Project acronym Disasters
Project Market Beliefs and Optimal Policy in the Presence of Disasters
Researcher (PI) Ian William Richard Martin
Host Institution (HI) LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH1, ERC-2014-STG
Summary My proposal consists of two strands linked by a common theme--namely a concern for the impact of disasters, in financial markets and more generally--and by a shared methodology.
In the first of these strands, I propose to develop ways of using observable asset price data to infer the beliefs of market participants about various quantities that are central to financial economics, including (i) the equity premium; (ii) the forward-looking autocorrelation of the market (i.e., time-series momentum); (iii) the risk premia associated with individual stocks; (iv) the correlation between stocks; and (v) measures of asymmetric risk, such as the forward-looking probability of a significant downward jump in the stock market over some prescribed time period.
This work will exploit theoretical techniques that I have developed in previous research, and that allow for the possibility of jumps and disasters in financial markets. I will therefore be able to avoid the unpalatable assumption—which is made, implicitly or explicitly, in much of the finance literature—that uncertainty is driven by conditionally Normally distributed shocks (or, in continuous time, by Brownian motions). The importance of doing so is underscored by the turmoil in financial markets over the last few years.
These techniques will also be applied in the second strand of my proposal, which focuses on issues related to catastrophes more generally, including for example climate change; highly contagious viruses on the scale of the influenza pandemic of 1918; or nuclear or bio-terrorism. This project will be joint with Professor Robert S. Pindyck of MIT. The goal is to provide a framework within which policymakers, faced with multiple different types of potential catastrophe, can determine how society’s limited resources should best be used to alleviate the associated risks.
Summary
My proposal consists of two strands linked by a common theme--namely a concern for the impact of disasters, in financial markets and more generally--and by a shared methodology.
In the first of these strands, I propose to develop ways of using observable asset price data to infer the beliefs of market participants about various quantities that are central to financial economics, including (i) the equity premium; (ii) the forward-looking autocorrelation of the market (i.e., time-series momentum); (iii) the risk premia associated with individual stocks; (iv) the correlation between stocks; and (v) measures of asymmetric risk, such as the forward-looking probability of a significant downward jump in the stock market over some prescribed time period.
This work will exploit theoretical techniques that I have developed in previous research, and that allow for the possibility of jumps and disasters in financial markets. I will therefore be able to avoid the unpalatable assumption—which is made, implicitly or explicitly, in much of the finance literature—that uncertainty is driven by conditionally Normally distributed shocks (or, in continuous time, by Brownian motions). The importance of doing so is underscored by the turmoil in financial markets over the last few years.
These techniques will also be applied in the second strand of my proposal, which focuses on issues related to catastrophes more generally, including for example climate change; highly contagious viruses on the scale of the influenza pandemic of 1918; or nuclear or bio-terrorism. This project will be joint with Professor Robert S. Pindyck of MIT. The goal is to provide a framework within which policymakers, faced with multiple different types of potential catastrophe, can determine how society’s limited resources should best be used to alleviate the associated risks.
Max ERC Funding
1 287 755 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-05-01, End date: 2020-04-30
Project acronym GQCOP
Project Genuine Quantumness in Cooperative Phenomena
Researcher (PI) Gerardo Adesso
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2014-STG
Summary The proposed research programme addresses issues of fundamental and technological importance in quantum information science and its interplay with complexity. The main aim of this project is to provide a new paradigmatic foundation for the characterisation of quantumness in cooperative phenomena and to develop novel platforms for its practical utilisation in quantum technology applications.
To reach its main goal, this programme will target five specific objectives:
O1. Constructing a quantitative theory of quantumness in composite systems;
O2. Benchmarking genuine quantumness in information and communication protocols;
O3. Devising practical solutions for quantum-enhanced metrology in noisy conditions;
O4. Developing quantum thermal engineering for refrigerators and heat engines;
O5. Establishing a cybernetics framework for regulative phenomena in the quantum domain.
