Project description
Revealing variations in trait inheritance
Some traits are inherited differently. The reason remains unclear. What is known is that hybrids between unrelated individuals of plants or animals often show greater vigour, disease resistance and fertility. In this context, the ERC-funded PHENOVIGOUR project will enhance fundamental understanding of variation in trait inheritance. By bridging old evolutionary principles with modern models of ecological theory, the project will determine whether in hybrids the degree of trait deviation from the parental phenotype increases with the degree of trait integration. It will also test whether modelling relationships between traits can quantitatively explain hybrid vigour. With breeders in mind, the project will seek to predict hybrid vigour in crop plants from a phenotypic standpoint.
Objective
How organismal traits are inherited in offspring is a long-standing, open question. Hybrids between unrelated individuals of plants or animals often show greater vigour, disease resistance, and fertility. The genetic mechanisms behind the deviation of hybrids from the parental phenotype have been widely studied. However, hybrid vigour remains difficult to predict qualitatively and quantitatively. A key bottleneck is that it remains difficult to explain why different traits are inherited differently. I will overcome this bottleneck to explain trait inheritance and predict hybrid vigour in crop plants from a phenotypic stand point. I will do this by bridging old evolutionary principles with modern models of ecological theory, via the following three objectives: 1. Determining whether in hybrids the degree of trait deviation from the parental phenotype increases with the degree of trait integration; 2. Testing whether modelling relationships between traits can quantitatively explain hybrid vigour; and 3. Building a predictive model of hybrid performance in the field. My project will build on a combination of comparative, experimental and modelling approaches, and a large collection of available phenotypic data in crop plants. In addition, I will use cutting-edge phenotyping facilities to test underlying hypotheses on two experimental species: maize (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). The novel hypothesis is that deviation of a trait in a hybrid is the geometric result of the nonlinear effects of traits at lower levels of integration. The objectives are designed to provide a timely breakthrough in the fundamental understanding of variation in trait inheritance. Further, my approach will also enable predictive models of hybrid performance in crop plants to be developed, which would be an outstanding tool for breeders.
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.
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
- 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-STG - Starting 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-2020-STG
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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.
75794 PARIS
France
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.