology and population studies with state of the art sequencing technologies. I will first map the geographical pattern of microbiome diversity in the butterfly Colias eurytheme and examine environmental correlates. As ectotherms butterflies are particularly thermally sensitive and so I will then assess the role of bacteria in host thermal tolerance and adaptation. Lastly I propose to investigate determinants of microbiome composition. This work will produce the first full characterisation of a butterfly microbiome, provide insights into thermal adaptation and identify candidate host genes associated with microbiome diversity. This knowledge will form the backbone of further research into the role of the microbiome in the host response to changing environmental conditions.
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
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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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
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
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.