This project is deeply driven by the scientific curiosity to explore the ultimate range of applicability of quantum mechanics. Along the route to satisfying such curiosity, this project will fulfill a crucial two-fold mission. On the fundamental side, it will lead to a radically new level of understanding of quantumness, in its various manifestations, and the functional role it plays for natural and artificial complex systems traditionally confined to a classical domain of investigation. On the practical side, it will deliver novel concrete recipes for communication, sensing and cooling technologies in realistic conditions, rigorously assessing in which ways and to which extent these can be enhanced by engineering and harnessing quantumness.
Along with a skillful team which this grant will allow to assemble, benefitting from the vivid research environment at Nottingham, and mainly thanks to his creativity, broad mathematical and physical preparation and relevant inter-disciplinary expertise, the applicant is in a unique position to accomplish this timely and ambitious mission.
Summary
The proposed research programme addresses issues of fundamental and technological importance in quantum information science and its interplay with complexity. The main aim of this project is to provide a new paradigmatic foundation for the characterisation of quantumness in cooperative phenomena and to develop novel platforms for its practical utilisation in quantum technology applications.
To reach its main goal, this programme will target five specific objectives:
O1. Constructing a quantitative theory of quantumness in composite systems;
O2. Benchmarking genuine quantumness in information and communication protocols;
O3. Devising practical solutions for quantum-enhanced metrology in noisy conditions;
O4. Developing quantum thermal engineering for refrigerators and heat engines;
O5. Establishing a cybernetics framework for regulative phenomena in the quantum domain.
This project is deeply driven by the scientific curiosity to explore the ultimate range of applicability of quantum mechanics. Along the route to satisfying such curiosity, this project will fulfill a crucial two-fold mission. On the fundamental side, it will lead to a radically new level of understanding of quantumness, in its various manifestations, and the functional role it plays for natural and artificial complex systems traditionally confined to a classical domain of investigation. On the practical side, it will deliver novel concrete recipes for communication, sensing and cooling technologies in realistic conditions, rigorously assessing in which ways and to which extent these can be enhanced by engineering and harnessing quantumness.
Along with a skillful team which this grant will allow to assemble, benefitting from the vivid research environment at Nottingham, and mainly thanks to his creativity, broad mathematical and physical preparation and relevant inter-disciplinary expertise, the applicant is in a unique position to accomplish this timely and ambitious mission.
Max ERC Funding
1 351 461 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-05-01, End date: 2020-04-30
Project acronym INFO TECHNOLOGY
Project Information Technology and Institutions Supporting Human Capital Accumulation and Exchange
Researcher (PI) Jeremiah Edward Dittmar
Host Institution (HI) LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH1, ERC-2014-STG
Summary Information technology revolutions transform the production and exchange of ideas and drive profound institutional and cultural change. History provides unique settings to document the causal impact of changes in information technology and institutions, and the best evidence on their long-run effects.
The objective of the research is to document the impact of revolutionary transformations in information technology and institutions using evidence from the European Renaissance. Printing was the new information technology of the Renaissance and is arguably the best parallel to the internet. Print media transmitted ideas that led to significant institutional change. But no quantitative research systematically documents the impact of these innovations.
The research will innovate by constructing ground-breaking micro-data on media markets, human capital, and institutions; developing cutting edge estimators for high-dimensional data to measure ideas in the media; and using historical sources of exogenous variation to identify cause and effect.
The research has three strands. The first will document the impact of competition on idea diffusion and institutional change during the Protestant Reformation. The research will construct firm-level data on all known books in German-speaking Europe 1450-1600, use high-dimensional estimators to measure ideas in print, and identify exogenous variation in competition from archival data.
The second strand will document the origins of persistent differences in human capital accumulation by constructing new data on city laws that set up the first experiments in public education and on virtually all German university students 1400-1550, and by using local shocks to support causal inference.
The third strand will document the impact of organizations supporting knowledge diffusion that were complementary to printing by constructing data on all European scholarly societies and journals and using historical shocks to identify their impact.
Summary
Information technology revolutions transform the production and exchange of ideas and drive profound institutional and cultural change. History provides unique settings to document the causal impact of changes in information technology and institutions, and the best evidence on their long-run effects.
