Project acronym 2SEXES_1GENOME
Project Sex-specific genetic effects on fitness and human disease
Researcher (PI) Edward Hugh Morrow
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2011-StG_20101109
Summary Darwin’s theory of natural selection rests on the principle that fitness variation in natural populations has a heritable component, on which selection acts, thereby leading to evolutionary change. A fundamental and so far unresolved question for the field of evolutionary biology is to identify the genetic loci responsible for this fitness variation, thereby coming closer to an understanding of how variation is maintained in the face of continual selection. One important complicating factor in the search for fitness related genes however is the existence of separate sexes – theoretical expectations and empirical data both suggest that sexually antagonistic genes are common. The phrase “two sexes, one genome” nicely sums up the problem; selection may favour alleles in one sex, even if they have detrimental effects on the fitness of the opposite sex, since it is their net effect across both sexes that determine the likelihood that alleles persist in a population. This theoretical framework raises an interesting, and so far entirely unexplored issue: that in one sex the functional performance of some alleles is predicted to be compromised and this effect may account for some common human diseases and conditions which show genotype-sex interactions. I propose to explore the genetic basis of sex-specific fitness in a model organism in both laboratory and natural conditions and to test whether those genes identified as having sexually antagonistic effects can help explain the incidence of human diseases that display sexual dimorphism in prevalence, age of onset or severity. This multidisciplinary project directly addresses some fundamental unresolved questions in evolutionary biology: the genetic basis and maintenance of fitness variation; the evolution of sexual dimorphism; and aims to provide novel insights into the genetic basis of some common human diseases.
Summary
Darwin’s theory of natural selection rests on the principle that fitness variation in natural populations has a heritable component, on which selection acts, thereby leading to evolutionary change. A fundamental and so far unresolved question for the field of evolutionary biology is to identify the genetic loci responsible for this fitness variation, thereby coming closer to an understanding of how variation is maintained in the face of continual selection. One important complicating factor in the search for fitness related genes however is the existence of separate sexes – theoretical expectations and empirical data both suggest that sexually antagonistic genes are common. The phrase “two sexes, one genome” nicely sums up the problem; selection may favour alleles in one sex, even if they have detrimental effects on the fitness of the opposite sex, since it is their net effect across both sexes that determine the likelihood that alleles persist in a population. This theoretical framework raises an interesting, and so far entirely unexplored issue: that in one sex the functional performance of some alleles is predicted to be compromised and this effect may account for some common human diseases and conditions which show genotype-sex interactions. I propose to explore the genetic basis of sex-specific fitness in a model organism in both laboratory and natural conditions and to test whether those genes identified as having sexually antagonistic effects can help explain the incidence of human diseases that display sexual dimorphism in prevalence, age of onset or severity. This multidisciplinary project directly addresses some fundamental unresolved questions in evolutionary biology: the genetic basis and maintenance of fitness variation; the evolution of sexual dimorphism; and aims to provide novel insights into the genetic basis of some common human diseases.
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31
Project acronym ADULT
Project Analysis of the Dark Universe through Lensing Tomography
Researcher (PI) Hendrik Hoekstra
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2011-StG_20101014
Summary The discoveries that the expansion of the universe is accelerating due to an unknown “dark energy”
and that most of the matter is invisible, highlight our lack of understanding of the major constituents
of the universe. These surprising findings set the stage for research in cosmology at the start of the
21st century. The objective of this proposal is to advance observational constraints to a level where we can distinguish between physical mechanisms that aim to explain the properties of dark energy and the observed distribution of dark matter throughout the universe. We use a relatively new technique called weak gravitational lensing: the accurate measurement of correlations in the orientations of distant galaxies enables us to map the dark matter distribution directly and to extract the cosmological information that is encoded by the large-scale structure.
To study the dark universe we will analyse data from a new state-of-the-art imaging survey: the Kilo-
Degree Survey (KiDS) will cover 1500 square degrees in 9 filters. The combination of its large survey
area and the availability of exquisite photometric redshifts for the sources makes KiDS the first
project that can place interesting constraints on the dark energy equation-of-state using lensing data
alone. Combined with complementary results from Planck, our measurements will provide one of the
best views of the dark side of the universe before much larger space-based projects commence.
To reach the desired accuracy we need to carefully measure the shapes of distant background galaxies. We also need to account for any intrinsic alignments that arise due to tidal interactions, rather than through lensing. Reducing these observational and physical biases to negligible levels is a necessarystep to ensure the success of KiDS and an important part of our preparation for more challenging projects such as the European-led space mission Euclid.
