Objective
Stem cells are defined as those that give rise to a variety of differentiated cell types, while at the same time maintaining their own undifferentiated lineage. I am interested in testing whether conserved genes underlie stem cell functions in plants and animals, with emphasis on the less known aspect of these cells: the maintenance of the undifferentiated and pluripotent state. My host laboratory (working on Arabidopsis) and others (in mouse) have defined, by chip analysis, sets of genes that are preferentially expressed in plant and in mammalian stem cells. A comparison between those sets of genes revealed 22 that are common to both systems. This constitutes the first indication that indeed conserved stem cell functions could be shared between plants and animals. Among these shared genes, twelve are clearly related to cell cycle progression, at least one controls the transition to differentiation and others have unknown functions. I will focus on nine conserved genes for which no roles in cell proliferation have been reported. Totes whether these conserved genes are important for stem cell function in Arabidopsis, we will study their expression in moistens (where stem cells reside), their regulation by other meristematic genes, and analyse the effects of loss and gain of function. Once their function in Arabidopsis is defined we will asses whether their function is conserved also in mammals stem cells. The outcome of this project will be a better understanding of plant development and the identification of a set of genes that may be part of a conserved core of stem cell functions. From the training point of view, this project will expand my scientific expertise and approaches intone areas, give me the opportunity to establish new Europe-wide contacts and lay the foundation to pursue an independent research career after returning to my home country.
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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
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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.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
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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
NORWICH
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.