Project description
SHIELD for Manila Clams
Manila clams are under threat from heatwaves and infections. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SHIELD project aims to enhance their resilience. It will assess the effects of exposure to Perkinsus, while using genomic and epigenomic tools to evaluate the future fitness of clams. The project also investigates whether early exposure to beneficial microbiota (rather than rearing in sterile hatchery environments) can improve the long-term resilience of clams to disease and environmental stress. Combining laboratory experiments, fieldwork and genomic techniques, SHIELD supports efforts to develop more sustainable clam cultivation practices and ensure their survival for future generations.
Objective
SHIELD addresses a critical challenge in aquaculture: improving the resilience of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) to environmental stressors like Perkinsus infections and heatwaves. These stressors have caused widespread mortality in clam populations, threatening the sustainability of this important industry. Through a combination of laboratory and field experiments, SHIELD seeks to investigate two key hypotheses that aim to tackle these challenges from a new perspective.
The first hypothesis focuses on the transgenerational effects of Perkinsus infections, examining how parental exposure to the pathogen may affect their offspring's health, growth, and survival. This area remains largely unexplored, and SHIELD aims to shed light on how the effects of infections can be passed down through offspring. By using advanced genomic and epigenomic tools, SHIELD will examine how these changes are inherited and influence the overall fitness of future clam populations.
The second hypothesis examines how early microbial exposure can influence the clam’s ability to cope with environmental challenges. Hatcheries typically raise clams in sterile conditions, which might leave them more vulnerable to stressors later in life. SHIELD will test whether exposing clams to a microbiota-enriched environment early in their development can lead to better growth, disease resistance, and survival outcomes when facing real-world stressors like heatwaves and pathogens.
By integrating advanced genomic techniques and insights from fieldwork, SHIELD will provide a deeper understanding of how microbiota, pathogens, and environmental stressors interact. This research could offer valuable insights that support more sustainable aquaculture practices, helping ensure the resilience of Manila clam farming in a changing climate.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
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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)
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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
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.
35122 Padova
Italy
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.