Summary
The discoveries that the expansion of the universe is accelerating due to an unknown “dark energy”
and that most of the matter is invisible, highlight our lack of understanding of the major constituents
of the universe. These surprising findings set the stage for research in cosmology at the start of the
21st century. The objective of this proposal is to advance observational constraints to a level where we can distinguish between physical mechanisms that aim to explain the properties of dark energy and the observed distribution of dark matter throughout the universe. We use a relatively new technique called weak gravitational lensing: the accurate measurement of correlations in the orientations of distant galaxies enables us to map the dark matter distribution directly and to extract the cosmological information that is encoded by the large-scale structure.
To study the dark universe we will analyse data from a new state-of-the-art imaging survey: the Kilo-
Degree Survey (KiDS) will cover 1500 square degrees in 9 filters. The combination of its large survey
area and the availability of exquisite photometric redshifts for the sources makes KiDS the first
project that can place interesting constraints on the dark energy equation-of-state using lensing data
alone. Combined with complementary results from Planck, our measurements will provide one of the
best views of the dark side of the universe before much larger space-based projects commence.
To reach the desired accuracy we need to carefully measure the shapes of distant background galaxies. We also need to account for any intrinsic alignments that arise due to tidal interactions, rather than through lensing. Reducing these observational and physical biases to negligible levels is a necessarystep to ensure the success of KiDS and an important part of our preparation for more challenging projects such as the European-led space mission Euclid.
Max ERC Funding
1 316 880 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31
Project acronym ARISE
Project The Ecology of Antibiotic Resistance
Researcher (PI) Roy Kishony
Host Institution (HI) TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2011-StG_20101109
Summary Main goal. We aim to understand the puzzling coexistence of antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-sensitive species in natural soil environments, using novel quantitative experimental techniques and mathematical analysis. The ecological insights gained will be translated into novel treatment strategies for combating antibiotic resistance.
Background. Microbial soil ecosystems comprise communities of species interacting through copious secretion of antibiotics and other chemicals. Defence mechanisms, i.e. resistance to antibiotics, are ubiquitous in these wild communities. However, in sharp contrast to clinical settings, resistance does not take over the population. Our hypothesis is that the ecological setting provides natural mechanisms that keep antibiotic resistance in check. We are motivated by our recent finding that specific antibiotic combinations can generate selection against resistance and that soil microbial strains produce compounds that directly target antibiotic resistant mechanisms.
Approaches. We will: (1) Isolate natural bacterial species from individual grains of soil, characterize their ability to produce and resist antibiotics and identify the spatial scale for correlations between resistance and production. (2) Systematically measure interactions between species and identify interaction patterns enriched in co-existing communities derived from the same grain of soil. (3) Introducing fluorescently-labelled resistant and sensitive strains into natural soil, we will measure the fitness cost and benefit of antibiotic resistance in situ and identify natural compounds that select against resistance. (4) Test whether such “selection-inverting” compounds can slow evolution of resistance to antibiotics in continuous culture experiments.
Conclusions. These findings will provide insights into the ecological processes that keep antibiotic resistance in check, and will suggest novel antimicrobial treatment strategies.
Summary
Main goal. We aim to understand the puzzling coexistence of antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-sensitive species in natural soil environments, using novel quantitative experimental techniques and mathematical analysis. The ecological insights gained will be translated into novel treatment strategies for combating antibiotic resistance.
Background. Microbial soil ecosystems comprise communities of species interacting through copious secretion of antibiotics and other chemicals. Defence mechanisms, i.e. resistance to antibiotics, are ubiquitous in these wild communities. However, in sharp contrast to clinical settings, resistance does not take over the population. Our hypothesis is that the ecological setting provides natural mechanisms that keep antibiotic resistance in check. We are motivated by our recent finding that specific antibiotic combinations can generate selection against resistance and that soil microbial strains produce compounds that directly target antibiotic resistant mechanisms.
Approaches. We will: (1) Isolate natural bacterial species from individual grains of soil, characterize their ability to produce and resist antibiotics and identify the spatial scale for correlations between resistance and production. (2) Systematically measure interactions between species and identify interaction patterns enriched in co-existing communities derived from the same grain of soil. (3) Introducing fluorescently-labelled resistant and sensitive strains into natural soil, we will measure the fitness cost and benefit of antibiotic resistance in situ and identify natural compounds that select against resistance. (4) Test whether such “selection-inverting” compounds can slow evolution of resistance to antibiotics in continuous culture experiments.