The objective of the research is to document the impact of revolutionary transformations in information technology and institutions using evidence from the European Renaissance. Printing was the new information technology of the Renaissance and is arguably the best parallel to the internet. Print media transmitted ideas that led to significant institutional change. But no quantitative research systematically documents the impact of these innovations.
The research will innovate by constructing ground-breaking micro-data on media markets, human capital, and institutions; developing cutting edge estimators for high-dimensional data to measure ideas in the media; and using historical sources of exogenous variation to identify cause and effect.
The research has three strands. The first will document the impact of competition on idea diffusion and institutional change during the Protestant Reformation. The research will construct firm-level data on all known books in German-speaking Europe 1450-1600, use high-dimensional estimators to measure ideas in print, and identify exogenous variation in competition from archival data.
The second strand will document the origins of persistent differences in human capital accumulation by constructing new data on city laws that set up the first experiments in public education and on virtually all German university students 1400-1550, and by using local shocks to support causal inference.
The third strand will document the impact of organizations supporting knowledge diffusion that were complementary to printing by constructing data on all European scholarly societies and journals and using historical shocks to identify their impact.
Max ERC Funding
1 275 044 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-05-01, End date: 2020-10-31
Project acronym LTI
Project Long-Term Investment
Researcher (PI) Alexander Edmans
Host Institution (HI) LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH1, ERC-2014-STG
Summary The typical 20th-century firm was capital-intensive and competed on cost efficiency. The 21st-century firm is different. Competitive success increasingly depends on product quality, which in turn hinges on intangible assets such as brand strength, innovation, and corporate culture. Unlike tangible investment such as buying a factory, the fruits of intangible investment may take several years to appear. A manager pressured to maximise short-term earnings may fail to invest, jeopardising the long-term future of his firm. This project will study the determinants and consequences of long-term investment through three linked components.
Financial Markets. The traditional view is that financial markets dissuade investment by forcing firms to cater to short-term shareholders. I will study two channels through which markets promote investment. First, traders gather information about a firm’s past investments and incorporate it into stock prices by trading - rewarding the manager for good investment. Second, traders can gather information about a firm’s future investment opportunities - informing the manager about his future investment decisions. I aim to analyse what determines the efficiency of both channels.
Incentives. Most research on incentives focuses on either the level of pay, or the sensitivity of pay to performance, but it is the horizon of incentives that is key to promoting investment. I will theoretically analyse the optimal incentive horizon, and empirically demonstrate how it affects long-term decisions. Moving beyond managers, I will study how to incentivise teachers to focus on their pupils’ long-run development rather than “teaching-to-the-test.”
Effects of Investment. A key to inducing long-run investment is to demonstrate its benefits, but this is difficult due to data availability. I aim to gather data on a firm’s corporate social responsibility – its investment in its stakeholders – and link it to firm value.
Summary
The typical 20th-century firm was capital-intensive and competed on cost efficiency. The 21st-century firm is different. Competitive success increasingly depends on product quality, which in turn hinges on intangible assets such as brand strength, innovation, and corporate culture. Unlike tangible investment such as buying a factory, the fruits of intangible investment may take several years to appear. A manager pressured to maximise short-term earnings may fail to invest, jeopardising the long-term future of his firm. This project will study the determinants and consequences of long-term investment through three linked components.
Financial Markets. The traditional view is that financial markets dissuade investment by forcing firms to cater to short-term shareholders. I will study two channels through which markets promote investment. First, traders gather information about a firm’s past investments and incorporate it into stock prices by trading - rewarding the manager for good investment. Second, traders can gather information about a firm’s future investment opportunities - informing the manager about his future investment decisions. I aim to analyse what determines the efficiency of both channels.
Incentives. Most research on incentives focuses on either the level of pay, or the sensitivity of pay to performance, but it is the horizon of incentives that is key to promoting investment. I will theoretically analyse the optimal incentive horizon, and empirically demonstrate how it affects long-term decisions. Moving beyond managers, I will study how to incentivise teachers to focus on their pupils’ long-run development rather than “teaching-to-the-test.”
