Project acronym CEMYSS
Project Cosmochemical Exploration of the first two Million Years of the Solar System
Researcher (PI) Marc Chaussidon
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary One of the major outcomes of recent studies on the formation of the Solar System is the reconnaissance of the fundamental importance of processes which took place during the first 10 thousands to 2 or 3 millions years of the lifetime of the Sun and its accretion disk. Astrophysical observations in the optical to infrared wavelengths of circumstellar disks around young stars have shown the existence in the inner disk of high-temperature processing of the dust. X-ray observations of T-Tauri stars revealed that they exhibit X-ray flare enhancements by several orders of magnitude. The work we have performed over the last years on the isotopic analysis of either solar wind trapped in lunar soils or of Ca-, Al-rich inclusions and chondrules from primitive chondrites, has allowed us to link some of these astrophysical observations around young stars with processes, such as irradiation by energetic particles and UV light, which took place around the T-Tauri Sun. The aim of this project is to make decisive progress in our understanding of the early solar system though the development of in situ high-precision isotopic measurements by ion microprobe in extra-terrestrial matter. The project will be focused on the exploration of the variations in the isotopic composition of O and Mg and in the concentration of short-lived radioactive nuclides, such as 26Al and 10Be, with half-lives shorter than 1.5 millions years. A special emphasis will be put on the search for nuclides with very short half-lives such as 32Si (650 years) and 14C (5730 years), nuclides which have never been discovered yet in meteorites. These new data will bring critical information on, for instance, the astrophysical context for the formation of the Sun and the first solids in the accretion disk, or the timing and the processes by which protoplanets were formed and destroyed close to the Sun during the first 2 million years of the lifetime of the Solar System.
Summary
One of the major outcomes of recent studies on the formation of the Solar System is the reconnaissance of the fundamental importance of processes which took place during the first 10 thousands to 2 or 3 millions years of the lifetime of the Sun and its accretion disk. Astrophysical observations in the optical to infrared wavelengths of circumstellar disks around young stars have shown the existence in the inner disk of high-temperature processing of the dust. X-ray observations of T-Tauri stars revealed that they exhibit X-ray flare enhancements by several orders of magnitude. The work we have performed over the last years on the isotopic analysis of either solar wind trapped in lunar soils or of Ca-, Al-rich inclusions and chondrules from primitive chondrites, has allowed us to link some of these astrophysical observations around young stars with processes, such as irradiation by energetic particles and UV light, which took place around the T-Tauri Sun. The aim of this project is to make decisive progress in our understanding of the early solar system though the development of in situ high-precision isotopic measurements by ion microprobe in extra-terrestrial matter. The project will be focused on the exploration of the variations in the isotopic composition of O and Mg and in the concentration of short-lived radioactive nuclides, such as 26Al and 10Be, with half-lives shorter than 1.5 millions years. A special emphasis will be put on the search for nuclides with very short half-lives such as 32Si (650 years) and 14C (5730 years), nuclides which have never been discovered yet in meteorites. These new data will bring critical information on, for instance, the astrophysical context for the formation of the Sun and the first solids in the accretion disk, or the timing and the processes by which protoplanets were formed and destroyed close to the Sun during the first 2 million years of the lifetime of the Solar System.
Max ERC Funding
1 270 419 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
Project acronym CEPODRO
Project Cell polarization in Drosophila
Researcher (PI) Yohanns Bellaiche
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT CURIE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS1, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Cell polarity is fundamental to many aspects of cell and developmental biology and it is implicated in differentiation, proliferation and morphogenesis in both unicellular and multi-cellular organisms. We study the mechanisms that regulate cell polarity during both asymmetric cell division and epithelial cell polarization in Drosophila. To understand these fundamental processes, we are currently using two complementary approaches. Firstly, we are coupling genetic tools to state of the art time-lapse microscopy to genetically dissect the mechanisms of cortical cell polarization and mitotic spindle orientation. Secondly, we are introducing two innovative inter-disciplinary methodologies into the fields of cell and developmental biology: 1) single molecule imaging during asymmetric cell division, to unravel the mechanism of polarized protein distribution within the cell; 2) multi-scale tensor analysis of epithelial tissues to describe and understand how epithelial tissues grow, acquire and maintain their shape and organization during development. Using both conventional and innovative methodologies, our goals over the next four years are to better understand how molecules and protein complexes move and are activated at different locations within the cell and how cell polarization impacts on cell identities and on epithelial tissue growth and morphogenesis. Since the mechanisms underlying cell polarization are conserved throughout evolution, the proposed experiments will improve our understanding of these processes not only in Drosophila, but in all animals.