Conclusions. These findings will provide insights into the ecological processes that keep antibiotic resistance in check, and will suggest novel antimicrobial treatment strategies.
Max ERC Funding
1 900 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-09-01, End date: 2018-08-31
Project acronym BEAMING
Project Detecting massive-planet/brown-dwarf/low-mass-stellar companions with the beaming effect
Researcher (PI) Moshe Zvi Mazeh
Host Institution (HI) TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2011-ADG_20110209
Summary "I propose to lead an international observational effort to characterize the population of massive planets, brown dwarf and stellar secondaries orbiting their parent stars with short periods, up to 10-30 days. The effort will utilize the superb, accurate, continuous lightcurves of more than hundred thousand stars obtained recently by two space missions – CoRoT and Kepler. I propose to use these lightcurves to detect non-transiting low-mass companions with a new algorithm, BEER, which I developed recently together with Simchon Faigler. BEER searches for the beaming effect, which causes the stellar intensity to increase if the star is moving towards the observer. The combination of the beaming effect with other modulations induced by a low-mass companion produces periodic modulation with a specific signature, which is used to detect small non-transiting companions. The accuracy of the space mission lightcurves is enough to detect massive planets with short periods. The proposed project is equivalent to a radial-velocity survey of tens of thousands of stars, instead of the presently active surveys which observe only hundreds of stars.
We will use an assortment of telescopes to perform radial velocity follow-up observations in order to confirm the existence of the detected companions, and to derive their masses and orbital eccentricities. We will discover many tens, if not hundreds, of new massive planets and brown dwarfs with short periods, and many thousands of new binaries. The findings will enable us to map the mass, period, and eccentricity distributions of planets and stellar companions, determine the upper mass of planets, understand the nature of the brown-dwarf desert, and put strong constrains on the theory of planet and binary formation and evolution."
Summary
"I propose to lead an international observational effort to characterize the population of massive planets, brown dwarf and stellar secondaries orbiting their parent stars with short periods, up to 10-30 days. The effort will utilize the superb, accurate, continuous lightcurves of more than hundred thousand stars obtained recently by two space missions – CoRoT and Kepler. I propose to use these lightcurves to detect non-transiting low-mass companions with a new algorithm, BEER, which I developed recently together with Simchon Faigler. BEER searches for the beaming effect, which causes the stellar intensity to increase if the star is moving towards the observer. The combination of the beaming effect with other modulations induced by a low-mass companion produces periodic modulation with a specific signature, which is used to detect small non-transiting companions. The accuracy of the space mission lightcurves is enough to detect massive planets with short periods. The proposed project is equivalent to a radial-velocity survey of tens of thousands of stars, instead of the presently active surveys which observe only hundreds of stars.
We will use an assortment of telescopes to perform radial velocity follow-up observations in order to confirm the existence of the detected companions, and to derive their masses and orbital eccentricities. We will discover many tens, if not hundreds, of new massive planets and brown dwarfs with short periods, and many thousands of new binaries. The findings will enable us to map the mass, period, and eccentricity distributions of planets and stellar companions, determine the upper mass of planets, understand the nature of the brown-dwarf desert, and put strong constrains on the theory of planet and binary formation and evolution."
Max ERC Funding
1 737 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31
Project acronym CHEMPLAN
Project Astrochemistry and the Origin of Planetary Systems
Researcher (PI) Ewine Fleur Van Dishoeck
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2011-ADG_20110209
Summary When interstellar clouds collapse to form new stars and planets, the surrounding gas and dust become part of the infalling envelopes and rotating disks, thus providing the basic material from which new solar systems are made. Instrumentation to probe the physics and chemistry in low-mass star-forming regions has so far lacked spatial resolution. I propose here an integrated observational-modeling-laboratory program to survey protostars and disks on the relevant scales of 1-50 AU where planet formation takes place. The observations are centered on new data coming from the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array (ALMA), and the analysis includes unique new data from key programs on Herschel, Spitzer and VLT that I am (co-)leading. The combination of millimeter and infrared data allows the full range of temperatures from 10-2000 K in star- and planet- forming regions to be probed, for both gas and solids. The molecular line data are used as diagnostics of physical parameters (such as UV field, cosmic ray ionization rate, kinematics, mixing, shock strength, grain growth, gas/dust ratios) as well as to follow the chemistry of water and complex organic molecules from cores to disks, which ultimately may be delivered to terrestrial planets. The implications for the history of volatile material in our own solar systen and exo-planetary atmospheres will be assessed by comparing models and data with cometary taxonomy and, ultimately, feeding them into planet population synthesis models. Altogether, this program will bring the link between interstellar chemistry and solar system and exo-planetary research to a new level.