Effects of Investment. A key to inducing long-run investment is to demonstrate its benefits, but this is difficult due to data availability. I aim to gather data on a firm’s corporate social responsibility – its investment in its stakeholders – and link it to firm value.
Max ERC Funding
899 105 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-04-01, End date: 2018-03-31
Project acronym MtbTransReg
Project Translational regulation in the persistence and drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Researcher (PI) Teresa Cortes
Host Institution (HI) LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE ROYAL CHARTER
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2014-STG
Summary Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes human tuberculosis but can also persist for decades as an asymptomatic latent infection. The mechanisms underlying persistence are poorly understood, and the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis makes the development of effective new treatments an urgent challenge. Understanding the ability of M. tuberculosis to switch between replicating and non-replicating states during infection and disease is central to the search for improved treatments.
The number of copies of a protein produced by a cell is generally viewed as being determined by the number of mRNA transcripts, but recent findings suggest that ‘specialised ribosomes’ can modify proteome profiles by preferential translation of particular mRNA subsets, particularly in response to stress. mRNA molecules contain specific signals that optimise their interaction with ribosomes; known as leader sequences, these include the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence required for canonical translation initiation in bacteria. I recently demonstrated that M. tuberculosis expresses an unexpected number of leaderless mRNA transcripts that lack the SD sequence. In Escherichia coli, only a few leaderless transcripts have been described and they are selectively translated by specialised ribosomes. I propose to test the hypothesis that differential translation of mRNA subsets contributes to M. tuberculosis persistence and drug susceptibility.
I will investigate the importance of selective translation of leaderless and SD mRNAs in the context of adaptation to stress and drug resistance in M. tuberculosis, using cutting-edge experimental techniques combined with bioinformatic analyses. The proposed project addresses the fundamental systems biology challenge of establishing quantitative correlations between transcriptome and proteome data, and beyond contributing to the rational design of novel treatments to cure tuberculosis, could help to re-shape classical paradigms of bacterial gene regulation.
Summary
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes human tuberculosis but can also persist for decades as an asymptomatic latent infection. The mechanisms underlying persistence are poorly understood, and the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis makes the development of effective new treatments an urgent challenge. Understanding the ability of M. tuberculosis to switch between replicating and non-replicating states during infection and disease is central to the search for improved treatments.
The number of copies of a protein produced by a cell is generally viewed as being determined by the number of mRNA transcripts, but recent findings suggest that ‘specialised ribosomes’ can modify proteome profiles by preferential translation of particular mRNA subsets, particularly in response to stress. mRNA molecules contain specific signals that optimise their interaction with ribosomes; known as leader sequences, these include the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence required for canonical translation initiation in bacteria. I recently demonstrated that M. tuberculosis expresses an unexpected number of leaderless mRNA transcripts that lack the SD sequence. In Escherichia coli, only a few leaderless transcripts have been described and they are selectively translated by specialised ribosomes. I propose to test the hypothesis that differential translation of mRNA subsets contributes to M. tuberculosis persistence and drug susceptibility.
I will investigate the importance of selective translation of leaderless and SD mRNAs in the context of adaptation to stress and drug resistance in M. tuberculosis, using cutting-edge experimental techniques combined with bioinformatic analyses. The proposed project addresses the fundamental systems biology challenge of establishing quantitative correlations between transcriptome and proteome data, and beyond contributing to the rational design of novel treatments to cure tuberculosis, could help to re-shape classical paradigms of bacterial gene regulation.
Max ERC Funding
1 495 625 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-06-01, End date: 2020-05-31
Project acronym NewNGR
Project New frontiers in numerical general relativity
Researcher (PI) Pau Figueras
Host Institution (HI) QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2014-STG
Summary In recent years general relativity (GR) has become an increasingly important new tool in areas of physics beyond its traditional playground in astrophysics. The main motivation for this comes from the AdS/CFT correspondence which conjectures an equivalence between gravity in anti-de Sitter (AdS) spaces and certain conformal field theories (CFT’s). Via this correspondence, GR now plays a key role in improving our understanding of non-gravitational physics at strong coupling.