Summary
Cell polarity is fundamental to many aspects of cell and developmental biology and it is implicated in differentiation, proliferation and morphogenesis in both unicellular and multi-cellular organisms. We study the mechanisms that regulate cell polarity during both asymmetric cell division and epithelial cell polarization in Drosophila. To understand these fundamental processes, we are currently using two complementary approaches. Firstly, we are coupling genetic tools to state of the art time-lapse microscopy to genetically dissect the mechanisms of cortical cell polarization and mitotic spindle orientation. Secondly, we are introducing two innovative inter-disciplinary methodologies into the fields of cell and developmental biology: 1) single molecule imaging during asymmetric cell division, to unravel the mechanism of polarized protein distribution within the cell; 2) multi-scale tensor analysis of epithelial tissues to describe and understand how epithelial tissues grow, acquire and maintain their shape and organization during development. Using both conventional and innovative methodologies, our goals over the next four years are to better understand how molecules and protein complexes move and are activated at different locations within the cell and how cell polarization impacts on cell identities and on epithelial tissue growth and morphogenesis. Since the mechanisms underlying cell polarization are conserved throughout evolution, the proposed experiments will improve our understanding of these processes not only in Drosophila, but in all animals.
Max ERC Funding
1 159 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2013-08-31
Project acronym CORTEXSELFCONTROL
Project Self-Modulating Neurons in the Cerebral Cortex: From Molecular Mechanisms to Cortical Network Activities
Researcher (PI) Alberto Bacci
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT DU CERVEAU ET DE LA MOELLE EPINIERE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS4, ERC-2007-StG
Summary In the mammalian brain, the neocortex is the site where sensory information is integrated into complex cognitive functions. This is accomplished by the activity of both principal glutamatergic neurons and locally-projecting inhibitory GABAergic interneurons, interconnected in complex networks. Inhibitory neurons play several key roles in neocortical function. For example, they shape sensory receptive fields and drive several high frequency network oscillations. On the other hand, defects in their function can lead to devastating diseases, such as epilepsy and schizophrenia. Cortical interneurons represent a highly heterogeneous cell population. Understanding the specific role of each interneuron subtype within cortical microcircuits is still a crucial open question. We have examined properties of two major functional interneuron subclasses in neocortical layer V: fast-spiking (FS) and low-threshold spiking (LTS) cells. Our previous data indicate that each group expresses a novel form of self inhibition, namely autaptic inhibitory transmission in FS cells and an endocannabinoid-mediated slow self inhibition in LTS interneurons. In this proposal we will address three major questions relevant to self-inhibition of neocortical interneurons: 1) What is the role of FS cell autapses in coordinating fast network synchrony? 2) What are the molecular mechanisms underlying autaptic asynchronous release, prolonging FS cell self-inhibition by several seconds, and what is its relevance during physiological and pathological network activities? 3) What are the induction mechanisms, the molecular players involved and the functional roles within cortical microcircuits of the endocannabinoid-mediated long-lasting self-inhibition in LTS interneurons? Results of these experiments will lead to a better understanding of GABAergic interneuron regulation of neocortical excitability, relevant to both normal and pathological cortical function.
