Objective
During embryonic development a single cell turns into a complex organism. This process is characterized by an antagonism between variation and stability. On the one hand, development is a tightly controlled process; tissues need to be specified at the right time, at the correct spatial position, and with a defined size. On the other hand, regulation should not be too rigid, since embryos need to adjust to environmental perturbations and correct errors caused by noisy gene expression. We will study variation and stability during pattern formation in the zebrafish heart. We seek to understand the origin of embryo-to-embryo variability as well as robustness against perturbation.
The zebrafish heart is a powerful model system for studying variability, since heart positioning is inverted along the left/right axis in 5-10% of wildtype embryos. We aim to identify the mechanism underlying variability in heart positioning and understand its function. To this end, we will combine two innovative approaches: Tomo-seq, a novel method for spatially-resolved transcriptomics developed by the applicant; and single-molecule FISH, a technique that allows absolute quantification of gene expression in single cells.
To expand our study of embryo-to-embryo variability beyond gene expression analysis, we will optimize a method for massively parallel single-cell lineage tracing based on CRISPR-Cas. This novel approach will allow us to study embryo-to-embryo variability in developmental lineage specification on the single cell level. We will use this strategy to systematically explore the corrective capacity of the zebrafish heart upon perturbation of progenitor cell pools, and to determine which mechanisms for error correction are activated in the embryo.
These quantitative experiments will provide unprecedented insight into variability and robustness during development. The concepts developed here will also be relevant for improving our understanding of variable outcomes in human disease.
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 developmental biology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computational science
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
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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-STG - Starting 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-2016-STG
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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.
13125 Berlin
Germany
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.