ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

The tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) salivary gland is the final micro-environment where the Trypanosoma brucei parasites adhere and undergo a complex re-programming cycle resulting in an end stage that is re-programmed to continue its life cycle in a new mammalian host. The molecular parasite-vector communications that orchestrate this trypanosome development in tsetse fly salivary glands remain unknown mainly due to the limited availability of experimental tools for functional research. We hypothesize that an innovative paratransgenic approach using the Sodalis glossinidius endosymbiont to deliver Nanobodies that target the trypanosome-tsetse fly crosstalk will open a new avenue to unravel the molecular determinants of this specific parasite-vector association. In this project I will develop an innovative Sodalis-based internal delivery system for Nanobodies to target the tsetse fly – trypanosome interplay and, as final outcome, will generate a trypanosome-resistant tsetse fly. In addition, I will explore the completely ‘unknown’ of the molecular nature of trypanosome adherence to the salivary gland epithelium. This will be addressed by a challenging proteomic-based approach on the tsetse salivary gland - trypanosome membrane complex and by the newly developed paratransgenic approach using the S. glossinidius endosymbiont as an internal delivery system for salivary gland epithelium-targeting Nanobodies. The application of this innovative concept of using pathogen-targeting Nanobodies delivered by insect symbiotic bacteria could be extended to other vector-pathogen systems such as Anopheles gambiae – Plasmodium falciparum and Aedes aegypti – dengue virus.

1 444 370 €

Start date: 2011-11-01, End date: 2016-10-31

"The analysis of variation in plants has revealed that their genomes are characterised by high levels of structural variation, consisting of both smaller insertion/deletions, mostly due to recent insertions of transposable elements, and of larger insertion/deletion similar to those termed in humans Copy Number Variants (CNVs). These observations indicate that a single genome sequence might not reflect the entire genomic complement of a species, and prompted us to introduce the concept of the plant pan-genome, including core genomic features common to all individuals and a Dispensable Genome (DG) composed of partially shared and/or non shared DNA sequence elements. The very active transposable element systems present in many plant genomes may account for a large fraction of the DG. The mechanisms by which the CNV-like variants are generated and the direction of the mutational events are still unknown. Uncovering the intriguing nature of the DG, i.e. its composition, origin and function, represents a step forward towards an understanding of the processes generating genetic diversity and phenotypic variation. Additionally, since the DG clearly appears to be for the most part the youngest and most dynamic component of the pan genome, it is of great interest to understand whether it is a major contributor to the creation of new genetic variation in plant evolution and more specifically in the breeding process. We thus aim at: i) defining extent and composition of the pan genome in two plant species, maize and grapevine; ii) identifying the different mechanisms that generate and maintain the dispensable portion in these 2 species; iii) identifying the phenotypic effects of the DG; iv) estimating the rates and modes of creation of new genetic variation due to DG components and whether this could represent an important factor in the breeding process; v) extending our findings to other plant species for which the genome sequence in the meantime may have become available."

2 473 500 €

Start date: 2012-07-01, End date: 2017-12-31

The capacity to produce and perceive organic chemicals is essential for most cellular organisms. Plant leaves that are attacked by insect herbivores for instance start releasing distinct blends of herbivore-induced plant volatiles, which in turn can be perceived by non-attacked tissues. These tissues then respond more rapidly and more strongly to herbivore attack. One major question that constrains the current understanding of plant volatile communication is how plants perceive herbivore induced volatiles. Can plants smell danger by detecting certain volatiles with specific receptors? Or are other mechanisms at play? Answering these questions would push the boundaries of plant signaling research, as it would allow for the creation of perception impaired mutants to perform detailed analyses of the biological functions and potential agricultural benefits of plant volatile perception. My recent work identified indole as a key herbivore induced volatile priming signal in maize. As indole is produced by many different plant species and has been well studied as a bacterial volatile, it is an ideal candidate to study the mechanisms and biological functions of plant volatile perception. The key objectives of PERVOL are 1) to develop a new high-throughput plant volatile sampling system for genetic screens of indole perception, 2) to use the system to identify molecular mechanisms of indole perception and 3) to create indole perception mutants to uncover novel biological functions of volatile priming. If successful, PERVOL will set technological standards by providing the community with an innovative and powerful volatile sampling system. Furthermore, it will push the field of plant volatile research by elucidating mechanisms of herbivore induced volatile perception, generating new genetic resources for functional investigations of plant volatile signaling and testing new potential biological functions of the perception of herbivore induced volatiles.

1 989 938 €

Start date: 2017-03-01, End date: 2022-02-28

One of the strategies for mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions that is receiving a lot of attention in this post-Kyoto era, is the use of bio-energy as a replacement for fossil fuels. Among the different alternatives of bio-energy production the use of biomass crops such as fast-growing woody crops under short rotation coppice (SRC) regimes - is probably the most suited, in particular in the EU. Two issues need to be addressed before the efficacy of bio-energy for carbon mitigation can be conclusively assessed, i.e. (i) a full life cycle analysis (LCA) of the global warming contribution of SRC, and (ii) and an assessment of the energy efficiency of the system. The objectives of this project are: (i) to make a full LCA balance of the most important greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, H2O and O3) and of the volatile organic compounds (VOC s), and (ii) to make a full energy accounting of a SRC plantation with fast-growing trees. The project will involve both an experimental approach at a representative field site in Belgium and a modelling part. For the experimental approach a SRC of poplar (Populus) will be monitored during the course of 1+3 years, harvested and transformed into bio-energy. Eddy covariance techniques will be used to monitor net fluxes of all greenhouse gases and VOC's, in combination with common assessments of biomass pools (incl. soil) and fluxes. For the energy accounting we will use life cycle analysis and energy efficiency assessments over the entire life cycle of the SRC plantation until the production of electricity and heat. A significant process based modeling component will integrate the collected knowledge on the greenhouse gas and energy balances toward predictions and simulations of the net reduction of fossil greenhouse gas emissions (avoided emissions) of SRC over different rotation cycles, global warming scenarios, and management strategies.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2009-03-01, End date: 2014-10-31