Summary
In the mammalian brain, the neocortex is the site where sensory information is integrated into complex cognitive functions. This is accomplished by the activity of both principal glutamatergic neurons and locally-projecting inhibitory GABAergic interneurons, interconnected in complex networks. Inhibitory neurons play several key roles in neocortical function. For example, they shape sensory receptive fields and drive several high frequency network oscillations. On the other hand, defects in their function can lead to devastating diseases, such as epilepsy and schizophrenia. Cortical interneurons represent a highly heterogeneous cell population. Understanding the specific role of each interneuron subtype within cortical microcircuits is still a crucial open question. We have examined properties of two major functional interneuron subclasses in neocortical layer V: fast-spiking (FS) and low-threshold spiking (LTS) cells. Our previous data indicate that each group expresses a novel form of self inhibition, namely autaptic inhibitory transmission in FS cells and an endocannabinoid-mediated slow self inhibition in LTS interneurons. In this proposal we will address three major questions relevant to self-inhibition of neocortical interneurons: 1) What is the role of FS cell autapses in coordinating fast network synchrony? 2) What are the molecular mechanisms underlying autaptic asynchronous release, prolonging FS cell self-inhibition by several seconds, and what is its relevance during physiological and pathological network activities? 3) What are the induction mechanisms, the molecular players involved and the functional roles within cortical microcircuits of the endocannabinoid-mediated long-lasting self-inhibition in LTS interneurons? Results of these experiments will lead to a better understanding of GABAergic interneuron regulation of neocortical excitability, relevant to both normal and pathological cortical function.
Max ERC Funding
996 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2014-03-31
Project acronym E3ARTHS
Project Exoplanets and Early Earth Atmospheric Research: THeories and Simulations
Researcher (PI) Franck Selsis
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE7, ERC-2007-StG
Summary This program is dedicated to the simulation and characterization of Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet (ETP) atmospheres. Thanks to new generation codes, the team E3ARTHS aims to provide a top expertise in a key domain of astrobiology: the origin, evolution and identification of habitable worlds, and the quest for biomarkers on Earth-like planets. The team will also revisit early Earth models for a better understanding of the context of the origins of life, in the light of recent works on Earth formation, impact history and Solar evolution. The observable signatures of an ETP and its ability to sustain life are determined by atmospheric properties: chemistry, radiative transfer, climate. Although these processes are usually treated separately, they evolve in a tightly coupled scheme under the influence of astrophysical, geophysical and, if present, biological mechanisms. Eventually, realistic planetary environments will thus have to be modeled with self-consistent 3D tools, involving a multidisciplinary and international approach. Although ambitious by today's standards, such enterprise is a necessary counterpart of the planned ETP searches, and is required to study the discovered planets. Observatories like Darwin/TPF and ELTs will provide direct information on ETPs within 10-15 years. Ongoing transit searches (CoRoT, and Kepler), and radial-velocity surveys, are on the verge of detecting ETPs. In this context, E3ARTHS can become one of the cores in European theoretical research on ETPs, in close interaction with observation programs. Since his PhD, F. Selsis has developed his own research on ETPs, which already had important implications for the design of instruments for TEP search and characterization. His plan is now to take this research at the next level by creating a dedicated team that will integrate new tools such as 3D climate, photochemical and radiative transfer codes, produce virtual observations of ETPs, and study their potential for life.
Summary
This program is dedicated to the simulation and characterization of Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet (ETP) atmospheres. Thanks to new generation codes, the team E3ARTHS aims to provide a top expertise in a key domain of astrobiology: the origin, evolution and identification of habitable worlds, and the quest for biomarkers on Earth-like planets. The team will also revisit early Earth models for a better understanding of the context of the origins of life, in the light of recent works on Earth formation, impact history and Solar evolution. The observable signatures of an ETP and its ability to sustain life are determined by atmospheric properties: chemistry, radiative transfer, climate. Although these processes are usually treated separately, they evolve in a tightly coupled scheme under the influence of astrophysical, geophysical and, if present, biological mechanisms. Eventually, realistic planetary environments will thus have to be modeled with self-consistent 3D tools, involving a multidisciplinary and international approach. Although ambitious by today's standards, such enterprise is a necessary counterpart of the planned ETP searches, and is required to study the discovered planets. Observatories like Darwin/TPF and ELTs will provide direct information on ETPs within 10-15 years. Ongoing transit searches (CoRoT, and Kepler), and radial-velocity surveys, are on the verge of detecting ETPs. In this context, E3ARTHS can become one of the cores in European theoretical research on ETPs, in close interaction with observation programs. Since his PhD, F. Selsis has developed his own research on ETPs, which already had important implications for the design of instruments for TEP search and characterization. His plan is now to take this research at the next level by creating a dedicated team that will integrate new tools such as 3D climate, photochemical and radiative transfer codes, produce virtual observations of ETPs, and study their potential for life.
