Project description
Hidden gene transfer in plant evolution
While evolution is normally based on genetic inheritance from parent to children, plants sometimes acquire genes from unrelated species through lateral gene transfer (LGT). Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the LGT-GRIP project aims to quantify how often LGT occurs in plants and what happens to foreign genes once they are acquired. By sequencing thousands of individuals from a wild grass species, it will track the frequency and persistence of transferred genes across natural populations. The project will also link gene characteristics to whether they are retained, lost or potentially beneficial. Overall, the relationship between genetic attributes and their fate within the plant genome will be determined.
Objective
Evolution usually proceeds through vertical inheritance, where genetic information is transmitted from parents to offspring and gradually altered by mutation and recombination. Organisms can also occasionally acquire new genes directly from other species through lateral gene transfer (LGT). In bacteria, this process is a major evolutionary force, yet in plants it is still poorly understood. Striking examples show that they can acquire entire genes from distant relatives, sometimes gaining important functions. However, most of what we know comes from isolated case studies, and we still lack a quantitative framework to explain how often LGT happens and which factors determine whether foreign genes persist or disappear. The goal of this project is to estimate the true rate and fitness effects of LGT insertions. I will sequence thousands of individuals from a wild grass known to have acquired foreign genes and track how frequently each transferred gene is found in natural populations. Using pangenomics, I will integrate those frequencies with different features of the transferred fragments to explain variance in gene acquisition and retention. This project will provide the first quantitative estimates of how frequent, harmful, or beneficial LGTs are in plant populations, and identify the conditions that make foreign genes succeed. This will transform our understanding of LGT as a predictable evolutionary process with direct implications for plant evolution, crop improvement, 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 genetics mutation
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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-2025-PF
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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.
S10 2TN SHEFFIELD
United Kingdom
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.