SYMBIONTS

Origin and Early Evolution of Plant Symbionts

Coordinatore	NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM    more  Organization address address: CROMWELL ROAD city: LONDON postcode: SW7 5BD contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Oliver Cognome: Bacon Email: send email Telefono: +44 207 942 6690
Nazionalità Coordinatore	United Kingdom [UK]
Totale costo	209˙033 €
EC contributo	209˙033 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
Funding Scheme	MC-IEF
Anno di inizio	2012
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2012-09-03   -   2014-09-02

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM  Organization address address: CROMWELL ROAD city: LONDON postcode: SW7 5BD contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Oliver Cognome: Bacon Email: send email Telefono: +44 207 942 6690	UK (LONDON)	coordinator	209˙033.40

Mappa

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Fungi and fungi-like eukaryotes are commonly associated with plants where they adopt a variety of roles ranging from ones of mutual benefit (e.g., nutrient acquisition via mycorrhizae in roots) to others that are exploitative to varying degrees (e.g., parasites). These associations are of great evolutionary importance, but although they are known to be ancient direct evidence from the fossil record is scarce. My research has shown that there exists a large, novel and as yet largely untapped source of information on early fossil fungi and fungi-like eukaryotes. This takes the form of collections of petrified plants made during the 19th and 20th centuries. Petrifactions preserve the anatomy of fossil plants in exquisite detail, which was the original focus of their collection and study, but it is now recognised that they also contain the well-preserved remains of microscopic eukaryote symbionts. Much material exists in a prepared form that is suitable for analysis (i.e., petrographic thin sections). My project will explore and develop this resource. I will undertake the first large scale systematic survey of an historic slide collection of petrified plants to document their microscopic eukaryotes. This will be based on the large and comprehensive collections at The Natural History Museum, London. I will be trained in state of the art imaging methods and phylogenetic analysis to enable me to document the diversity of the symbionts and to determine their affinities to key living groups. My overarching goal is to reveal and to understand the significance of microorganism/plant associations in the early development of land ecosystems.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A historical collection of fossilised plants at the Natural History Museum in London has given fascinating insights into plant-fungi interactions that allowed land ecosystems to develop.