Max ERC Funding
719 759 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2013-09-30
Project acronym GAMMARAYBINARIES
Project Exploring the gamma-ray sky: binaries, microquasars and their impact on understanding particle acceleration, relativistic winds and accretion/ejection phenomena in cosmic sources
Researcher (PI) Guillaume Dubus
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE JOSEPH FOURIER GRENOBLE 1
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE7, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The most energetic photons in the universe are produced by poorly known processes, typically in the vicinity of neutron stars or black holes. The past couple of years have seen an increase in the number of known sources of very high energy gamma-ray radiation from a handful to almost 50, thanks to the European collaborations HESS and MAGIC. Many of those sources are pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants or active galactic nuclei. HESS and MAGIC have also discovered gamma-ray emission from binary systems, finding that some emit most of their radiation at the highest energies. Expectations are running high with the December launch of the GLAST space telescope which will provide daily all-sky information in high energy gamma-rays with a sensitivity comparable to that achieved in years by its predecessor. I propose to explore the exciting observational opportunities in high energy gamma-ray astronomy with an emphasis on non-thermal emission from compact binary sources. Binary systems are intriguing new laboratories to understand how particle acceleration works in cosmic sources. The physics of gamma-ray emitting binary systems is related to that in pulsar wind nebulae or in active galactic nuclei. High energy gamma-ray emission is the result of non-thermal, out-of-equilibrium processes that challenge our intuitions built upon everyday phenomena. The particles are billions of times more energetic than X-rays and can reach energies greater than those in particle accelerators. Binary systems offer a novel, constrained environment to study how the cosmic rays that pervade our Galaxy are accelerated and how non-thermal emission is related to the formation of relativistic jets from black holes (accretion/ejection). The study requires a combination of skills in multiwavelength observations, interdisciplinary experience with gamma-ray observational techniques originating from particle physics, and theoretical know-how in accretion and high energy phenomena.
Summary
The most energetic photons in the universe are produced by poorly known processes, typically in the vicinity of neutron stars or black holes. The past couple of years have seen an increase in the number of known sources of very high energy gamma-ray radiation from a handful to almost 50, thanks to the European collaborations HESS and MAGIC. Many of those sources are pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants or active galactic nuclei. HESS and MAGIC have also discovered gamma-ray emission from binary systems, finding that some emit most of their radiation at the highest energies. Expectations are running high with the December launch of the GLAST space telescope which will provide daily all-sky information in high energy gamma-rays with a sensitivity comparable to that achieved in years by its predecessor. I propose to explore the exciting observational opportunities in high energy gamma-ray astronomy with an emphasis on non-thermal emission from compact binary sources. Binary systems are intriguing new laboratories to understand how particle acceleration works in cosmic sources. The physics of gamma-ray emitting binary systems is related to that in pulsar wind nebulae or in active galactic nuclei. High energy gamma-ray emission is the result of non-thermal, out-of-equilibrium processes that challenge our intuitions built upon everyday phenomena. The particles are billions of times more energetic than X-rays and can reach energies greater than those in particle accelerators. Binary systems offer a novel, constrained environment to study how the cosmic rays that pervade our Galaxy are accelerated and how non-thermal emission is related to the formation of relativistic jets from black holes (accretion/ejection). The study requires a combination of skills in multiwavelength observations, interdisciplinary experience with gamma-ray observational techniques originating from particle physics, and theoretical know-how in accretion and high energy phenomena.