The AdS/CFT correspondence naturally leads to the study of GR in dimensions greater than four and/or in AdS spaces. Our current understanding of GR in these new settings is rather limited but it has been realized that the physics of gravity can be significantly different than in the 4d asymptotically flat case. Moreover, to access these new gravitational phenomena numerical methods have been and will be essential. However, the use of numerical GR beyond the traditional 4d asymptotically flat case is still in its infancy. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of GR in higher dimensions and/or AdS spaces using numerical techniques. To achieve this goal, we will focus on the study of the following topics:
1. Develop stable codes for doing numerical GR in AdS and higher dimensions. We will use numerical GR and the AdS/CFT correspondence to study out of equilibrium phenomena in strongly coupled CFT’s. We will also use numerical GR to understand the endpoint of the various black hole instabilities and thereby address long standing conjectures in GR.
2. New types of stationary black holes. We will use numerical GR to numerically construct new types of black holes in higher dimensions and in AdS, with novel topologies and fewer symmetries than the known ones. We shall apply them to the study of equilibrium configurations in strongly coupled gauge theories at finite temperature.
Summary
In recent years general relativity (GR) has become an increasingly important new tool in areas of physics beyond its traditional playground in astrophysics. The main motivation for this comes from the AdS/CFT correspondence which conjectures an equivalence between gravity in anti-de Sitter (AdS) spaces and certain conformal field theories (CFT’s). Via this correspondence, GR now plays a key role in improving our understanding of non-gravitational physics at strong coupling.
The AdS/CFT correspondence naturally leads to the study of GR in dimensions greater than four and/or in AdS spaces. Our current understanding of GR in these new settings is rather limited but it has been realized that the physics of gravity can be significantly different than in the 4d asymptotically flat case. Moreover, to access these new gravitational phenomena numerical methods have been and will be essential. However, the use of numerical GR beyond the traditional 4d asymptotically flat case is still in its infancy. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of GR in higher dimensions and/or AdS spaces using numerical techniques. To achieve this goal, we will focus on the study of the following topics:
1. Develop stable codes for doing numerical GR in AdS and higher dimensions. We will use numerical GR and the AdS/CFT correspondence to study out of equilibrium phenomena in strongly coupled CFT’s. We will also use numerical GR to understand the endpoint of the various black hole instabilities and thereby address long standing conjectures in GR.
2. New types of stationary black holes. We will use numerical GR to numerically construct new types of black holes in higher dimensions and in AdS, with novel topologies and fewer symmetries than the known ones. We shall apply them to the study of equilibrium configurations in strongly coupled gauge theories at finite temperature.
Max ERC Funding
1 284 525 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-09-01, End date: 2020-08-31
Project acronym NoisyAgeing
Project Beyond genotype to phenotype: how ancestor lifestyle impacts on lifespan variation in descendants
Researcher (PI) Maria Olivia Casanueva Iommi
Host Institution (HI) THE BABRAHAM INSTITUTE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2014-STG
Summary There are many examples in nature where inter-individual variability in life-history traits is exploited as an adaptive strategy. I and others have shown that inter-individual variability in the longevity pathways –and in particular, in stress response genes- has consequences for genetic/environmental phenotypic robustness as well as for lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans. My main interest is to uncover the causes that explain inter-individual variability in lifespan. The variability across individuals must include an important non-genetic component because the laboratory strains of this nematode are genetically homogeneous. I propose that lifespan variation is a by-product of non-genetic sources of variability in the pathways that control longevity. Strikingly, inter-individual differences in stress responses are transgenerationally transmitted. Transgenerational memory is an adaptive strategy that informs the next generation about the likely environmental cues that will be encountered, and sets patterns of gene expression by the incomplete erasure of chromatin marks in the germline. I hypothesise that transgenerational epigenome inheritance introduces transcriptional variability for genes that influence lifespan. Also, I propose that the probabilistic nature of lifespan is caused by inter-individual differences in the inheritance of longevity genes that set the rate of ageing from early development. Understanding the basis of lifespan variability is crucial for personalised medicine, where not the average population but rather the individual is centre stage. It is equally crucial for the identification of new factors that may have been missed by the analysis of population averages that can have an impact for human ageing and health. More generally, I propose the inter-individual variability in the vertical transmission of transcriptional states as a unifying framework underlying a large class of adaptive phenotypes that vary among individuals.
