Project description
Metabolic and behavioural changes during adaptation to new ecosystem
Biological species can invade nutritionally limited environments by expanding their functional metabolic niche through the development of the synthesis of essential compounds, and/or via adaptation of their dietary niche, evolving new behavioural or morphological traits to utilise novel or rare resources. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FADSEVOL project will be the first to examine both metabolic and behavioural traits of nutritional adaptation during the invasion of freshwaters from the marine ecosystem. Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) are scarcely presented in freshwaters, creating a challenge for invasion from the marine ecosystem. The project will use threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as a model to analyse diet and foraging changes, and metabolic adaptation, studying genotypes and n-3 LCPUFA synthesis.
Objective
When invading nutritionally-poor environments, species can expand their functional metabolic niche, by evolving the capacity to synthesize essential compounds, and/or their dietary niche, by evolving new behavioral or morphological traits that enable them to use either novel or rare resources. The relative value of behavioral versus metabolic means for resolving mismatches remains unresolved because these have not been examined concurrently. Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) are important for consumers, but are scarce in freshwaters compared to marine ecosystems, presenting a challenge for species invading freshwaters. The proposed study will be the first to examine both metabolic and behavioral means for regulating nutritional composition and fitness when invading freshwaters from marine ecosystems. We will examine the dietary niche of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in terms of diet variation and foraging preferences, and the metabolic functional niche in terms of genotypes and n-3 LCPUFA synthesis ability. FADSEVOL will be especially innovative by building upon the recently-identified genetic basis of variation in stickleback fatty acid metabolism: FADS2 copy number variation. We will characterize the fatty-acid composition of prey and tissues of lineages that vary widely in their FADS2 copy numbers and history of adaption to freshwater (WP1). Next, we will examine foraging preferences of common garden fish for prey that vary in nutritional composition (WP2). Finally, we will evaluate n-3 LCPUFA synthesis ability, FADS2 expression, and life history traits of lineages in common-garden conditions with high or low dietary n-3 LCPUFA availability (WP3). These approaches will allow us to understand variation in both the functional metabolic niche and the dietary niche, providing insights into how foraging behavior and metabolic evolution can enable consumers to invade nutritionally-challenging ecosystems.
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 biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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.
8600 Dubendorf
Switzerland
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.