Project description
The role of progesterone in early embryo development
Fertility depends on various factors prior to or during conception as well as on the ability to establish pregnancy. The hormone progesterone plays a key role in these events, affecting oocyte quality and acting on the uterine endometrium. The EU-funded HEALTHYFOETUS project is interested to understand the crosstalk between the embryo and the mother in early pregnancy. Using cattle as a model organism, researchers will investigate how different progesterone levels affect placenta development and foetal growth. Results will be combined with molecular analysis offering a more holistic understanding of this fundamental issue. The long-term goal is to tackle fertility issues in dairy cattle through novel interventions.
Objective
Uterine receptivity and the dialogue between the embryo and the mother in early pregnancy is mainly driven by the concentrations of the steroid hormone progesterone (P4). Work from the host laboratory has shown that divergent P4 concentrations early in pregnancy strongly influence embryo growth and survival in cattle but are not always associated with improved pregnancy rates. Importantly, the consequences of suboptimal P4 for later foetal development are largely unknown. This project proposes four Research work packages (WP) to interrogate the effect of P4 concentration early in pregnancy on the development of the maternal-placental-foetal unit in the cow. The first three WP are built around two groups of cows, manipulated to have high or low P4 during the first days of pregnancy, and a third untreated group, as control. In WP1, foetal growth will be followed through ultrasound scanning until four months of pregnancy (~40% of gestation), when the foetus and associated membranes will be recovered for WP2 and 3. Development of the placenta and amniotic fluid composition will be assessed through transcriptomics and metabolomics, respectively, in WP2. Foetal maturity will be determined in WP3, through organ measurements and histology, and transcriptomic analysis of the hypothalamus (a pivotal organ for development). In WP4, endogenous P4 in dairy cattle across pregnancy will be correlated with calf birth weight. In addition, WP5, 6 and 7 will deal with Management, Training, and Dissemination, respectively. Modelling of metabolomic and transcriptomic data will increase knowledge of the functional and molecular regulation of bovine pregnancy and foetal physiology. Furthermore, this novel information could lead to new therapeutics to optimise the development of a healthy offspring. This truly multidisciplinary project will be accomplished thanks to the facilities in the host institution, the vast experience of the supervisor, and the complementary expertise of the Fellow.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine obstetrics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- agricultural sciences animal and dairy science domestic animals animal husbandry
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
- natural sciences biological sciences histology
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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.1.3. - 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 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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-2020
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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.
4 Dublin
Ireland
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.