Project description
Illuminating eukaryotic evolution
The extraordinary diversity of life forms observed today began with the emergence of eukaryotic cells more than a billion years ago. Plants, animals and fungi evolved multicellularity, but these represent just a small subset of eukaryotic diversity. The majority are microbial protists, many of which branched out early in the eukaryotic tree. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EUKPHYLEVOL project aims to improve our knowledge of eukaryotic evolution by studying a homologous structure across eukaryotes: the flagellum. To determine evolutionary relationships, researchers will compare genomic sequences with cell morphology, life history and ecological function. Collectively, the study will shed light on the origin and evolution of complex eukaryotic traits such as flagellar architecture.
Objective
Animals, plants, and fungi, which evolved multicellularity independently from their unicellular ancestors, represent only a small minority of the many branches on the eukaryotic tree of life, while the most of eukaryotic diversity is represented by microbial eukaryotes, or protists. Heterotrophic flagellates have been found in all major eukaryotic lineages and represent the most ancient and ancestral cellular organization. Heterotrophic flagellates often occupy early-branching or intermediate evolutionary positions within eukaryotes, thus comprehensive studies of novel lineages of heterotrophic flagellates not only fill the gaps in microbial diversity and phylogeny, but also help to understand the origin and evolution of major, well-known and diverse eukaryotic groups. Moreover, elements of the flagellar apparatus are homologous in all eukaryotes and are an excellent tool of comparative morphology to help interpret molecular phylogenetic data. The main goal of this project is to culture new and important protist lineages occupying key positions in the eukaryotic tree of life and to characterize their biology by linking sequence information to morphological, life history, and ecological traits. I propose two parallel Objectives on morphological and molecular characterization of previously unknown and understudied deeply branching lineages of eukaryotes, Collodictyonida and Rhizaria, that are both of critical importance in understanding eukaryotic evolution.
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 biological morphology comparative morphology
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
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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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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
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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-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.
28006 Madrid
Spain
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.