Application and optimization of pollen analysis in the development of models for olive harvest forecast in Tunisia

Posted on March 20, 2018 at 1:49 pm 0 Comentarios

Application and optimization of pollen analysis in the development of models for olive harvest forecast in Tunisia

Optimize crop forecasting models through a combination of pollen, phenology and climate data.

General objectives

The development of a model to study the phenological evolution is useful to forecast the main dates of the reproductive cycle of olive tree based in the emergence of buds until the maturation of the fruit. It is of great interest in different areas such as agriculture, climatology, forestry, entomology and health given the olive tree pollen allergenicity. Indeed, the development of plants and in particular olive tree, is strongly conditioned by genetic factors controlled by ecological and climatic factors that can contribute to the interannual fluctuations in pollen and harvest data. Our researcher groups in Spain and Tunisia groups have worked together on the study of the relationship between the intensity and timing of flowering and fruiting of the olive tree. Jointly, the influence of meteorological variables on the phenology and reproductive intensity of this species has been anlysed, studying the atmospheric pollen as an indicator of climate change. So is expected to get a more detailed knowledge about the variations of the phenological phases, the requirements of cold, heat or rain and its relation to the production of fruit, primarily in the area of Tunisia, where such studies are still in very preliminary stages.

Role of the andalusian partner

1. Evaluate the effect of climate change in different regions and varieties of olive tree in Tunisia and Spain.
2. Offer more information on the orientation of future extensions of olive trees depending on the behavior of pollen emissions in each region of Tunisia

 

 

 

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HIALINE

Posted on March 20, 2018 at 12:42 pm 0 Comentarios

HIALINE- Health Impacts of Airborne ALergen Information Network. (HIALINE)

The objective of the project is to evaluate the effects of climate diversity and change on airborne allergen exposure, and to implement an outdoor allergen early warning network. Climatic factors that influence allergen exposure will be used to calculate the effect of climate and climate change on local airborne allergen exposure.

General objectives

We focus on airborne allergens, climate change and climate diversity, and an early warning system (allergen forecast). 3 major airborne allergens in Europe (grasses, birch and olive) will be sampled on filters, extracted and analyzed by allergen specific ELISA´s. Pollen counts will be measured by standard pollen traps. Weather data are freely available. Allergen forecast will be calculated by incorporating our measurements and climatic factors in the SILAM pollen forecast program. Expected outcomes are the implementation of a network of European outdoor allergen measurements to better predict airborne allergen exposure. Also the climatic factors that govern allergen exposure in outdoor air will be established. These can be used to calculate the effect of climate change on exposure to airborne allergens

Role of the andalusian partner

We focus on airborne allergens, climate change and climate diversity, and an early warning system (allergen forecast). 2 major airborne allergens (grasses and olive) will be sampled on filters, extracted and analyzed by allergen specific ELISA´s. Pollen counts will be measured by standard pollen traps

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INSTANT

Posted on March 20, 2018 at 12:24 pm 0 Comentarios

Innovative Sensor for the fast Analysis of Nanoparticles in Selected Target Products . (INSTANT)

NSTANT project will face the challenge of the detection, identification and quantification of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in complex matrices such as cosmetic products and engineered food and drinks.
In recent years, nanotechnology has been a hot topic in the scientific community, especially ENPs for their fascinating properties in a vast variety of areas. However, ENPs have drawn vast public attention due to their application in many consumer products (e.g. cosmetics, food and food packaging, drinks) for the impact in human health and the environment. Following the «Opinion of the Scientific Committee on the Potential Risks Arising from Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies on Food and Feed Safety» released by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2009, the European Commission tackles this arising matter of public concern within the current FP7 NMP theme.
According to the risk concerns of ENPs, INSTANT will develop a fully integrated tool for the extraction of ENPs typically used in cosmetic products and engineered food and drinks and their subsequent detection and identification. A crucial point of measuring in these complex matrices is the sample preparation and extraction. Therefore INSTANT will develop and integrate tailored extraction methods. Especially the size distribution of ENPs and the influence of the matrix on chemical and physical properties of the ENPs have to be taken into account.
In conclusion, the INSTANT device will be tailored to be used as a cost-effective monitoring tool, allowing for analyses of food and cosmetics close to the point of need.