Summary
There are many examples in nature where inter-individual variability in life-history traits is exploited as an adaptive strategy. I and others have shown that inter-individual variability in the longevity pathways –and in particular, in stress response genes- has consequences for genetic/environmental phenotypic robustness as well as for lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans. My main interest is to uncover the causes that explain inter-individual variability in lifespan. The variability across individuals must include an important non-genetic component because the laboratory strains of this nematode are genetically homogeneous. I propose that lifespan variation is a by-product of non-genetic sources of variability in the pathways that control longevity. Strikingly, inter-individual differences in stress responses are transgenerationally transmitted. Transgenerational memory is an adaptive strategy that informs the next generation about the likely environmental cues that will be encountered, and sets patterns of gene expression by the incomplete erasure of chromatin marks in the germline. I hypothesise that transgenerational epigenome inheritance introduces transcriptional variability for genes that influence lifespan. Also, I propose that the probabilistic nature of lifespan is caused by inter-individual differences in the inheritance of longevity genes that set the rate of ageing from early development. Understanding the basis of lifespan variability is crucial for personalised medicine, where not the average population but rather the individual is centre stage. It is equally crucial for the identification of new factors that may have been missed by the analysis of population averages that can have an impact for human ageing and health. More generally, I propose the inter-individual variability in the vertical transmission of transcriptional states as a unifying framework underlying a large class of adaptive phenotypes that vary among individuals.
Max ERC Funding
1 499 978 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-06-01, End date: 2020-12-31
Project acronym PHOTONET-C4
Project Characterising the Gene Regulatory Networks Governing Photosynthesis: From Basic Understanding to Targeted Engineering
Researcher (PI) Steven Bryan Kelly
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2014-STG
Summary Photosynthesis underpins life on earth. Despite its fundamental importance, our knowledge of the molecular regulators that control the expression of photosynthetic genes is limited, and only four transcription factors are known to regulate the expression of cohorts of photosynthetic genes in plants.
This project aims to address this knowledge gap by identifying and characterising the molecular regulators that control the expression of photosynthetic genes. This aim will be achieved through an innovative high-throughput strategy that exploits a naturally occurring cellular subdivision of photosynthesis, known as C4 photosynthesis, that has evolved independently in over 60 different plant lineages.
Using two species that represent independent origins of C4 (Setaria italica and Sorghum bicolor) and two related C3 species (Oryza sativa and Dichanthelium oligosanthes) the aims of this project will be achieved through the following objectives:
1) In each of the four species, characterise the DNA binding motifs of 100 (orthologous) transcription factors that are differentially regulated in the C4 species.
2) Identify candidate transcription factors whose targets are photosynthetic genes through comparative bioinformatic approaches.
3) Overexpress candidate transcription factors in rice (C3) and validate the downstream targets using transcriptomic approaches.
My combined expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics puts me in an excellent position to deliver this project and identify the transcription factors that regulate photosynthesis in plants. By focusing on C4 photosynthesis, this project will provide fundamental insight into both plant evolution and the regulation of photosynthesis. Moreover, it will accelerate international efforts that aim to introduce C4 traits into globally important C3 crops such as rice and wheat.
Summary
Photosynthesis underpins life on earth. Despite its fundamental importance, our knowledge of the molecular regulators that control the expression of photosynthetic genes is limited, and only four transcription factors are known to regulate the expression of cohorts of photosynthetic genes in plants.
This project aims to address this knowledge gap by identifying and characterising the molecular regulators that control the expression of photosynthetic genes. This aim will be achieved through an innovative high-throughput strategy that exploits a naturally occurring cellular subdivision of photosynthesis, known as C4 photosynthesis, that has evolved independently in over 60 different plant lineages.
Using two species that represent independent origins of C4 (Setaria italica and Sorghum bicolor) and two related C3 species (Oryza sativa and Dichanthelium oligosanthes) the aims of this project will be achieved through the following objectives:
1) In each of the four species, characterise the DNA binding motifs of 100 (orthologous) transcription factors that are differentially regulated in the C4 species.
