Project description
Pathogen adaptation in oyster aquaculture
Marine zoonotic diseases threaten biodiversity, food security and coastal economies. Understanding how environmental stressors such as copper shape host-pathogen interactions is critical. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the VibOysCopper project focuses on Vibrio aestuarianus, an emerging oyster pathogen impacting European aquaculture. The study builds on evidence that copper resistance is a common trait in pathogenic strains. The goal is to determine whether and how copper accumulation in oysters affects infection outcomes. Researchers will investigate copper resistance, virulence and oyster immunity as interconnected traits to determine how copper modulates disease. Project results are expected to inform strategies for managing oyster health in environments exposed to anthropogenic pollution.
Objective
Oceans health is intimately linked to animal and human health in a One Health framework. Marine zoonotic diseases threaten animal and human health and well-being, ecosystem integrity and economic development of marine coastal systems.
Coastal waters, where oysters are produced, are low inerty systems highly sensitive to contaminants, which can also accelerate the emergence of epidemics/epizootics and zoonotic diseases in marine ecosystems. Among them, copper is a widespread pollutant that acts as a major selective pressure influencing microorganism survival and evolution as it can be deadly for many bacteria.
Vibrio aestuarianus subsp. francensis is an emerging pathogen that threatens European aquaculture since 2011. Recent work revealed that this bacterium is an oyster-restricted specialized pathogen. The IHPE laboratory has evidenced that an intimate relationship between virulence and copper resistance conferred by a pathogenicity island could be key in the adaptation of the subspecies to the oyster host.
This proposal aims to evaluate the role of copper resistance in V. aestuarianus francensis adaptation to oyster, and to unveil the copper resistance molecular pathways underlying this key phenotype and infection outcome. Specifically, we will address the following questions:
-Is copper resistance required for V. aestuarianus adaptation and virulence to its host?
-What is the diversity of V. aestuarianus copper resistance mechanisms?
-Does accumulated copper in oyster have an impact in the host-pathogen outcome?
By investigating resistance to copper and virulence as interlinked phenotypes of pathogens and its impact on oyster immunity, we will bring knowledge on the way copper influences the pathogens´dynamics, driving their evolution and specialization in marine ecosystems, but also modulating host-pathogen interactions. Ultimately, the project should help shellfish farmers and policy-makers mitigate the effects of anthropogenic pollution on aquaculture services.
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 marine biology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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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
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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29280 Plouzane
France
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