Objective
Viruses are extremely abundant in the marine environment and are thought to profoundly influence ecosystem functioning. As host-specific agents of mortality they influence the population dynamics, diversity and evolution of their hosts. However, we are presently unable to assess the abundance or dynamics of discrete viral populations.
Furthermore, estimates of viral-induced mortality are rudimentary at best, due to the lack of appropriate tools to quantify infected host cells. I propose to investigate the diversity of viruses that infect the ecologically important marine cyanobacteria, Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, as well as assess their impact on host mortality. I will focus on the ubiquitous podoviruses for which little information is presently available. The diversity of cyanobacterial podoviruses will be determined by sequencing the DNA polymerase gene from podovirus isolates.
We will use these findings to develop primers for the specific identification of cyanobacterial podoviruses and will employ a novel molecular approach, solid-phase polymerase chain reaction, for their quantification. The abundance and population dynamics of these podoviruses will then be determined over spatial and temporal scales in the Red Sea and will be compared to host population and total virus dynamics.
Furthermore, this method will be used to amplify viral DNA from single cyanobacterial cells to investigate the extent of podovirus infection. The results from this research will significantly enhance our understanding of the influence of podoviruses on cyanobacterial mortality, population dynamics and community composition, and thus their impact on primary production and recycling of matter in the oceans.
I bring to this project and Europe, unique expertise acquired in the US on physiological, genomic and evolutionary aspects of cyanobacteria-virus interactions. EC funding of this project will advance my progress towards a permanent position at the Technion.
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 virology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences botany
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-12
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.
IRG - Marie Curie actions-International re-integration grants
Coordinator
HAIFA
Israel
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.