Objective
The origin of multicellularity is considered a major transition in the evolution of life. It has independently evolved over 20 times in different pro- and eukaryote lineages. Underlying genetic mechanisms are still far from being understood. Moreover, it seems that the transition to multicellularity in cyanobacteria might have be correlated to the “Great Oxidation Event” (GOE), over 2.4 billion years ago. Here, I propose an ambitious multidisciplinary project, (i) to study the genetic mechanism that enabled the transition to multicellularity and (ii) to test the hypothesis that the accumulation of atmospheric oxygen is a consequence of the origin of multicellularity in cyanobacteria. Multicellularity might have been a key innovation during cyanobacterial history triggering adaptive radiation and abundance, consequently changing the biogeochemical cycles of Earth. To test this hypothesis I propose to resolve the timing and nature of cyanobacterial evolution, combining phylogenomic studies with palaeontological data. 30 cyanobacterial species have been chosen for next generation sequencing adding to the full genetic and morphological diversity of this phylum. The resultant data will be used for phylogenomic studies. Distinct gene sets associated with different multicellular lineages will be identified and their history reconstructed using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. Furthermore, cyanobacterial fossils from various ages will be analyzed applying different “state-of-the-art” analytical tools, such as Synchrotron X-ray tomography, and will be incorporated in an elaborate phylogenetic dating analyses using a Bayesian approach with different clock models. Results will be critically evaluated and compared to palaeoclimatic data, to reconstruct the origin and diversification of cyanobacteria and their significance to the GOE. This approach depicts the most sophisticated study of the coevolution of Earth and life over two billion years ago.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry electrolysis
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
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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
BS8 1QU Bristol
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.