Project description
Generational and environmental factors in animal behaviour
Individual behaviour is present even in isogenic animal populations in a controlled environment. In the case of the free-living, harmless nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans, the behaviour of the adults appears to depend on the age of their mother. For instance, those born to young mothers explore less and dwell more in the same spot. The EU-funded BICE project will describe how the physiology of one generation determines the behaviour of the next and specify additional environmental factors that imprint on C. elegans during development and thus modulate behaviour later in life. The project will combine innovative genetic and pharmacological tools with state-of-the animal tracking and quantitative behavioural data analysis to examine behavioural variation.
Objective
Animal behaviour is shaped by genetic traits, memories of past experiences and current internal states. Even in isogenic animal populations in a controlled environment, individual behaviour can be found. I obtained evidence that unexpectedly, the behaviour of adult C. elegans nematodes is influenced by the age of their mother. Progeny from young mothers explore less and dwell more in the same spot. I will exploit the model to characterise how the physiology of one generation determines the behaviour of the next generation. Second, I will determine additional environmental factors that imprint on C. elegans during development and thus modulate behaviour later in life. To examine the mechanism of maternal-age induced and environmentally induced behavioural variation, I will combine innovative genetic and pharmacological tools with state-of-the animal tracking and quantitative behavioural data analysis. I aim to determine the molecules and cells that sense and transmit the signals during development, and characterise the changes in neuronal wiring affecting behaviour in adult animals. Funding for this project will allow me to describe how 1) transgenerational effects such as maternal age and 2) environmental stimuli modulate behaviour later in life, in an amenable model organism such as C. elegans. Both parts of the project will partially overlap in time to complete the action within a 2-year time frame. As components of the nervous system are largely conserved between the nematodes and mammals, findings are likely to be extrapolated to higher animals.
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 neurobiology
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology
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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.1.3. - 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 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
08003 Barcelona
Spain
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.