General objectives

New detection methods and technology are developed in order to design an innovative and integrated device for monitoring different types of ENPs in complex matrices. The project INSTANT is organized in a workflow using complementary expertise of well-known partners in their fields from all over Europe with the following objectives:
-Develop a simple and fully integrated system, combining sample preparation and microfluidics together with a suitable number of sensor elements for the detection and identification of ENPs.
-Combine two complementary label-free transduction principles (an optical and an electrochemical one) to create a robust sensor system providing high-content information about ENPs.
-Implement innovative recognition elements (REs) on electrochemical/optical transduction components using sieve effects of tailored carbon nanotubes (tCNTs) as well as affinity interaction capabilities of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs).

Role of the andalusian partner

UCO will develop a generalized standard extraction protocol to isolate and pre-concentrate ENPs from food and cosmetic samples. UCO will improve and modify sampling and separation techniques with regard to the complex matrices utilizing ionic liquids and sieve effects of tCNTs in order to define an automatic sample treatment system. UCO will develop the interface to couple sample treatment with the microfluidics of the sensor. UCO will validate the INSTANT device and metrological characterization.

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EPI-PUBERTY

Posted on March 20, 2018 at 12:01 pm 0 Comentarios

Metabolic Control of Puberty: Role of Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanisms. (EPI-PUBERTY)

This project aims to characterize the mechanisms, molecular targets and functional relevance of the epigenetic regulation of puberty.
Special emphasis will be paid to elucidate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the control of expression of essential puberty-activating genes, such as Kiss1 and NKB, and their eventual interaction with members of the Polycomb group of transcriptional silencers, whose role in puberty has been recently proposed. In addition, a multi-disciplinary approach will be implemented to define the role of epigenetic changes in the metabolic control of puberty, with attention to conditions of precocious puberty due to early-onset obesity.

General Objectives

This project aims to characterize the mechanisms, molecular targets and functional relevance of the epigenetic regulation of puberty.
Special emphasis will be paid to elucidate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the control of expression of essential puberty-activating genes, such as Kiss1 and NKB, and their eventual interaction with members of the
Polycomb group of transcriptional silencers, whose role in puberty has
been recently proposed. In addition, a multi-disciplinary approach will be implemented to define the role of
epigenetic changes in the metabolic control of puberty, with attention to conditions of precocious puberty due to early-onset obesity.

Role of the andalusian partner

The group UCO is the coordinator of this Project. The research fellow associated to this project will conduct part of his activities at the UCO group (during the return phase of his fellowship), where he will continue his physiologic studies on the epigenetic regulation of puberty and its contribution to the metabolic control of puberty onset.

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SysKID

Posted on March 20, 2018 at 11:57 am 0 Comentarios

Systems Biology towards Novel Chronic Kidney Disease Diagnosis and Treatment. (SysKID)

SysKid, a large-scale integrating European research project, aims at deepening our understanding of chronic kidney disease. The project paves the way for progress in prevention, new diagnostic strategies and treatment options for declining kidney function, which affects millions of patients suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

General objectives

Identify persons at risk of developing chronic kidney disease utilizing epidemiology as well as molecular tools.

Understand the molecular processes triggering early stage chronic kidney disease and identify associated biomarkers.

Develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to control progression of chronic kidney disease.

Perform pre-clinical verification of novel therapy approaches and perform clinical testing of novel diagnostics.

Role of the andalusian partner

i) the identification and functional characterization of target genes to be assessed in in-vivo settings

ii) the identification of interacting partners of selected biomarker candidates and their regulation

iii) the search of novel biomarkers of CKD to predict disease progression

iv) the analysis of the pathophysiological effects of biomarkers and mediators, brought into the consortium or identified in the framework of the project, on the progression of CKD

v) evaluation of novel therapy approaches. Animal models of progressive CKD will be used.

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THERMOLIDAR

Posted on March 20, 2018 at 11:50 am 0 Comentarios

A new tool for sustainable forest management based on LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging) and THERMAL data integration. (THERMOLIDAR)

The ThermoLidar project aims to improve the early detection of forest health, producing relevant information to support decisions making in forest planning, and will make the sustainable forest management even more crucial to maintain diverse and productive forest.