Max ERC Funding
794 752 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-06-30
Project acronym ISCATAXIA
Project Unraveling the molecular mechanisms leading to cellular dysfunction in diseases linked to defects in mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster metabolism
Researcher (PI) Hélène Monique Sadoulet Puccio
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE EUROPEEN DE RECHERCHE EN BIOLOGIE ET MEDECINE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS4, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The project aims at unraveling the molecular pathophysiology of recessive ataxias, a heterogeneous set of severely disabling neurodegenerative disorders due to loss of function of proteins involved either in mitochondrial/metabolic pathways or DNA repair. Friedreich ataxia, the most common form, is due to partial loss of function of frataxin, a mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) biogenesis. Furthermore, the rare X-linked sideroblastic anemia with cerebellar ataxia is caused by mutation in ABCb7, an ATP-binding cassette transporter of the mitochondrial inner membrane necessary for cytosolic ISC export. ISC are versatile co-factors of proteins involved in electron transport, enzyme catalysis and regulation of gene expression. The synthesis and insertion of ISC into apoproteins involve complex machineries that are still poorly understood in the mammalian cell. The objectives of this proposal are: 1) to elucidate ISC biogenesis and metabolism in the mammalian cell, with an emphasis on the role of frataxin and ABCb7; 2) to better understand the molecular pathways that are involved in neuronal dysfunction due to defects in mitochondrial ISC metabolism. These objectives will be accomplished by a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular and biochemical approaches to study the ISC assembly machineries, bioinformatic and proteomic studies to identify new Fe-S proteins, the development and pathological analysis of animal and cellular models to dissect the molecular mechanisms, and transcriptomic analysis to uncover the common pathways among recessive ataxias. A specific focus of the proposal will be the involvement of DNA damage response pathways in neuronal dysfunction, as several DNA repair enzymes have recently been identified as Fe-S proteins and thus might be directly affected by frataxin and ABCb7 deficiency. This proposal should lead to the identification of different pathways for therapeutic intervention for these devastating disorders.
Summary
The project aims at unraveling the molecular pathophysiology of recessive ataxias, a heterogeneous set of severely disabling neurodegenerative disorders due to loss of function of proteins involved either in mitochondrial/metabolic pathways or DNA repair. Friedreich ataxia, the most common form, is due to partial loss of function of frataxin, a mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) biogenesis. Furthermore, the rare X-linked sideroblastic anemia with cerebellar ataxia is caused by mutation in ABCb7, an ATP-binding cassette transporter of the mitochondrial inner membrane necessary for cytosolic ISC export. ISC are versatile co-factors of proteins involved in electron transport, enzyme catalysis and regulation of gene expression. The synthesis and insertion of ISC into apoproteins involve complex machineries that are still poorly understood in the mammalian cell. The objectives of this proposal are: 1) to elucidate ISC biogenesis and metabolism in the mammalian cell, with an emphasis on the role of frataxin and ABCb7; 2) to better understand the molecular pathways that are involved in neuronal dysfunction due to defects in mitochondrial ISC metabolism. These objectives will be accomplished by a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular and biochemical approaches to study the ISC assembly machineries, bioinformatic and proteomic studies to identify new Fe-S proteins, the development and pathological analysis of animal and cellular models to dissect the molecular mechanisms, and transcriptomic analysis to uncover the common pathways among recessive ataxias. A specific focus of the proposal will be the involvement of DNA damage response pathways in neuronal dysfunction, as several DNA repair enzymes have recently been identified as Fe-S proteins and thus might be directly affected by frataxin and ABCb7 deficiency. This proposal should lead to the identification of different pathways for therapeutic intervention for these devastating disorders.
