Objective Abiotic stresses, such as drought or salt stress, affect plant growth and threaten the capacity to feed a growing world population. Understanding and altering how plants deal with stress will be critical for society’s adaptation to a changed climate. I propose a novel systems-biology based approach to identify biotechnological targets based on comparison of interaction and signalling networks of evolutionary related species that show differential abiotic stress tolerance. Similar to most crops, Arabidopsis thaliana is an abiotic-stress sensitive glycophyte whereas several close relatives are stress tolerant. This constitutes an opportunity to understand how plant stress-signalling networks are modified by evolutionary processes to adapt to novel environmental conditions.Biological processes are mediated by physically and functionally interacting proteins. Especially stress response networks are rewired when plants adapt to new environmental conditions. I aim to experimentally map the abiotic stress networks of four closely related brassicaceae: A. thaliana, A. lyrata, A. halleri and E. salsugineum. Novel conceptual advances in interactome mapping and a state-of-the art interactome mapping pipeline will be exploited to ensure direct alignability of the resulting reference networks. In addition the dynamic signalling events under drought stress will be analysed. Using a combination of network alignment, graph theoretical and statistical analyses, data integration, and literature-informed criteria a ranked candidate list of stress response regulators will be assembled. These will be genetically and biotechnologically validated. First level candidates will be tested in Arabidopsis thaliana and evaluated with respect to stress tolerance and overall biomass production. The most promising targets will then be transferred to Brassica napus to evaluate the performance in a commercially relevant crop. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutritionagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturenatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-CoG-2014 - ERC Consolidator Grant Call for proposal ERC-2014-CoG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Coordinator HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUENCHEN DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GMBH Net EU contribution € 1 437 046,26 Address Ingolstadter landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg Germany See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Landkreis Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUENCHEN DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GMBH Germany Net EU contribution € 1 437 046,26 Address Ingolstadter landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Landkreis Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Germany Net EU contribution € 559 703,74 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