2) Identify candidate transcription factors whose targets are photosynthetic genes through comparative bioinformatic approaches.
3) Overexpress candidate transcription factors in rice (C3) and validate the downstream targets using transcriptomic approaches.
My combined expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics puts me in an excellent position to deliver this project and identify the transcription factors that regulate photosynthesis in plants. By focusing on C4 photosynthesis, this project will provide fundamental insight into both plant evolution and the regulation of photosynthesis. Moreover, it will accelerate international efforts that aim to introduce C4 traits into globally important C3 crops such as rice and wheat.
Max ERC Funding
1 482 363 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-11-01, End date: 2020-10-31
Project acronym PRCTOERC
Project Novel Regulatory Principles of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
Researcher (PI) Philipp Christopher Voigt
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2014-STG
Summary Posttranslational modifications of histone proteins have emerged as central regulators of gene expression. Through the factors that install, interpret, and erase them, histone marks control access to the genome, establishing chromatin environments that either support or counteract transcription. The histone methyltransferase Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is crucially involved in gene repression all throughout development and adulthood, and it is often misregulated in cancer. Despite significant advances in the field, key aspects of PRC2 function remain largely elusive. The overarching goal of this project is to enhance our understanding of how PRC2 is regulated and how it controls the expression of developmental genes in embryonic stem cells. To this end, my research team and I will analyse how PRC2 cooperates with other histone modifiers and chromatin organisers at enhancers to achieve poising of developmental genes (Aim 1). These studies will enable us to appreciate how the pivotal PRC2 module interfaces with other players in the complex chromatin regulatory system, contributing to a much-needed integrated view of chromatin regulation. We will further unravel how generation of the recently discovered asymmetric nucleosomes, in which the two copies of histone H3 are disparately modified (Voigt et al., Cell, 2012), is controlled by PRC2-intrinsic catalytic properties and through interactions with other chromatin modifiers (Aim 2). This will ultimately allow modulating asymmetry in vivo, providing unprecedented means to assess its impact on PRC2 function and chromatin structure. Lastly, I aim to re-evaluate the issue of PRC2 recruitment to its target loci by employing a systems biology-informed quantitative approach (Aim 3). Together, the aims of this ambitious project will significantly advance our understanding of PRC2 and its role in the establishment of chromatin states, which are crucial to embryonic stem cell physiology and deregulated in cancer.
Summary
Posttranslational modifications of histone proteins have emerged as central regulators of gene expression. Through the factors that install, interpret, and erase them, histone marks control access to the genome, establishing chromatin environments that either support or counteract transcription. The histone methyltransferase Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is crucially involved in gene repression all throughout development and adulthood, and it is often misregulated in cancer. Despite significant advances in the field, key aspects of PRC2 function remain largely elusive. The overarching goal of this project is to enhance our understanding of how PRC2 is regulated and how it controls the expression of developmental genes in embryonic stem cells. To this end, my research team and I will analyse how PRC2 cooperates with other histone modifiers and chromatin organisers at enhancers to achieve poising of developmental genes (Aim 1). These studies will enable us to appreciate how the pivotal PRC2 module interfaces with other players in the complex chromatin regulatory system, contributing to a much-needed integrated view of chromatin regulation. We will further unravel how generation of the recently discovered asymmetric nucleosomes, in which the two copies of histone H3 are disparately modified (Voigt et al., Cell, 2012), is controlled by PRC2-intrinsic catalytic properties and through interactions with other chromatin modifiers (Aim 2). This will ultimately allow modulating asymmetry in vivo, providing unprecedented means to assess its impact on PRC2 function and chromatin structure. Lastly, I aim to re-evaluate the issue of PRC2 recruitment to its target loci by employing a systems biology-informed quantitative approach (Aim 3). Together, the aims of this ambitious project will significantly advance our understanding of PRC2 and its role in the establishment of chromatin states, which are crucial to embryonic stem cell physiology and deregulated in cancer.
Max ERC Funding
1 496 523 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-06-01, End date: 2020-05-31
