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H2020Staff exchange2016–2019

ExpoSEED · Exploring the molecular control of seed yield in crops

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-01-01 → 2019-12-31
EU contribution
€486,000
Participants
11
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Exploring the molecular control of seed yield in crops

ExpoSEED represents an international and inter-sectoral consortium composed of nine partners spread all over the word: Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany, Japan and Australia. These partners share the scientific interest of addressing food security with scientific basis; research activities, secondments of staff members and dissemination events are planned within the Action. ExpoSEED aims to integrate forward and reverse genetic approaches to dissect the molecular mechanisms that control yield in model species and to transfer the acquired knowledge to selected cereals as wheat and barley. Furthermore, the evolutionary conservation of molecular mechanisms controlling reproductive organs is studied from an evo-devo point of view. The identification of “molecular hubs” that determine seed number and size put the basis for the development of breeding tools to improve seed production at the beginning of the seed market. Research on model species has recently allowed to identify key factors that regulate plant reproduction together with exploring the conservation of the molecular mechanisms that finally control the plant fitness in distantly related species. The next challenge is now to deeper dissect the molecular networks controlled by these key factors to finally manipulate agronomic traits. The partners of ExpoSEED identified some of the targets of key factors controlling yield. Candidate genes have been further characterized using genetic and cell-biology tools together with searching new alleles in large panel of wild and cultivated germplasm. As a parallel approach, germplasm collections and segregating populations have been used for mapping studies to identify novel factors controlling seed yield in cereals. ExpoSEED successfully created synergies to efficiently address scientific and societal issues. From the scientific perspective, now is the right moment: many completed crop genome sequences and novel genetic and cell biology tools supported the comparative biology approaches aimed in this project. Considering the societal issue, food security is a worldwide priority: in the context of population growth and less arable land, increasing food production is one of the challenges for this century.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

ExpoSEED aims to integrate forward and reverse genetic approaches to dissect the molecular mechanisms that control seed/kernel (hereafter referred as seed) yield in model species and to transfer the acquired knowledge to selected crops as legumes and cereals. The identification of “molecular hubs” that determine seed number and size will put the basis for the development of breeding tools to improve seed production at the beginning of the seed market.Research on model species has recently allowed to identify key transcription factors that regulate plant reproduction together with exploring the conservation of the molecular mechanisms that finally control the plant fitness in distantly related species. The next challenge is now to deeper dissect the molecular networks controlled by these key factors to finally manipulate agronomic traits.The partners of ExpoSEED will identify the targets of key transcription factors in model species as Arabidopsis and rice and they will transfer this knowledge to crops, as soybean, wheat and barley. Candidate target genes will be further characterized using genetic and cell-biology tools together with searching new alleles in large panel of wild and cultivated germplasm. As a parallel approach, germplasm collections and segregating populations will be used for mapping studies to identify novel factors controlling seed yield in legumes and cereals.ExpoSEED aims to create synergies to efficiently address scientific and societal issues. From the scientific perspective, now is the right moment: a number of completed crop genome sequences and novel genetic and cell biology tools will support the comparative biology approaches aimed in this project. Considering the societal issue, food security is a worldwide priority: in the context of population growth and less arable land, increasing food production is one of the challenges for this century

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA · ROMACoordinatorItaly
  • AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
  • CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y DE ESTUDIOS AVANZADOS DEL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO NACIONAL · MexicoMexico
  • CONSEJO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Y TECNICAS (CONICET) · Buenos AiresArgentina
  • KEYGENE NV · WageningenNetherlands
  • KWS LOCHOW GMBH · BergenGermany
  • NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATIONS NIIGATA UNIVERSITY · NiigataJapan
  • NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY · RaleighUnited States
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE · AdelaideAustralia
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE ANTIOQUIA · MEDELLINColombia
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO · MilanoItaly

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union