Project description
Wild house mice may offer fresh perspective on gut microbiome
One of the most important symbiotic relationships that has attracted keen research over recent decades is that between mammals and their gastrointestinal tract microbes, collectively called the microbiome. Even within a given mammalian species, the gut microbiome undergoes rapid changes during development and continues to be highly variable throughout life, dependent on numerous factors. Although an increasing amount of evidence suggests an important role of the microbiota in immunity and nutrition, very few studies have been conducted in wild populations. The EU-funded MUSMICRO project is comparing long-term studies of wild house mice with controlled studies in the lab to determine whether natural variation in microbiota is truly correlated with health.
Objective
The mammalian gut teems with a particularly dense and diverse microbial community, the composition of which varies widely among hosts. A large body of laboratory work suggests these communities provide important functions for the host – including nutrition, pathogen protection and immune development – but we know very little about what shapes the mammalian gut microbiota, and how it affects the host, in natural populations.
A major barrier to progress is a lack of powerful investigative tools for most wild animal species. I will overcome this by studying a natural population of the species that has the best laboratory tools, and knowledge, for the mammalian microbiome: the house mouse. Specifically, I will set up a new wild house mouse system and use it to address three broad questions: 1) what drives natural variation in the gut microbiota? 2) does microbiota variation predict fitness traits in the wild? and, critically, 3) does microbiota variation causally affect fitness-relevant traits? To do this, I will pair detailed, longitudinal studies of wild mice with controlled experiments in the lab, making use of state-of-the-art tools for this species, including: (i) faecal transplant experiments with germ-free animals, to test the phenotypic impact of different wild mouse microbiotas (ii) high resolution genotyping methods and (iii) new radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology we have recently developed for monitoring wild rodent survival and behaviour.
By doing so, this project will directly tackle the key unanswered question: does the composition of the mammalian gut microbiota actually matter in nature?
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.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications radio technology radio frequency
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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)
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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
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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
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-STG
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OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
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