The project will train four PhD students in a truly interdisciplinary environment in which they are exposed to all aspects of molecular astrophysics and have access to ample ALMA expertise, and it will prepare two postdocs for future faculty positions.
Summary
When interstellar clouds collapse to form new stars and planets, the surrounding gas and dust become part of the infalling envelopes and rotating disks, thus providing the basic material from which new solar systems are made. Instrumentation to probe the physics and chemistry in low-mass star-forming regions has so far lacked spatial resolution. I propose here an integrated observational-modeling-laboratory program to survey protostars and disks on the relevant scales of 1-50 AU where planet formation takes place. The observations are centered on new data coming from the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array (ALMA), and the analysis includes unique new data from key programs on Herschel, Spitzer and VLT that I am (co-)leading. The combination of millimeter and infrared data allows the full range of temperatures from 10-2000 K in star- and planet- forming regions to be probed, for both gas and solids. The molecular line data are used as diagnostics of physical parameters (such as UV field, cosmic ray ionization rate, kinematics, mixing, shock strength, grain growth, gas/dust ratios) as well as to follow the chemistry of water and complex organic molecules from cores to disks, which ultimately may be delivered to terrestrial planets. The implications for the history of volatile material in our own solar systen and exo-planetary atmospheres will be assessed by comparing models and data with cometary taxonomy and, ultimately, feeding them into planet population synthesis models. Altogether, this program will bring the link between interstellar chemistry and solar system and exo-planetary research to a new level.
The project will train four PhD students in a truly interdisciplinary environment in which they are exposed to all aspects of molecular astrophysics and have access to ample ALMA expertise, and it will prepare two postdocs for future faculty positions.
Max ERC Funding
2 499 150 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-07-01, End date: 2018-06-30
Project acronym CHROMPHYS
Project Physics of the Solar Chromosphere
Researcher (PI) Mats Per-Olof Carlsson
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2011-ADG_20110209
Summary CHROMPHYS aims at a breakthrough in our understanding of the solar chromosphere by combining the development of sophisticated radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations with observations from the upcoming NASA SMEX mission Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS).
The enigmatic chromosphere is the transition between the solar surface and the eruptive outer solar atmosphere. The chromosphere harbours and constrains the mass and energy loading processes that define the heating of the corona, the acceleration and the composition of the solar wind, and the energetics and triggering of solar outbursts (filament eruptions, flares, coronal mass ejections) that govern near-Earth space weather and affect mankind's technological environment.
CHROMPHYS targets the following fundamental physics questions about the chromospheric role in the mass and energy loading of the corona:
- Which types of non-thermal energy dominate in the chromosphere and beyond?
- How does the chromosphere regulate mass and energy supply to the corona and the solar wind?
- How do magnetic flux and matter rise through the chromosphere?
- How does the chromosphere affect the free magnetic energy loading that leads to solar eruptions?
CHROMPHYS proposes to answer these by producing a new, physics based vista of the chromosphere through a three-fold effort:
- develop the techniques of high-resolution numerical MHD physics to the level needed to realistically predict and analyse small-scale chromospheric structure and dynamics,
- optimise and calibrate diverse observational diagnostics by synthesizing these in detail from the simulations, and
- obtain and analyse data from IRIS using these diagnostics complemented by data from other space missions and the best solar telescopes on the ground.
Summary
CHROMPHYS aims at a breakthrough in our understanding of the solar chromosphere by combining the development of sophisticated radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations with observations from the upcoming NASA SMEX mission Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS).
The enigmatic chromosphere is the transition between the solar surface and the eruptive outer solar atmosphere. The chromosphere harbours and constrains the mass and energy loading processes that define the heating of the corona, the acceleration and the composition of the solar wind, and the energetics and triggering of solar outbursts (filament eruptions, flares, coronal mass ejections) that govern near-Earth space weather and affect mankind's technological environment.
