Project description
Understanding bacteria that help blood-sucking leeches maintain balanced nutrition
Humans host a rich diversity of microorganisms collectively known as the microbiome, most of which benefits us in many ways. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, to learn that we are not the only organisms with such beneficial symbiotic relationships. Leeches that feed only on blood would be deficient in vitamin B without the help of bacteria that live in a specialised organ. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the LEECHSYMBIO project is investigating this unique microbe–host interaction with the goal of establishing this leech as a model system for future studies of nutritional blood-feeding symbioses.
Objective
Strict blood-feeding leeches are confronted with a strong B-vitamin deficiency and thus rely on bacterial symbionts to supplement their unbalanced diet. Recent evidence showed that the Mexican leech Haementeria officinalis houses in a distinct specialised organ intracellular Providencia siddallii symbionts, which have a highly reduced genome but maintained genes required for B vitamin biosynthesis. The aim of this proposal is to establish this leech as a model system for studying the intricacies of nutritional blood-feeding symbioses. The genomes of Providencia symbionts of 4 additional Haementeria species will be sequenced and analysed to identify core-metabolic pathways and to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this symbiosis. A draft genome sequence of the Mexican leech Ha. officinalis will be determined, providing unique insights into metabolic complementarity. Comparison with the available genome of the related non-blood-feeding leech Helobdella robusta will facilitate identification of genomic determinants of the acquisition/loss of the bacteriome and the blood feeding habit. Bacteriome development and colonization will be investigated using different developmental stages and advanced microscopy techniques. Host control and nutritional role of the symbiont will be studied using isotope probing experiments and state-of-the-art chemical imaging and metabolomics methods. This project will provide comprehensive insights into a nutritional symbiosis in medically relevant blood-feeding animals, including the evolution of specialised symbiosis organs and metabolic interactions between both partners. It will bring together a postdoc with a strong background in bioinformatics and bacterial symbionts with a host lab focused on experimental and molecular analysis of microbe-host interactions. This set-up ensures both an ideal environment for the postdoc on his way to an truly independent researcher, and an efficient two-way transfer of knowledge.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- 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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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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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.
1010 Wien
Austria
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.