General objectives

Identify the obstacles for up-scaling structural and physiological variables to address the requirements of forest management at stand and landscape scales.
Develop a scientifically sound data fusion between LiDAR and thermal data sets capable of integrating the synoptic view about current forest resources provided by a forest inventory with the dynamic perspective of the physiological processes.
The assessment of those key structural and physiological tree variables that can be detected by remote sensing and are paramount for monitoring forest health and sustainable production.
The creation of thematic cartography that spatially locate each variable. This information will be complemented by uncertainty values for each estimate also spatially located.

 

Role of the andalusian partner

Ascertain the optimal sampling density and processing for LiDAR data to permit a good data fusion with thermal data sets to achieve a reasonable degree of applicability on forest inventories.

Assess key structural and physiological tree variables on conifer and Quercus species in three European locations by using LIDAR and thermal data.

Identify the obstacles for up-scaling structural and physiological variables form inventory data that address the requirements of forest management at stand and landscape scales.

Provide useful information to forest managers for decision making in a new environmental context.

Develop operational software tools integrating GIS for optimal processing of LIDAR and thermal data to applied to forest management.

Development of sustainable management of vulnerable forest ecosystems.

Climate change impacts and adaptation strategies in highly climatic-sensitive regions.

Develop of adaptive strategies in line to sustainable development and generation of tools to forest managers.

Development of alternatives for forest management to adapt to climate change impacts in the EU context.

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TRANSUCYNA

Posted on March 16, 2018 at 1:44 pm 0 Comentarios

Analyzing metabolism in an unusual nitrogen fixing symbiosis using metatranscriptomics (TRANSUCYNA)

UCYN-A is a globally abundant nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium with a very unusual metabolism and lifestyle. These microorganisms express nitrogenase genes with maximum transcript abundances during the light period (Zehr et al., 2007). Previous results in the group of Jonathan Zehr found that UCYN-A cyanobacteria are genetically incapable of oxygenic photosynthesis because the entire PSII apparatus is missing (although the PSI apparatus appears to be intact). Moreover, PSII isn´t the only component that is lacking in this genome: RuBisCo (ribulose-1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase that fixes CO2) and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) that usually are present in the cyanobacteria, are missing in UCYN-A. The lack of biosynthetic pathways suggested that this organism depend on other organisms, either in close association or in symbiosis, for critical nutrients. Thanks to flow cytometry and the metagenomic studies, this group obtained a complete genome sequence from UCYN-A and observed by quantitative isotopic analysis that UCYN-A has a symbiotic association with a unicellular Prymnesiophyte (Thompson et al., 2012).

 

General Objectives

 

In this project we will determine whole-genome transcription over natural diel cycle in order to get a better understanding of the interplay of host and cyanobacterium metabolisms, and how it relates to supply of organic matter from the host eukaryote to the cyanobacterium. The transcriptome work will help to determine the global importance of N2 fixation by this cyanobacterial group in order to better constrain the global ocean nitrogen budget.

 

Role of the Andalusian partner

 

UCO will be involved in the second stage of the project, where metagenomics and metatranscriptomics studies will be applied to the field of Prochlorococcus in natural samples obtained in oceanographic cruises.

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MODEXTREME

Posted on March 16, 2018 at 9:05 am 0 Comentarios

MODelling vegetation response to EXTREMe Events. (MODEXTREME)

The continuous supply of services provided by agricultural systems is increasingly threatened by climate change in association with an estimated increase in the frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, heat waves or heavy precipitation events.

MODEXTREME has the overarching goal to help the European and non-European agriculture face extreme climatic events by improving the capability of biophysical models simulating vegetation responses to integrate climatic variability and extremes.

General Objectives

Scientific objectives:
• Identify and integrate into simulation models, the responses of main crop and grassland systems to environmental conditions associated with extreme climatic events;
• Improve yield monitoring and forecasting systems via multiple observational constraints to be assimilated into process-based models across different climate conditions;
• Estimate possible trajectories of agricultural productivity in the short (during current season) to medium time horizons and associated uncertainties. This involves taking into account the genetic progress and its effects on responses to extreme environmental conditions.

