Objective
Comparisons among whole genome sequences allow us to survey differences in gene content among organisms, and hypothesise patterns of gene gain and loss through evolution. Rates of gene flux appear to be surprisingly high, and many genes are unexpectedly unique to species (“orphan” genes). In plants, increasing evidence suggests that genome evolution has been shaped by multiple rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) after which many duplicated genes are lost, but some duplicates are retained and diverge. The extent to which novel genes arise due to WGD, tandem duplications, horizontal gene transfers, or de novo, remains an open question, especially in plants where WGD seems to be such a pervasive feature of evolution. Our knowledge is hampered by the fact that until now we have been limited to comparisons of whole genome sequences in plants that are highly diverged from one another. This means that the early consequences of gene duplication, and the early divergence of duplicated genes, have not been studied on a genomic scale. This project will use a new dataset, generated by the host lab, containing the whole genome sequence of every species within a plant genus (the genus Fraxinus – ash trees). As well as having inferred WGDs in its ancestry, this genus contains species that have undergone recent WGD. We propose to conduct a comprehensive analysis of gene and gene family evolution in this genus, compiling a major public database of Fraxinus gene families (FraxiFam). Using this data we will conduct the first genome-wide and genus-wide study of gene content evolution, allowing us to study the early stages of gene sequence and gene content divergence. We will test hypotheses about: (1) the primary drivers of gene content evolution, (2) the repeatability of patterns in gene loss and retention after WGD, and (3) the early evolution of orphan genes. This research will contribute to attempts to develop ash trees resistant to ash dieback, for EU ecological restoration.
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 biological morphology comparative morphology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences chemical sciences
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
E1 4NS LONDON
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.