CHROMPHYS targets the following fundamental physics questions about the chromospheric role in the mass and energy loading of the corona:
- Which types of non-thermal energy dominate in the chromosphere and beyond?
- How does the chromosphere regulate mass and energy supply to the corona and the solar wind?
- How do magnetic flux and matter rise through the chromosphere?
- How does the chromosphere affect the free magnetic energy loading that leads to solar eruptions?
CHROMPHYS proposes to answer these by producing a new, physics based vista of the chromosphere through a three-fold effort:
- develop the techniques of high-resolution numerical MHD physics to the level needed to realistically predict and analyse small-scale chromospheric structure and dynamics,
- optimise and calibrate diverse observational diagnostics by synthesizing these in detail from the simulations, and
- obtain and analyse data from IRIS using these diagnostics complemented by data from other space missions and the best solar telescopes on the ground.
Max ERC Funding
2 487 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31
Project acronym DARKLIGHT
Project ILLUMINATING DARK ENERGY WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF COSMOLOGICAL REDSHIFT SURVEYS
Researcher (PI) Luigi Guzzo
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2011-ADG_20110209
Summary Galaxy redshift surveys have been central in establishing the current successful cosmological model. Reconstructing the large-scale distribution of galaxies in space and time, they provide us with a unique probe of the basic constituents of the Universe, their evolution and the background fundamental physics. A new generation of even larger surveys is planned for the starting decade, with the aim of solving the remaining mysteries of the standard model using high-precision measurements of galaxy clustering. These entail the nature of the “dark sector” and in particular the origin of the accelerated cosmic expansion. While data accumulation already started, the needed analysis capabilities to reach the required percent levels in both accuracy and precision are not ready yet.
I propose to establish a focused research group to develop these tools and optimally analyze the new data, while being directly involved in their collection. New techniques as redshift-space distortions and well-known but still debated probes as galaxy clusters will be refined to a new level. They will be combined with more standard methods as baryonic acoustic oscillations and external data as CMB anisotropies. Performances will be validated on mock samples from large numerical simulations and then applied to state-of-the-art data with enhanced control over systematic errors to obtain the best achievable measurements.
These new capabilities will be decisive in enabling ongoing and future surveys to tackle the key open problems in cosmology: What is the nature of dark energy? Is it produced by an evolving scalar field? Or does it rather require a modification of the laws of gravity? How does it relate to dark matter? What is the role of neutrinos? The answer to these questions may well revolutionize our view of physics.
Summary
Galaxy redshift surveys have been central in establishing the current successful cosmological model. Reconstructing the large-scale distribution of galaxies in space and time, they provide us with a unique probe of the basic constituents of the Universe, their evolution and the background fundamental physics. A new generation of even larger surveys is planned for the starting decade, with the aim of solving the remaining mysteries of the standard model using high-precision measurements of galaxy clustering. These entail the nature of the “dark sector” and in particular the origin of the accelerated cosmic expansion. While data accumulation already started, the needed analysis capabilities to reach the required percent levels in both accuracy and precision are not ready yet.
I propose to establish a focused research group to develop these tools and optimally analyze the new data, while being directly involved in their collection. New techniques as redshift-space distortions and well-known but still debated probes as galaxy clusters will be refined to a new level. They will be combined with more standard methods as baryonic acoustic oscillations and external data as CMB anisotropies. Performances will be validated on mock samples from large numerical simulations and then applied to state-of-the-art data with enhanced control over systematic errors to obtain the best achievable measurements.
These new capabilities will be decisive in enabling ongoing and future surveys to tackle the key open problems in cosmology: What is the nature of dark energy? Is it produced by an evolving scalar field? Or does it rather require a modification of the laws of gravity? How does it relate to dark matter? What is the role of neutrinos? The answer to these questions may well revolutionize our view of physics.