Max ERC Funding
1 449 924 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-06-30
Project acronym ORICODE
Project Unraveling the code of DNA replication origins and its link with cell identity
Researcher (PI) Marcel Mechali
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS1, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary DNA replication origins remain poorly defined in metazoans, in contrast to bacteria or S. cerevisiae. We believe that, in eukaryotes, a differential encoding of chromosomes by DNA replication origins is instrumental for the acquisition of cell identity during development. We wish to decipher this encoding, to determine whether it is linked to gene expression, and identify the mechanisms used to build a replication origin. First, we will unravel the origins code in mouse undifferentiated pluripotent cells with a genome-wide approach and correlate the replication origins' map with other chromosomal genetic or epigenetic features. The origins code will be deciphered also in the same cells when engaged into a specific (neural) differentiation. We predict that this differential mapping will identify constitutive and regulated origins, the latter specific to gene domains expressed in differentiation and providing cell identity. In the second axis of this project, we will identify proteins that constitute a replication origin. We will exploit two novel screening procedures developed in our laboratory. The "chromosome-trap" assay uses DNA beads to collect factors assembling at replication origins, using Xenopus cell-free systems. The "Replication foci capture" method allows the isolation of replication origins at their in-situ chromosomal location. Key objective 1: to unravel DNA replication origins' code in pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Key objective 2: to identify a link between replication origins and cell identity . Key objective 3: to investigate whether replication origins are responsible for the spatio-temporal organization and cell identity regulation by Homeobox domains. Key objective 4: to perform a functional analysis of replication origins by SiRNA silencing of differentially expressed gene domains or specific KO of DNA replication origins. Key objective 5: to identify new factors which assemble replication origins by two novel screening procedures.
Summary
DNA replication origins remain poorly defined in metazoans, in contrast to bacteria or S. cerevisiae. We believe that, in eukaryotes, a differential encoding of chromosomes by DNA replication origins is instrumental for the acquisition of cell identity during development. We wish to decipher this encoding, to determine whether it is linked to gene expression, and identify the mechanisms used to build a replication origin. First, we will unravel the origins code in mouse undifferentiated pluripotent cells with a genome-wide approach and correlate the replication origins' map with other chromosomal genetic or epigenetic features. The origins code will be deciphered also in the same cells when engaged into a specific (neural) differentiation. We predict that this differential mapping will identify constitutive and regulated origins, the latter specific to gene domains expressed in differentiation and providing cell identity. In the second axis of this project, we will identify proteins that constitute a replication origin. We will exploit two novel screening procedures developed in our laboratory. The "chromosome-trap" assay uses DNA beads to collect factors assembling at replication origins, using Xenopus cell-free systems. The "Replication foci capture" method allows the isolation of replication origins at their in-situ chromosomal location. Key objective 1: to unravel DNA replication origins' code in pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Key objective 2: to identify a link between replication origins and cell identity . Key objective 3: to investigate whether replication origins are responsible for the spatio-temporal organization and cell identity regulation by Homeobox domains. Key objective 4: to perform a functional analysis of replication origins by SiRNA silencing of differentially expressed gene domains or specific KO of DNA replication origins. Key objective 5: to identify new factors which assemble replication origins by two novel screening procedures.
Max ERC Funding
2 000 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-02-01, End date: 2014-01-31
Project acronym SEEDS OF LIFE
Project Seeds of life - analysis of seed growth and development
Researcher (PI) Arp Schnittger
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS1, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Flowering plants have evolved as one predominant life form on earth. One common principle of flowering plants and probably one of the main reasons for this evolutionary success is the rapid development of an embryo along with a nourishing tissue, called the endosperm. Embryo and endosperm are surrounded by maternal tissues and build the plant seed. Seeds are a fascinating biological structure and their formation is an essential step in the plant life cycle. Seeds also represent the major food source for animals and humans and for this reason, are an indispensable unit in the ecosystem on earth. Despite its importance, surprisingly little is known about seed growth and further progress for the understanding of seed development appears to be hampered by three major constraints. First, seeds are compound structures comprising different tissues of different origins. For proper development, however, a close coordination between these structures is required. Second, the involved organs and tissues are deeply buried within maternal tissues and thus, they are not easily accessible. Third, the parent of origin for certain regulators appears to be crucial for their expression in the seed and an understanding of the complex chromatin regulation that mediates these gene activity patterns is still at its beginning. Here an interdisciplinary and multi-species project is proposed to overcome these constraints unraveling the molecular mechanism and principles of seed growth control. By analyzing seed development in two distantly related species with a combination of cell biology, biochemistry as well as molecular biology including quantitative genetics and genomics, I will obtain detailed insights into one of the central processes of (plant) life.
