Project description
Role of epigenetics and lateral gene transfer in eukaryotic evolution
Protists are eukaryotic organisms, mostly unicellular, that are not animals, plants, or fungi. Their evolution is closely connected to the evolution of the eukaryotic cells. They are still largely unexplored, limiting understanding of the significance of lateral gene transfer (LGT) and non-genetic (i.e. epigenetic) influences on gene expression in eukaryotic evolution. Using cutting-edge bioinformatic techniques, the EU-funded Macro-EpiK project aims to understand how these factors affected eukaryotic genome macroevolution. Specifically, the study will determine eukaryote phylogenesis and genetically profile the last eukaryotic common ancestor. It will also look into epigenetic mechanisms and influences on protists, as well as the fascinating possibility that horizontal gene transfer also had an effect.
Objective
Multicellular organisms (e.g. animals, fungi and plants) are the best-studied eukaryotes but their ancestors and the vast majority of eukaryotic diversity correspond to microbial species (“protists”). The evolutionary history of protists is closely connected to the evolution of the eukaryotic cell itself.
However, most protist diversity is still genomically unexplored, limiting our investigation of eukaryotic evolution. For example, while the importance of lateral gene transfer (LGT) in prokaryotic evolution is well recognized, its role in eukaryotic evolution is still debated. In addition, although epigenetic mechanisms represent a hallmark of eukaryotic genome regulation, we know surprisingly little about the evolution of these mechanisms across eukaryotic diversity.
The overarching goal of my project is to understand how epigenetic mechanisms and LGT have shaped the macroevolution of eukaryotic genomes. This project has several inter-related intermediate objectives, which each in themselves will bring crucial insights into eukaryotic evolution: 1) reconstructing a robust phylogeny of eukaryotes; 2) inferring the gene content of the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor; 3) tracing the evolution of genes involved in epigenetic mechanisms and obtaining epigenomic maps from under-studied protists; 4) investigating the intriguing hypothesis of a possible interplay between epigenetic regulation and horizontal gene transfer and its influence on eukaryotic genome evolution: Have genes involved in epigenomic mechanisms been transferred between eukaryotes? Do epigenomic modifications affect the frequency of LGT in different lineages?
To achieve this, I will characterize the transcriptomes, genomes, methylomes and small RNAs of understudied eukaryotic microbes selected for their key phylogenetic position, and to analyse them using state-of-the-art bioinformatic methods. I will target uncultivated protists, using single-cell techniques and novel genome-scaffolding approaches.
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 molecular biology molecular genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes eukaryotic genomes
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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)
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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-2018-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.
75794 PARIS
France
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.