INEXTVIR — Innovative Network for Next Generation Training and Sequencing of Virome

Results in brief

Innovative Network for Next Generation Training and Sequencing of Virome

Problem: Plant viruses cause 50% of the emerging plant diseases and pose an important threat to many agricultural crops worldwide. Whilst in developing countries they impact food security, in developed countries the impact is predominantly economic. Globally plant viruses are responsible for production losses estimated at €15 to 45 billion per year through lower yields and reduced product quality. Opportunity: With the improvement in our ability to identify viruses has also come the recognition that not all viruses have a negative impact on their host. Increasing evidence suggests that some persistent virus infections can be beneficial or mutualistic to the infected plants (e.g., conferring tolerance to abiotic stresses). An improved knowledge of the plant virome will be of great interest to improve the sustainability of agricultural production and the resilience of crops to cope with both the long-term effects of climate change as well as the short-term effects of increasingly extreme weather patterns. Overall objectives: INEXTVIR will provide information on the identity, diversity, ecology and biological impact of plant viruses in agricultural and natural ecosystems; enable the evaluation and interpretation of these findings and their potential impacts for stakeholders such as policy makers in plant protection, the agricultural sector or the society in general; and facilitate the transfer and adoption of new technologies and knowledge by end-users such as the phyto-diagnostics industry or plant health certification organizations.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

INEXTVIR is an innovative training and research programme that aims at providing to the next generation of young researchers unparalleled professional experiences and core competencies to resolve significant challenges across multiple disciplines in the academic, industrial and regulatory sectors. INEXTVIR proposes the use of cutting-edge Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies for studying at an unprecedented depth the virome of selected agricultural crops and ecosystems across Europe and evaluating the impact and benefits it provides at the agricultural, socio-economic and policy levels. This is a timely and exciting research field suited to and benefiting from a trans-disciplinary pan European network approach. The work will cover virus discovery, characterization and the identification of ecological factors determining the structure and dynamics of virus populations in agricultural and wild ecosystems. This is critical to understand the epidemiology of disease and will enable informed risk assessment and decision making by the scientific and regulatory communities. In addition, the different stakeholders’ risk/benefit perceptions will be assessed enabling the development of effective communication strategies. Finally, the bioinformatics work (including data classification and presentation) and NGS method development and validation will facilitate the transfer, adoption and exploitation of innovations in plant protection and routine diagnostic settings. In summary, INEXTVIR will enable the fellows to understand the wider context behind their research, which will maximize the impact of their work in contrast to conventional PhDs. Furthermore, they will receive training in transferable skills including project, people, quality and IP management, communication and presentation skills which jointly with the cross-border and cross-sectorial mobility will provide a unique opportunity for their career development and for improving their employability prospects.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

NACIONALNI INSTITUT ZA BIOLOGIJO · LJUBLJANACoordinatorSlovenia
ABIOPEP SL · MurciaSpain
BIOAZUL, SL · MALAGASpain
BIOSISTEMIKA, RAZISKAVE IN RAZVOJ DOO · LjubljanaSlovenia
DELPHY BV · WageningenNetherlands
DNA VISION SA · GosseliesBelgium
FERA SCIENCE LIMITED · LondonUnited Kingdom
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT · ParisFrance
MEDNARODNA PODIPLOMSKA SOLA JOZEFA STEFANA · LjubljanaSlovenia
ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE ET MEDITERRANEENNE POUR LA PROTECTION DES PLANTES · ParisFrance
UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA · MurciaSpain
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID · MadridSpain
UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX · BordeauxFrance
UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE · LIEGEBelgium
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE · Newcastle Upon TyneUnited Kingdom

INEXTVIR · Innovative Network for Next Generation Training and Sequencing of Virome

Results in brief

Innovative Network for Next Generation Training and Sequencing of Virome

Project objective

Participants

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