Summary
Flowering plants have evolved as one predominant life form on earth. One common principle of flowering plants and probably one of the main reasons for this evolutionary success is the rapid development of an embryo along with a nourishing tissue, called the endosperm. Embryo and endosperm are surrounded by maternal tissues and build the plant seed. Seeds are a fascinating biological structure and their formation is an essential step in the plant life cycle. Seeds also represent the major food source for animals and humans and for this reason, are an indispensable unit in the ecosystem on earth. Despite its importance, surprisingly little is known about seed growth and further progress for the understanding of seed development appears to be hampered by three major constraints. First, seeds are compound structures comprising different tissues of different origins. For proper development, however, a close coordination between these structures is required. Second, the involved organs and tissues are deeply buried within maternal tissues and thus, they are not easily accessible. Third, the parent of origin for certain regulators appears to be crucial for their expression in the seed and an understanding of the complex chromatin regulation that mediates these gene activity patterns is still at its beginning. Here an interdisciplinary and multi-species project is proposed to overcome these constraints unraveling the molecular mechanism and principles of seed growth control. By analyzing seed development in two distantly related species with a combination of cell biology, biochemistry as well as molecular biology including quantitative genetics and genomics, I will obtain detailed insights into one of the central processes of (plant) life.
Max ERC Funding
1 300 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-06-30
Project acronym STARS2
Project Simulations of Turbulent, Active and Rotating Suns and Stars
Researcher (PI) Allan Sacha Brun
Host Institution (HI) COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE7, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The STARS2 project aims at modelling on massively parallel supercomputers in a self-consistent and three-dimensional way, the complex, time dependent and nonlinear dynamics operating in the Sun and stars. In particular we wish to understand how stars generate the wide variety of magnetic activity that is observed, with the Sun - given its proximity and its influence on our technical society - playing a central role in characterizing, studying, and constraining the dynamical processes acting in stellar convection and radiation zones. Studying the solar-stellar connection is crucial because it will allow us to understand why depending on the spectral type of the star considered, this activity can be cyclic, irregular, or simply modulated. The mechanism thought to be at the origin of the magnetism seen in late type stars is likely to be linked to dynamo action in the upper convective layers of such stars. The simultaneous existence in stars of convective turbulent motions, of rotation and its associated shear layers, favour the emergence of a small and/or large scale magnetic field through induction. For more massive stars, possessing a convective core, understanding the interaction between the dynamo generated magnetic field in the core and the magnetic field of their radiative envelope constitute major challenges in stellar fluid dynamics. To achieve these challenging scientific goals, the STARS2 project propose to federate a team of young bright scientists around the PI and to perform and to analyse sophisticated and more realistic high performance global MHD numerical simulations of the Sun and other stellar spectral types. These simulations are at the front-edge of current research in astrophysics, they require the use of the latest class of supercomputers available in Europe and will lead to real scientific breakthroughs. Understanding the interactions between convection, turbulence, shear, rotation and magnetic fields in stars IS the main goal of this project.
