Objective
In “On the origin of species” Charles Darwin used the human eye as an example of a complex character the evolution of which would have been hard to explain. Since then the vertebrate eye and the origin of vision more broadly held a central role in evolutionary biology. Recent advances in genomics, developmental biology and physiology, have allowed some advancement in our understanding of the origin of animal vision that however, is still patchy at best. Surprisingly, modern integrative studies have largely overlooked the visual systems of the Squamata (i.e. the lizards and snakes), a group comprising ~25% of terrestrial vertebrates, displaying exceptional diversity, and with greater variation in eye morphology and retinal photoreceptors than all other vertebrates combined. I propose to use the powerful but overlooked squamate system to answer major questions in visual science. I will integrate genomic, physiological and anatomical data to understand the genomic underpinning of phenotypic variation in the vertebrate visual system the relative roles of adaptation and constraints in the origin of novel visual phenotypes, and to understand whether complex visual systems can be re-elaborated following evolutionary degeneration.
This is a blue skies project however, studying the evolution of the exceptionally plastic squamate visual system, will generate information that can be applied to other animals, and perhaps most importantly, used to increase our understanding of the human visual genetic disorders under the newly emerging Phylomedicine paradigm.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences developmental biology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
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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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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-GF - Global 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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2015
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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.
BS8 1QU Bristol
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.