Max ERC Funding
1 723 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-05-01, End date: 2017-10-31
Project acronym DEBRIS
Project Debris in extrasolar planetary systems
Researcher (PI) Mark Charles Wyatt
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2011-StG_20101014
Summary This proposal concerns the debris discs of nearby stars; ie, discs of asteroids, comets and dust. Such dust can be imaged, providing clues to the underlying planetary system. Debris images have already predicted planets later confirmed in direct imaging. Most debris lies in cold outer (~100AU) regions of planetary systems, but a growing number of stars have hot dust in regions where terrestrial planets are expected (few AU). This proposal aims learn about the planetary systems of nearby stars through study of their debris discs. Specific focus is on the frontier area of characterisation and modelling of dust within planetary systems, which is important for the design of missions to detect habitable planets, a high priority goal for the next decade. The PI has played a significant role in debris disc studies, and proposes to consolidate an independent research team in Cambridge. The proposal covers 3 studies supported by 3 PDRAs. Specific objectives are: 1) Debris disc observations: Carry out survey for cold debris around unbiased sample of nearest 500 stars with Herschel and SCUBA2. Follow-up bright discs with high resolution imaging using ALMA and JWST to characterise sub-structure from planets and search for dust at multiple radii. Pioneer survey for hot dust using polarisation and interferometry. 2) Debris disc modelling: Develop new model to follow the interplay between collisions, radiation pressure, P-R drag, sublimation, disintegration, and dynamical interactions with planets. Use model to consider nature of small particle halos, resonant ring structures formed by terrestrial planets, and level of cometary dust scattered into inner regions. 3) Debris disc origin: Demonstrate constraints placed on planet formation models through studies of dust from Earth-moon forming impacts, effect of planetesimals on late-stage planetary dynamics, population synthesis explaining planets and debris, constraints on primordial size and stirring of debris.
Summary
This proposal concerns the debris discs of nearby stars; ie, discs of asteroids, comets and dust. Such dust can be imaged, providing clues to the underlying planetary system. Debris images have already predicted planets later confirmed in direct imaging. Most debris lies in cold outer (~100AU) regions of planetary systems, but a growing number of stars have hot dust in regions where terrestrial planets are expected (few AU). This proposal aims learn about the planetary systems of nearby stars through study of their debris discs. Specific focus is on the frontier area of characterisation and modelling of dust within planetary systems, which is important for the design of missions to detect habitable planets, a high priority goal for the next decade. The PI has played a significant role in debris disc studies, and proposes to consolidate an independent research team in Cambridge. The proposal covers 3 studies supported by 3 PDRAs. Specific objectives are: 1) Debris disc observations: Carry out survey for cold debris around unbiased sample of nearest 500 stars with Herschel and SCUBA2. Follow-up bright discs with high resolution imaging using ALMA and JWST to characterise sub-structure from planets and search for dust at multiple radii. Pioneer survey for hot dust using polarisation and interferometry. 2) Debris disc modelling: Develop new model to follow the interplay between collisions, radiation pressure, P-R drag, sublimation, disintegration, and dynamical interactions with planets. Use model to consider nature of small particle halos, resonant ring structures formed by terrestrial planets, and level of cometary dust scattered into inner regions. 3) Debris disc origin: Demonstrate constraints placed on planet formation models through studies of dust from Earth-moon forming impacts, effect of planetesimals on late-stage planetary dynamics, population synthesis explaining planets and debris, constraints on primordial size and stirring of debris.
Max ERC Funding
1 497 920 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31
Project acronym DROSOPHILAINFECTION
Project Genetic variation in the susceptibility of Drosophila to infection
Researcher (PI) Francis Michael Jiggins
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2011-StG_20101109
Summary Insects vary in their susceptibility to viral infection, and this variation affects disease transmission by vectors and the survival of beneficial insects. Identifying the genes that cause this variation will provide insights into both the molecular interactions between insects and their parasites, and the processes that maintain this variation in populations. We propose to do this in Drosophila, where genome-wide association studies are now possible thanks to the publication of large numbers of genome sequences. Furthermore, new techniques allow the sequence of Drosophila genes to be precisely altered, which will allow the exact molecular changes affecting resistance to be confirmed experimentally. Using these powerful techniques, we will first identify genes that affect resistance to a diverse panel of different viruses, which will allow us to understand the molecular and cellular basis of how resistance to different groups of viruses evolves in nature. Next, we will repeat this analysis using different isolates of the same virus, to identify the molecular basis of the ‘specific’ resistance commonly observed in invertebrates, where different host genotypes are resistant to different parasite genotypes. Once we have identified the polymorphisms that affect resistance, we can then use these results to examine the evolutionary processes that maintain this variation in populations: are alleles that increase resistance costly, how has natural selection acted on the polymorphisms, and is there more variation if the virus has naturally coevolved with Drosophila than if the virus was isolated from another insect. Finally, by hybridising D. melanogaster to D. simulans, we will extend these experiments to identify genes that cause species to differ in resistance, which will reveal the molecular basis of how resistance evolves over millions of years and how viruses adapt to their hosts.
