Project description
Uncovering bacterial defence strategies
Bacteria are vital to ecosystems, with a single gram of soil housing up to 10 billion cells. Yet, they face constant threats from predators: protozoa, single-celled eukaryotes that consume bacteria, and bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill them. Together, these predators destroy up to 20 % of the global bacterial population daily, driving bacteria to evolve defence mechanisms. Despite their importance, the interactions between these three groups remain poorly understood. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DictyDefense project explores how prophages (viruses integrated into bacterial genomes) help bacteria defend against protozoan predation. The project employs fluorescent assays and advanced techniques to uncover the genetic and biochemical mechanisms behind these defence strategies.
Objective
Bacteria are the backbone of natural communities. A single gram of soil may contain up to 10 billion cells. Two types of bacterial predators are also abundant: protozoa, single-celled eukaryotes that phagocytize bacteria, and bacteriophages (phages), viruses that only infect bacteria. Each day, up to 20% of the global bacterial population is killed by these two predators. This puts pressure on bacteria to adapt defense strategies, but also on each predator to out-compete the other. However, the interplay between bacteria, phages, and protozoa is rarely studied.
Certain phages can integrate into bacterial genomes, becoming prophages, and encode beneficial traits for host fitness, like protection from other phages. My hypothesis is that prophages encode defense mechanisms that may interfere with protozoan predation and protect the bacterial host, thereby indirectly benefiting the prophage.
To investigate this, I will develop a high-throughput quantitative fluorescence predation assay, using the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum as the model protozoan. Changes in abundance of fluorescently tagged bacteria with and without defense functions will report the strength of predation defense in a large bacterial isolate panel harbouring thousands of prophages. The assay will be scaled up with robotics platforms. Gain of function screens will be used to link defense phenotype with individual genes. After prioritizing the defense hits for novel biology, the major stages of predation that are inhibited can be observed by real time tracking of interactions between fluorescently tagged cells. Biochemical and genetic follow-ups will pinpoint the exact mechanisms of defense. Proteomic, transcriptomic, and lipidomic methods will assess changes in bacterial and protozoan physiology. Overall, this proposal addresses an important blind-spot in the interactions of bacteria, protozoa, and phages and will reveal new aspects on how predatory interactions shape microbial 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.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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-2023-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.
69117 Heidelberg
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.