Project description
Host range and genome adaptation of giant viruses
Giant viruses have unusually large genomes and encode translation-related genes, which means that they have more translational independence compared to other viruses. Although their discovery has challenged the existing perception on viruses, their host range and natural host species remain to be determined. The working hypothesis of the EU-funded GIVIREVOL project is that codon usage is critical for adaptation and viral fitness. Using silico and wet-lab strategies, scientists will analyse the codon usage preferences among giant viruses and predict the hosts they infect. These predictions will be experimentally verified. The project will also provide information on how genome adaptation shapes the evolutionary relationship between giant viruses and their hosts, advancing the field of evolutionary virology.
Objective
For more than a century, viruses were considered tiny particles, fully dependent on their host cells to replicate. The recent discovery of giant viruses, containing unusually large genomes, challenged this assumption and blurred the sharp division between viruses and cellular life. It was also striking to learn that many of the giant virus genomes encode translation-related genes, indicating that they are presumably more independent -in terms of translation- as compared to other viruses and potentially infect and replicate in a broad range of hosts. Nonetheless, for most of the giant viruses, the precise host range and natural host species remain to be investigated.
In the proposed project, I will investigate the host range and genome adaptation of giant viruses by combining in silico and wet-lab strategies. I postulate that, codon usage is an important factor in the adaptation of giant viruses to their hosts, where well-adapted codon usage provides for superior viral fitness. I will analyse the codon usage preferences among giant viruses and correlate these with the known and presumable hosts they infect. This will allow me to computationally predict the best-suited hosts, and subsequently, experimentally assess my predictions on different laboratory hosts. To further investigate whether codon usage defines the rate of genome adaptation of giant viruses, I will perform experimental evolution over a half year time period.
The origin and evolutionary history of giant viruses is controversially discussed. By investigating the evolutionary relationships between giant viruses and their hosts in the context of their codon usage preferences, I will contribute to a better understanding of the factors determining host range and the evolutionary processes shaping giant virus genomes. Disentangling the connection between genomic content and host range will provide important knowledge in the fields of virology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and virus-host interactions.
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.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
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 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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-2019
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.
1010 Wien
Austria
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.