Project description
Horizontal gene transfer and evolution
Acquisition of novel genes is a fundamental part of the evolutionary process in eukaryotes, providing cells with new functions to adapt to their environments. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the movement of genetic material between species (particularly from bacteria or viruses) is known to facilitate the acquisition of new functions in eukaryotic genomes. Yet, the new genes are frequently lost by lineages unless they can navigate evolutionary barriers. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DeNovo-HGT project will employ Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model organism to investigate the integration and evolutionary fate of a bacterial gene in real time. Using experimental evolution, the study will clarify the role of HGT in genomic stability and adaptation.
Objective
The emergence and acquisition of new genes play a crucial role in the evolution of eukaryotes, providing new functions that contribute to adapting to changing environments and conquering unexplored niches through cellular innovations. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), defined as the acquisition of genetic material from different species, has been shown to play a key role in eukaryotic genome evolution. HGT, particularly from bacteria and viruses, provides unprecedented adaptive potential by introducing novel functions into eukaryotic cells. However, new genes are often quickly lost because important constraints and evolutionary barriers need to be overcome for successful integration into the host genome. Despite the importance of HGT for eukaryotic biology, how this process works is still unclear and the mechanisms that contribute to the domestication of foreign genes, especially at the early stages, are unexplored. This project aims to develop a new experimental model for investigating HGT in eukaryotes using the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. For this, a bacterial antibiotic resistance gene (aphVIII) will be randomly integrated into the C. reinhardtii genome and its real-time functionalisation and evolutionary trajectories will be tracked. Using experimental evolution, I will identify genomic features that have a major impact on the control and stability of new genes. Additionally, I will analyze how HGT contributes to adaptation and impacts evolutionary flexibility in different scenarios. Finally, I will survey green algal diversity to understand how HGT contributed to the evolution of chlorophytes. Hence, this interdisciplinary project, combining molecular biology, experimental evolution, and computational methods, will offer unprecedented insights into the mechanisms of HGT in eukaryotes and answer fundamental questions in evolutionary biology, many of which have important implications for genome engineering and biotechnology.
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 phycology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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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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
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
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
1030 Wien
Austria
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