Objective
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a fundamental process of bacterial evolution, accelerating adaptation to novel environments and providing access to new ecological niches. However, two of the three mechanisms of HGT, transduction and conjugation, both rely on semi-autonomous vectors (lysogenic phages and conjugative plasmids, respectively), creating the potential for coadaptation between microbe and vector. I here focus on conjugative plasmids. These encode their own replication and transfer, and as such are capable of pursuing their own fitness interests, which need not be aligned with those of their bacterial host. My thesis is that bacterial adaptation by conjugation must therefore be viewed as a co-evolutionary, rather than simply an evolutionary process as achieved to date. In this proposal I take an experimental evolution approach to derive an empirically founded understanding of bacteria-plasmid coevolutionary processes. In particular, I focus on the effects (on the pattern and process of bacteria-plasmid coevolution) of ecological variables identified in population models as crucial to the persistence of conjugative plasmids: environmental heterogeneity, spatial structure, and between-species transfer. Drawing on coevolutionary theory, I highlight that the ecological conditions expected to favour plasmid persistence may often drive the breakdown of bacteria-plasmid coadaptation. Additionally, I will determine the consequences of bacteria-plasmid coevolution for the structuring of microbial communities.
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.
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
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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.
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.
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.
ERC-2012-StG_20111109
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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.
Host institution
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.