Summary
The STARS2 project aims at modelling on massively parallel supercomputers in a self-consistent and three-dimensional way, the complex, time dependent and nonlinear dynamics operating in the Sun and stars. In particular we wish to understand how stars generate the wide variety of magnetic activity that is observed, with the Sun - given its proximity and its influence on our technical society - playing a central role in characterizing, studying, and constraining the dynamical processes acting in stellar convection and radiation zones. Studying the solar-stellar connection is crucial because it will allow us to understand why depending on the spectral type of the star considered, this activity can be cyclic, irregular, or simply modulated. The mechanism thought to be at the origin of the magnetism seen in late type stars is likely to be linked to dynamo action in the upper convective layers of such stars. The simultaneous existence in stars of convective turbulent motions, of rotation and its associated shear layers, favour the emergence of a small and/or large scale magnetic field through induction. For more massive stars, possessing a convective core, understanding the interaction between the dynamo generated magnetic field in the core and the magnetic field of their radiative envelope constitute major challenges in stellar fluid dynamics. To achieve these challenging scientific goals, the STARS2 project propose to federate a team of young bright scientists around the PI and to perform and to analyse sophisticated and more realistic high performance global MHD numerical simulations of the Sun and other stellar spectral types. These simulations are at the front-edge of current research in astrophysics, they require the use of the latest class of supercomputers available in Europe and will lead to real scientific breakthroughs. Understanding the interactions between convection, turbulence, shear, rotation and magnetic fields in stars IS the main goal of this project.
Max ERC Funding
880 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2013-08-31
Project acronym TRANSREACT
Project TFIIH as a crucial actor in genome expression and repair
Researcher (PI) Jean-Marc Egly
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE EUROPEEN DE RECHERCHE EN BIOLOGIE ET MEDECINE
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS1, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary Understanding how the genetic information of a cell is retrieved but also protected from insults, is a major challenge facing modern molecular biology. Indeed, one of the most important developments in human genetics over the last decade, has been the realization that diseases such as cancer but also ageing stem from some dis-regulation in the expression and preservation of the genetic information. TFIIH is a multiprotein complex that is essential in transcription and DNA repair. Mutations in some of its subunits are responsible of a UV sensitivity phenotype in yeast and drosophila. In human, this results in the rare DNA repair deficient genetic disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which is characterized by photosensitivity and an increased risk of skin cancers. Two further disorders involving mutation in TFIIH subunits, Cockayne syndrome (CS) and trichothiodystrophy (TTD) are also defective in repair of UV damage, but present quite different clinical features such as brittle hair, neurological and developmental retardation, middles sun sensitivity and no susceptibility to solar carcinogenesis. The clinical complexity of these syndromes cannot be explained solely by deficiencies in DNA repair and emerging evidences indicate that it may also result from a dys-regulation of the transcriptional program under the control of hormones. The goal of this proposal is to investigate the DNA repair/transcription disorders involving mutations in TFIIH. This research will not only assists afflicted XP, CS, TTD and normal individuals in prevention and ultimately cures of hormonal dependent diseases and cancer (the clinical point of view), but more generally will provide an improved understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the expression of protein coding genes and the maintenance of genome integrity (the fundamental research point of view).
Summary
Understanding how the genetic information of a cell is retrieved but also protected from insults, is a major challenge facing modern molecular biology. Indeed, one of the most important developments in human genetics over the last decade, has been the realization that diseases such as cancer but also ageing stem from some dis-regulation in the expression and preservation of the genetic information. TFIIH is a multiprotein complex that is essential in transcription and DNA repair. Mutations in some of its subunits are responsible of a UV sensitivity phenotype in yeast and drosophila. In human, this results in the rare DNA repair deficient genetic disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which is characterized by photosensitivity and an increased risk of skin cancers. Two further disorders involving mutation in TFIIH subunits, Cockayne syndrome (CS) and trichothiodystrophy (TTD) are also defective in repair of UV damage, but present quite different clinical features such as brittle hair, neurological and developmental retardation, middles sun sensitivity and no susceptibility to solar carcinogenesis. The clinical complexity of these syndromes cannot be explained solely by deficiencies in DNA repair and emerging evidences indicate that it may also result from a dys-regulation of the transcriptional program under the control of hormones. The goal of this proposal is to investigate the DNA repair/transcription disorders involving mutations in TFIIH. This research will not only assists afflicted XP, CS, TTD and normal individuals in prevention and ultimately cures of hormonal dependent diseases and cancer (the clinical point of view), but more generally will provide an improved understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the expression of protein coding genes and the maintenance of genome integrity (the fundamental research point of view).
Max ERC Funding
1 997 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