Summary
Insects vary in their susceptibility to viral infection, and this variation affects disease transmission by vectors and the survival of beneficial insects. Identifying the genes that cause this variation will provide insights into both the molecular interactions between insects and their parasites, and the processes that maintain this variation in populations. We propose to do this in Drosophila, where genome-wide association studies are now possible thanks to the publication of large numbers of genome sequences. Furthermore, new techniques allow the sequence of Drosophila genes to be precisely altered, which will allow the exact molecular changes affecting resistance to be confirmed experimentally. Using these powerful techniques, we will first identify genes that affect resistance to a diverse panel of different viruses, which will allow us to understand the molecular and cellular basis of how resistance to different groups of viruses evolves in nature. Next, we will repeat this analysis using different isolates of the same virus, to identify the molecular basis of the ‘specific’ resistance commonly observed in invertebrates, where different host genotypes are resistant to different parasite genotypes. Once we have identified the polymorphisms that affect resistance, we can then use these results to examine the evolutionary processes that maintain this variation in populations: are alleles that increase resistance costly, how has natural selection acted on the polymorphisms, and is there more variation if the virus has naturally coevolved with Drosophila than if the virus was isolated from another insect. Finally, by hybridising D. melanogaster to D. simulans, we will extend these experiments to identify genes that cause species to differ in resistance, which will reveal the molecular basis of how resistance evolves over millions of years and how viruses adapt to their hosts.
Max ERC Funding
1 498 072 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-11-01, End date: 2017-10-31
Project acronym E-MARS
Project Evolution of Mars
Researcher (PI) Cathy Monique Quantin
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE LYON 1 CLAUDE BERNARD
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2011-StG_20101014
Summary The primary questions that drive the Mars exploration program focus on life. Has the Martian climate ever been favorable for life development? Such scenario would imply a distinct planetary system from today with a magnetic flied able to retain the atmosphere. Where is the evidence of such past climate and intern conditions? The clues for answering these questions are locked up in the geologic record of the planet. The volume of data acquired in the past 15 years by the 4 Martian orbiters (ESA and NASA) reach the petaoctet, what is indecent as regard to the size of the Martian community. e-Mars propose to built a science team composed by the PI, Two post-doctorates, one PhD student and one engineer to exploit the data characterizing the surface of Mars. e-Mars proposes the unprecedented approach to combine topographic data, imagery data in diverse spectral domain and hyperspectral data from multiple orbiter captors to study the evolution of Mars and to propose pertinent landing sites for next missions. e-Mars will focus on three scientific themes: the composition of the Martian crust to constraint the early evolution of the planet, the research of possible habitable places based on evidence of past liquid water activity from both morphological record and hydrated mineral locations, and the study of current climatic and geological processes driven by the CO2 cycle. These scientific themes will be supported by three axis of methodological development: the geodatabase management via Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.)., the automatic hyperspectral data analysis and the age estimates of planetary surface based on small size crater counts.
Summary
The primary questions that drive the Mars exploration program focus on life. Has the Martian climate ever been favorable for life development? Such scenario would imply a distinct planetary system from today with a magnetic flied able to retain the atmosphere. Where is the evidence of such past climate and intern conditions? The clues for answering these questions are locked up in the geologic record of the planet. The volume of data acquired in the past 15 years by the 4 Martian orbiters (ESA and NASA) reach the petaoctet, what is indecent as regard to the size of the Martian community. e-Mars propose to built a science team composed by the PI, Two post-doctorates, one PhD student and one engineer to exploit the data characterizing the surface of Mars. e-Mars proposes the unprecedented approach to combine topographic data, imagery data in diverse spectral domain and hyperspectral data from multiple orbiter captors to study the evolution of Mars and to propose pertinent landing sites for next missions. e-Mars will focus on three scientific themes: the composition of the Martian crust to constraint the early evolution of the planet, the research of possible habitable places based on evidence of past liquid water activity from both morphological record and hydrated mineral locations, and the study of current climatic and geological processes driven by the CO2 cycle. These scientific themes will be supported by three axis of methodological development: the geodatabase management via Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.)., the automatic hyperspectral data analysis and the age estimates of planetary surface based on small size crater counts.
Max ERC Funding
1 392 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-11-01, End date: 2017-10-31
