Project description
Saving Europe’s olive trees
Disease epidemics represent a critical threat for crops and increase global concerns about food security and social stability. Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterium transmitted exclusively by sap-sucking insects that feed on xylem fluid. The bacterium is spreading across Europe, threatening olive production. The EU-funded MultiX project aims to reduce disease in crops without yield losses. The project will use a multi-host method combined with dual transcriptomics to systematically analyse bacterial and plant signatures related to disease caused by X. fastidiosa. It will identify virulence factors and plant immunity determinants to understand host susceptibility and reveal immune receptors controlling X. fastidiosa infection. Consequently, it will assist the immune system at different levels of plant tissue organisation with the targeted expression of immune receptors.
Objective
This project addresses a complex problem in agriculture and will identify the process of multi-host pathogenicity.
Emerging and re-emerging disease epidemics represent ongoing challenges to cultivation of crop plants, a global threat to food security and social stability. One of the recent disease epidemics is caused by Xylella fastidiosa, a generalist bacterium that infects a broad range of hosts, now spreading in Europe and threatening olive production. How pathogens colonize in multiple, genetically diverse species across families is poorly understood.
X. fastidiosa colonizes xylem vessels, dead cells of the vasculature. I hypothesize that the more complex nature of multi-host pathogen interactions could be explained by a common virulence strategy that depends on environmental circumstances, in terms of resources and immune defences to be overcome. We will use a multi-host approach combined with dual transcriptomics for the systematic analysis of bacterial and plant signatures associated with disease caused by X. fastidiosa. Identifying virulence factors and plant immunity determinants will drive our understanding of host susceptibility.
Of translational scientific interest, we will reveal immune receptors that control X. fastidiosa infection. Using this knowledge, we will assist the immune system at different levels of organization of plant tissues by targeted expression of immune receptors. This is high risk/high gain but of strategic relevance for my long-term goal to reduce disease in crops without yield penalties.
At its completion, this project will deliver molecular determinants to disease control and an approach to assist immunity in the vasculature, and thus will pave the way for applying similar strategies to other important vascular pathogens. It will also advance our understanding of the more complex nature of multi-host pathogen interactions and our conceptual views of host range determinants.
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 microbiology bacteriology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
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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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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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) ERC-2019-ADG
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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.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.