Objective
Europe is in great need of a locally produced protein crop as it imports 70% of its protein requirements. Narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius, NLL) represents an excellent candidate. It is native to Europe, able to fix atmospheric nitrogen and produces high-protein grain (up to 40%). However, toxic alkaloids in the grain (quinolizidine alkaloids, QAs) prevent its widespread cultivation. Cultivars with low QA levels in all tissues are available; however, these are susceptible to herbivores, and grain QA content often surpasses safety thresholds. Interestingly, QAs are not produced in the grain, but are transported to the grain from vegetative tissues. Thus, I propose to specifically eliminate QAs from grain using a transport engineering approach without compromising defenses in vegetative tissues.
In this UnleashLupin project I will discover and characterise the unknown transport proteins involved in translocating QAs to the grain. For this, I will combine my background in NLL genetics and genomics with the expertise of the Nour‒Eldin laboratory, which is world-leading in the field of plant specialised metabolite transport. Candidate genes will be selected from recently generated resources, and they will be tested for transport activity (e.g. in Xenopus oocytes) and cellular/sub-cellular localization. Techniques for in planta characterization (e.g. virus-induced gene silencing) will be provided by the Geu-Flores laboratory, which is currently investigating QA biosynthesis in NLL. The outcome will significantly advance the emerging field of long-distance transport of plant specialised metabolites. It will also be instrumental in the development of a locally grown high-value, herbivore-resistant NLL crop that accumulates little or no QAs in the grain but retains QAs in vegetative tissues. Such a crop has the potential of curbing the EU’s dependency on imported vegetable protein, thus contributing to sustainability and economic growth.
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
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture vegetable growing
- engineering and technology civil engineering transportation engineering
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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.
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.