Are fungal spores perfect projectiles? Evolution of ascospore shape

Objective

Fungi are important components of our ecosystem since they both provide nutrition for many animals and are major recyclers of minerals and carbon. However, many fungi are parasites on plants, animals and other fungi. Serious fungal pathogens of cultivated plants cause extensive damage and losses to agriculture and forestry. The very common species usually found in pillows cause one of the most dangerous mortal infections in persons with immuno-deficiencies. Fungi reproduction results in almost-indestructible spores, which are the major carrier of diseases. In many cases the spores are forcibly ejected clear of the parental fungus. The probability of the species to survive depends upon spores germinating far from the fruiting body where they are formed. Fungi achieve very large launch velocities, applying initial accelerations that are unmatched in the plant or animal kingdoms. Fungal-spores must minimize the air-resistance, which is the prime determinant of their range (it can deplete the launch velocity of as much as 99.997%). Can we set the shape of a “perfect projectile”? How can a spore be shaped to minimize drag, if it has never experienced air resistance? In the first part of the project we study theoretically, numerically and experimentally the fluid mechanics of spore ejection. The second part inquires into the developmental process of spore shape theoretically and experimentally. The general idea is that evolution has selected the minimum-drag shape for spore survival. We plan to observe the formation of the spores inside Neurospora tetrasperma, one of the most studied model organisms of biology.

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.

• natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
• medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
• natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
• agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
• agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries forestry

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

• Cell biology
• Fungal
• Hydrodynamics
• Mycology

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

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.

• PEOPLE-2007-4-1.IOF - Marie Curie Action: "International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development"

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF
See other projects for this call

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.

MC-IOF - International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF)

Coordinator