Project description
The role of microbial metabolites in plant microbiota protection
Plant-associated microbes protect plants from pathogens by producing metabolites that inhibit proteases. While advances in sequencing have improved our understanding of plant microbiota, the complexities of microbial interactions and the potential of their metabolites remain largely unexplored. With support from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MeStaLeM project will investigate the bioactive potential of the exo-metabolome from plant microbiomes using a multi-modal functional metabolomics approach. The project aims to stabilise a synthetic microbial community by enhancing beneficial activities and protease inhibition through synergistic interactions. By linking these activities to specific metabolites, the project seeks to better understand the benefits of the microbial community and how dysbiosis may contribute to disease.
Objective
The oomycete pathogen Albugo laibachii plays an important role in structuring the phyllosphere microbiome of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant-associated microbial communities are known to provide protection against pathogens, at least in part, through the production of specialised metabolites that suppress the activity of pathogen-derived proteases. Thanks to the advances in next-generation sequencing and non-targeted mass spectrometry, we have gained new insights into the community and metabolic dynamics of the plant microbiota. Nevertheless, we are just at the beginning of fully capturing the sheer number and complexity of the community members and the countless, still unknown, metabolites they produce. The molecular mechanisms underlying microbe-microbe and plant-microbe interactions remain thereby mainly elusive. So far, only a few metabolites have been identified as plant-protecting agents but the full protective potential of a microbiome through the synergistic action of multiple microbial compounds remains largely hidden. To shed light on the bioactive potential of the exo-metabolome of the plant microbiome as a whole, I will apply a multi-modal functional metabolomics strategy that provides information on the potential protease inhibitory activity of all the compounds secreted by a predefined synthetic microbial community. Our focus will be on the stabilisation of the microbial community composition mediated by protease inhibition and the related plant-beneficial activities through synergistic interactions with other defence strategies. Connecting those activities to individual metabolites will allow us to better understand the beneficial effects of the community as a whole and how dysbiosis may contribute to pathogenesis. It will also allow for the rational design of next-generation microbiome derived biocontrol agents which are urgently needed for a more sustainable agriculture.
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.
This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service
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.
-
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.
72074 Tuebingen
Germany
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.