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H2020Doctoral network2018–2022

IGNITE · Comparative genomics of non-model invertebrates

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2018-01-01 → 2022-06-30
EU contribution
€3,810,631
Participants
19
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Comparative genomics of non-model invertebrates

Genomes provide records of the organism’s evolutionary history that can be exploited to understand key biological questions, such as the relationships among organisms, their key functional traits, and the evolution of biodiversity. Furthermore, genomes can help understanding normal versus aberrant development of animals (including humans), regeneration, and the origin of diseases. Also, genomes enable the study of pathways related to the production of biochemically active compounds that are potential drugs targets for human health benefit. Despite >95% of the Earth’s animal biodiversity being non-vertebrates, the current tally of sequenced genomes does not reflect this diversity and many traits and potential bioproducts of human benefit remain unknown. The first objective of IGNITE is increasing the availability of invertebrate genomes from as yet underrepresented lineages to establish resources to explore the likely vast potential encoded in genomes of spineless animals. The analysis of genome data involves several computationally intensive steps, such as genome assembly from raw data, gene prediction, comparative gene/genome and phylogenetic analyses. Limitations concerning the lack of international standards with respect to computational code and availability of analytic tools currently limit our capabilities to comprehensively analyse and understand the massive amount of information contained in invertebrate genomes. Consequently, IGNITE’s second objective is to develop novel tools to standardise genome data analyses, make it more computationally efficient, and to enable the continued rapid generation of high-quality genomes.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Invertebrates, i.e., animals without a backbone, represent 95% of animal diversity on earth but are a surprisingly underexplored reservoir of genetic resources. The content and architecture of their genomes remain poorly known or understood, but such knowledge is needed to fully appreciate their evolutionary, ecological and socio--economic importance, as well as to leverage the benefits they can provide to human well-being, for example as a source for novel drugs and biomimetic materials. Europe is home to significant world-leading expertise in invertebrate genomics but research and training efforts are as yet uncoordinated. IGNITE will bundle this European excellence to train a new generation of scientists skilled in all aspects of invertebrate genomics. We will considerably enhance animal genome knowledge by generating and analysing novel data from undersampled invertebrate lineages and developing innovative new tools for high-quality genome assembly and analysis. Well-trained genomicists are in increasing demand in universities, research institutions, as well as in software, biomedical, and pharmaceutical companies. Through their excellent interdisciplinary and intersectoral training spanning from biology and geobiology to bioinformatics and computer science, our graduates will be in a prime position to take up leadership roles in both academia and industry in order to drive the complex changes needed to advance sustainability of our knowledge-based society and economy.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · PlaneggCoordinatorGermany
  • BAYERISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN · MUNCHENGermany
  • Board of the Queensland Museum · South BrisbaneAustralia
  • CENTRO INTERDISCIPLINAR DE INVESTIGACAO MARINHA E AMBIENTAL · MatosinhosPortugal
  • EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY · HeidelbergGermany
  • Era7 Information Technologies SL · ArmillaSpain
  • FACULTY OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB · ZagrebCroatia
  • FourmyBelgium
  • HITS GGMBH · HeidelbergGermany
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET AUTOMATIQUE · Le Chesnay CedexFrance
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT · ParisFrance
  • INSTITUT PASTEUR · ParisFrance
  • PENSOFT PUBLISHERS · SofiaBulgaria
  • STAATLICHE NATURWISSENSCHAFTLICHE SAMMLUNGEN BAYERNS · MunchenGermany
  • UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium
  • UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN · BergenNorway
  • UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON · LondonUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL · BRISTOLUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY · GalwayIreland

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union