Project description
The role of wheat microbiome in resisting mycotoxin contamination
Toxigenic Fusarium species are responsible for producing harmful mycotoxins in wheat, and these mycotoxins are not always effectively controlled using current methods. Consequently, it is necessary to reduce mycotoxins in grain. With this in mind, the MSCA-funded ToxBiome project seeks to identify wheat varieties and microbes capable of suppressing mycotoxin production in grain. It will gather untreated winter wheat samples from three field sites in Ireland and Northern Ireland. These samples will be analysed to assess their resistance or susceptibility to mycotoxins. Using high-throughput sequencing and statistical tests, it will study the diversity and functionality of the wheat microbiome. The goal is to pinpoint specific microbial species and metabolic pathways that are correlated with mycotoxin accumulation.
Objective
During wheat colonisation, toxigenic Fusarium species produce substantial numbers of mycotoxins, which pose serious adverse health effects in human and animals. The current control strategies rely on the use of resistant varieties and synthetic fungicides. However, these control measures are not always effective. Moreover, excessive use of fungicides has led to the development of resistance in many toxigenic Fusarium species. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an effective and sustainable method to minimise wheat mycotoxin content. The goal of this project is to provide novel insights into the role of wheat microbiome in preventing mycotoxin contamination and to identify wheat varieties and microbes with potential to promote the suppression of mycotoxin production in wheat. Fungicide untreated winter wheat varieties will be collected from three different experimental field sites in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Then, a targeted metabolomics approach will be used to quantify 10 important mycotoxins in winter wheat samples, to identify resistant and susceptible varieties. Subsequently, DNA will be extracted from the samples and a culture-independent shotgun metagenomic high-throughput sequencing will be applied to characterise the microbiome diversity and function of wheat varieties. Robust statistical tests and bioinformatics tools will be used to analyse and compare sequences and mycotoxin level data, to identify specific microbial species and metabolic pathways that are significantly correlated with wheat varieties found resistant and susceptible to mycotoxin accumulation. Ultimately, the identification of specific wheat varieties that recruit microbiomes that can inhibit mycotoxin production opens new horizons for breeding next-generation crops depending less on fungicide input and resistant to mycotoxin contamination. This project and the planned training activities will further enhance my skills to become an independent researcher.
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture agronomy plant protection
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds cereals
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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.
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands
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.