Apple-Biome · The origin, distribution, and dissemination of the apple microbiome
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2020-01-01 → 2021-12-31
- EU contribution
- €174,167
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
The origin, distribution, and dissemination of the apple microbiome
• What is the problem/issue being addressed? Virtually all organisms, including plant, are associated with a diverse community of microorganisms, collectively call the microbiome. These organisms are only recently are being intensively described in many systems, thanks to the development of DNA high throughput sequencing which was developed less than two decades ago. Although the role of these organisms is being elucidated, questions regarding the origin, distribution, and dissemination of these microorganisms remain unanswered. Therefore, Apple-Biome aims to understand where does the plant microbiome come from and how they are distributed within the plant. • Why is it important for society? The microbiome is currently being studied and analyzed to be exploited in numerous sectors such as plant protection, production, and biotechnology. Understanding the origin and distribution of the plant microbiome. These exploitations will help reduce or rather eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which translates into environmentally friendly and sustainable plant protection solutions with reduced effects on non-target organisms, and natural resources. Therefore, Apple-Biome measures are in line with the EU policies e.g. Directive 2009/128/EC and Directive 98/8/EC that focus on sustainable agriculture and the use of plant protection products, as well as environmental and human health initiatives e.g. the One Health Initiative and Eco-Innovation Initiative. Accordingly, this project should contribute in the fulfillment and reinforcement of the current EU directives as well as influence the policy-making decisions in the future. • What are the overall objectives? Objective 1: identifying the origin and source(s) of the apple microbiome. Objective 2: investigating the colonization and the distribution pattern of the microbiome within the plant. Objective 3: identifying the mechanisms of dissemination/transmission of the microbiome
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The success of any agricultural system and sustainable production depends on the health of its plants. Pests and pathogensare responsible for the loss of almost one-third of the global crop production. However, microorganisms found in and onplants are not always the cause of disease. Instead, the naturally occurring microbial communities, the plant’s microbiome,play an essential role in the development of healthy plants. This project is based on a hypothesis-driven approach to addressfundamental questions about the plant microbiome such as What is the source of a plant’s microbiome? What are thepathways of inheritance and acquisition? How does the microbiome move, disseminate, and enter a new host? Apple wasselected as a plant model; a fruit that has been a principal component of a healthy diet, and played a major role in humanevolution and survival. The proposed methodology employs cutting-edge and multidisciplinary techniques such asmetagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, among others. Results of this project will help to understand themicrobiome’s life cycle, associate microbes with specific organs and tissues, and identify microbial species that define ahealthy host with healthy organs and offspring. From there, it will be easy to determine changes, understand disease anddisorders, and find ways to correct unbalanced microbiomes. Identifying how the microbes are acquired and to which organsand tissues they are associated with, will help in understanding the optimal methods to introduce microbial species to thehost. While the proposed approaches are novel, once the validity of the hypotheses is proven, they will serve as a foundationfor future microbiome studies. These studies will drive the development and implementation of safe, environmentally-friendlystrategies for global agriculture production. These innovations in the management of plant health have myriad positive andfar-reaching implications for environmental and human health.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZ · GrazCoordinatorAustria
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union