Project description
Advancing environmental DNA as a genetic analysis tool
Various organisms release DNA into water and sediments, which serves as an indirect means of detecting present and past organisms without the need for sampling. The EU-funded DENMARK project is interested in the conditions that protect DNA molecules and decrease their decay rate. Scientists are investigating DNA–mineral associations in various terrestrial, freshwater and marine samples, focussing in particular on the bonds and their stability. Results will improve the extraction and analysis of environmental DNA from mineral samples as well as its utilisation as a source for genetic and DNA migration studies.
Objective
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is trace amounts of DNA released by organisms into water and sediments. It has recently attracted a lot of attention as it can be a valuable tool for detecting present and past organisms without the need to directly sample them. However, biotic and abiotic decay has severe effects on DNA survival. The adsorption of DNA to mineral surfaces in sediments as well as saline conditions have been shown to protect DNA molecules and decrease the DNA decay rate. Understanding which minerals and environmental conditions provide the best preservation of adsorbed DNA can thus allow us to: a) target such environments for paleoecological and palaeogenetic studies; b) serve as a quantitative tool for assessing DNA migration, i.e. is the recovered eDNA autochthonous?; and c) significantly advance eDNA extraction and analysis protocols by targeting and extracting eDNA from specific minerals.
Currently, we only have a qualitative understanding of the DNA-mineral adsorption/desorption at the bulk level and we have no quantitative insight into the DNA-mineral interactions and solution conditions that enhance DNA survival, nor the combined impact on DNA longevity in natural environments. With DENMARK I will (1) assess DNA-mineral associations and correlate with eDNA preservation state in sediments from terrestrial, freshwater and marine settings. Additionally, for a range of sedimentary minerals and a range of environmentally relevant solution compositions I will: (2) quantify the Gibbs free energy (ΔGbu) and kinetic bond parameters of in vitro DNA-mineral interactions; and (3) examine the nature, fraction and stability of interacting bonds of in vitro DNA-mineral associations at the bulk level. (4) Finally, I will link the sediment data to the in vitro single bond and bulk data to make a conceptual model for addressing the characteristics and longevity of different DNA-mineral systems, and improve eDNA extraction protocols.
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.
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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.