Objective
Life is dependent on sugars made during photosynthesis. When plants colonized land ~450 million years ago they used a photosynthetic system known as the C3 pathway that still operates in the majority of species today. However, from ~30 million years ago over sixty plant lineages evolved a version of photosynthesis known as the C4 pathway that increases CO2 fixation efficiency by about 50%. C4 species such as maize and sorghum are now the most productive on the planet and achieve this by compartmentalizing gene expression between cell-types.
As with other complex biological systems made up of multiple distinct cell-types, it has not been possible to understand how photosynthesis genes are regulated in specific cell-types of C4 leaves. In contrast to strategies being used by other groups, I propose to discover how specific cell-types of ancestral C3 leaves regulate gene expression, and then to use this information to determine how C4 photosynthesis operates. To achieve this, state-of-the-art approaches used on whole tissues will be adapted to study individual cell-types.
Revolution will test the hypothesis that cell-specific gene expression in C4 leaves is mediated by pre-existing regulatory networks found in C3 species. Intracellular mechanisms regulating photosynthesis genes in ancestral C3 but also derived C4 leaves will be identified. In C3 leaves I wish to understand how some cell-types express photosynthesis genes whilst others remain photosynthetically repressed. In C4 leaves I wish to discover the extent to which cell-specific expression is based upon pre-existing regulatory networks in the C3 leaf.
Revolution will therefore generate information of broad relevance to understanding gene expression in eukaryotes, and provide insight into mechanisms underpinning one of the major evolutionary transitions since plants moved to land.
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
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics mathematical analysis functional analysis
- 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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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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) ERC-2015-AdG
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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.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
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.