PRIMER · Enhancing Climate-Resilient Crops by Innovative Priming Strategies

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Project objective

PRIMER addresses the escalating threat of climate change on agriculture, specifically the increasing frequency of heatwaves on food security. PRIMER is a network of 10 beneficiaries and 10 associated partners which aims to enhance the resilience of tomato using innovative priming approaches, including genetic, chemical and physiological interventions. PRIMER will train 12 doctoral candidates through projects that utilize multidisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge technologies to generate improved tomato yields and mitigate losses due to heat. In addition to the scientific training, PRIMER aims to (1) generate a single-cell gene expression atlas to decipher intricate cell- and tissue-specific priming mechanisms; (2) explore the genetic basis of priming by leveraging diverse tomato varieties, offering valuable germplasm for breeding; (3) develop computational models to predict plant responses under diverse heat stress scenarios, optimizing novel priming strategies; (4) pioneer interventions (physiological, chemical, and genetic) to bolster plant thermotolerance and enhance crop resilience. Each objective is addressed through dedicated WPs. PRIMER's approach spans from fundamental research elucidating cellular mechanisms to practical interventions aimed at mitigating the detrimental impacts of heat stress on crop productivity. By integrating state-of-the-art technologies like single-cell analysis, advanced genomics, computational biology, novel chemical priming stimulants and modern genetic approaches, the network bridges the gap between fundamental and applied research. PRIMER training on these techniques will empower the doctoral candidates with hands-on experience, fostering expertise at the forefront of plant stress biology. Moreover, the program emphasizes transferable skills such as interdisciplinary collaboration, communication, and leadership, ensuring researchers will address multifaceted challenges in sustainable agriculture.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN · Frankfurt Am MainCoordinatorGermany
• 10X GENOMICS, INC. · PleasantonUnited States
• AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
• BioAtlantis Limited · TraleeIreland
• ENZA ZADEN CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION SOCIEDAD LIMITADA · El Ejido AlmeriaSpain
• EURICE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AND PROJECT OFFICE GMBH · ST INGBERTGermany
• GENXPRO GMBH · FrankfurtGermany
• GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS · GottingenGermany
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenBelgium
• Phytoprove Pflanzenanalytik GmbH · KelsterbachGermany
• SEQUENTIA BIOTECH SL · BarcelonaSpain
• TECHNOLOGIKO PANEPISTIMIO KYPROU · LemesosCyprus
• THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION OF ISRAEL - THE VOLCANI CENTRE · Bet DaganIsrael
• THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM · JerusalemIsrael
• UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA · LisboaPortugal
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA · ViterboItaly
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO · MilanoItaly
• UNIVERSITAET POTSDAM · PotsdamGermany
• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA · ValenciaSpain
• UNIVERSITE PARIS-SACLAY · Gif-Sur-YvetteFrance
• UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW · GlasgowUnited Kingdom
• UNIVERZITA KARLOVA · Praha 1Czechia
• USTAV EXPERIMENTALNI BOTANIKY AV CR · PrahaCzechia
• VIVENT SA · GlandSwitzerland
• YARA GMBH & CO. KG · DULMENGermany

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101227217