Project description
Unravelling the abilities of plant defensins
Defensins are small proteins that can be found in a wide range of organisms including plants. They are known as host defence peptides that work against a wide variety of pathogens. However, recent data shows that they also play a role in important biological functions within plants, such as root development and reproduction. The EU-funded DEF2DEV project aims to shed light on the biological function and mode of action of the plant defensin AtPDF2.3 and its closest homologue AtPDF2.2. The work of the project will help with the identification of novel strategies to cope with biotic stress, and the regulation of root architecture, which will be beneficial for agricultural crops.
Objective
Plant defensins are small highly stable peptides and were originally isolated based on their antifungal activity. They are regarded as being an important part in plant innate immunity responses directed against fungal pathogens. Recent data suggests however that their role is not restricted to antimicrobial peptides in the defense response, but also includes important biological functions, such as root development and reproduction. Surprisingly, despite the broad international interest in plant defensins, their mode of action in plant defense responses is still unclear as well as their possible involvement in (other) biological functions. The project aims to unravel in depth the biological function and mode of action of the plant defensin AtPDF2.3 and its closest homologue AtPDF2.2. Our complementary approach will focus on alternative modes of action of these plant defensins relevant for plant defense and root development, allowing to find clear answers about their biological functions, being: (1) their role during root development, (2) their role during plant defense (3) their mode of action in plants and (4) their antifungal mode of action. The envisioned long term goal of this project is to identify novel strategies to cope with biotic stress and regulation of root architecture to be applied on important agricultural crops. The project has a strong multidisciplinary nature, combining bioinformatics, genetics, microbiology and molecular biology approaches. The project bridges the knowledge and expertise of the applicant in root development and confocal microscopy with the that of the host in plant-fungi interactions. With the implementation of the project the applicant will be trained in a new field, being plant-fungi interactions, able to learn new scientific skills and establish herself as high-quality researcher, allowing to take the next steps in her scientific career.
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
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy confocal microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
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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-2018
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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.
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium
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.