Objective
"Fungal crop pathogens cause severe yield losses and threaten food security. To prevent epidemics, deploying resistant varieties is currently the major avenue. However, agricultural ecosystems are highly conducive to the emergence of virulent pathogens and host resistance is rapidly overcome. The evolutionary mechanisms how virulence is gained on previously resistant hosts remains largely elusive. Identifying the genetic basis of adaptive evolution of pathogenic fungi in agricultural fields will be crucial to design future sustainable disease control strategies.
The proposed project will analyze the process of pathogen adaptation to overcome crop resistance in agricultural ecosystem. The genomic architecture (i.e. ""two-speed genome"") of filamentous pathogens is thought to favor the rapid evolution of virulence genes and the rapid breakdown of host resistance. However, the causal link between pathogen adaptation in the field and rapidly evolving loci has not been established.
I propose to use “reverse ecology”, an unbiased and holistic approach to associate genomic loci with adaptation to the host and environment using the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici as a model. Z. tritici is a pandemic pathogen causing the severe Septoria Tritici Blotch (STB) on wheat. Populations are highly diverse with high levels of gene flow and wheat resistance was repeatedly lost in field settings. To identify loci responding to selection driven by host resistance, I will analyze full genomes of large pathogen collections isolated from replicated field plots using a robust statistical frameworks. This will allow me to test for an association of selection responses and genomic locations. I will also identify the phenotypic traits under selection with a combination of association mapping data and functional predictions. My research will substantially increase our understanding of pathogen adaptation and guide future resistance deployment strategies in agricultural ecosystem."
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 microbiology mycology
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
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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.
2000 NEUCHATEL
Switzerland
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.