Technological objectives:
• Build a consistent, multi-domain data repository for use in studying climate variability and extreme events relevant for agricultural production;
• Develop generically reusable software units that implement libraries of models. This will allow
• (i) extending the vegetation response, as implemented in existing modelling solutions, to weather extremes,
• (ii) extending the multi-model platform for plant growth and development simulations of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (MARS: Monitoring Agricultural ResourceS);
• Prototype alternate versions of the workflows for agricultural production monitoring and scenario analysis both using new modelling solutions composed in the project, and by focusing on extreme events

Role of Andalusian partner

First, an analysis of metrics for extreme events will be performed establishing scores of high and low temperatures for critical plant stages (task 1.1).

In the improvement of modelling solutions for crops and pastures, two main approaches will be followed:
a) Empirical: Estimates from current models will be corrected using empirical factors for each type and intensity of weather event (task 1.4)
b) Functional or semi-mechanistic: Sub-models will be formalized for inclusion in current models. These sub-models will be either mechanistic (response of growth, transpiration and yield components to water deficit and temperature) or empirical (response of Harvest Index to water stress, response of yield to frost or heat events) (tasks 1.2 and 1.3). Finally, the genetic variability of responses will be investigated for the more important crops (wheat and maize).

The project will consider a variety of crop and grassland types: Durum wheat, Bread wheat, Winter Barley, Spring Barley, Rye, Triticale, Rice, Maize, Potato, Sugarbeet, Soybean, Sunflower, Rapeseed, C3 and C4 Grassland swards (individual species and mixtures). In addition, olive will be considered as an example of application of modelling approaches to a tree.

 

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MEMOLA

Posted on March 16, 2018 at 8:58 am 0 Comentarios

MEditerranean MOntainous LAndscapes: an historical approach to cultural heritage based on traditional agrosystems (MEMOLA)

The project is an interdisciplinary approach to cultural landscapes of Mediterranean mountainous areas, takingas a central axis the historical study of two natural resources essential to generate agro-systems: water and soil.The proposal focuses on Sierra Nevada (Spain), Monti di Trapani (Italy), ColliEuganei (Italy) and Vjosa Valley(Albania).

Landscapes and their structure are strongly conditioned by the need to ensure the livelihood of rural communitiesover time.Agricultural traditions and the different ways of exploiting naturalresources including management over time are crucial for conservation of the landscape and its ability to adaptto current global changes. Conservation can be achieved through the exploitation of this heritage togenerate environmental and cultural conservation strategies for sustainable development in rural areas; with theaim of protecting this cultural heritage and, at the same time, increasing and transmitting knowledge about it inorder to benefit the local and wider European society.

General Objectives

Investigate the logic that rules the process of historical landscapes formation in relation to natural resources within a diachronic framework. Introduce the historical perspective (4th dimension), which we consider to be a powerful interpretation key, in landscape studies.
Draw context-tailored strategies of preservation, diffusion and valorisation of the cultural heritage (both tangible and intangible) and of the environment. Stimulate sustainable development in rural areas. Analyse the efficiency of these systems and the current problems of survival within the context of global climate change and the framework of European policies.
Develop new methodologies for the study of cultural landscapes, through the creation of scalable working protocols, able to take advantage of the solid background of technologies and analysis methods available to the research group.
Use a multidisciplinary approach, thus widening the range of specialists involved in cultural heritage study to agronomist, hydrologists, botanists, hydro-geologists, geologists and architects. Promote skills hybridization in research work (both humanist and scientific aspects), prompting new forms of job creation.

Role of Andalusian partner

• Quantitatively assess the long-term historical uses of water and soils in the study areas.
• Analysis of the productivity and resource use efficiency in the four historic sample-areas, throughagronomic and hydrological resource-management models, taking into account the global climate change, andthe EU policies and strategies (European Landscape Convention, European water policy, Common AgriculturalPolicy, Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) on Cultural Heritage and Global Change).
• Analysis of ecosystem services starting from mountain agricultural and livestock spaces in theMediterranean.
• Proposals for improving resources-use efficiency and conservation of cultural landscapes associatedwith traditional agricultural and livestock activities, in order to contribute to a sustainable development of thestudy areas from a social and environmental point of view, while enhancing their heritage and natural values.

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LEGATO

Posted on March 16, 2018 at 8:45 am 0 Comentarios

LEGumes for the Agriculture of Tomorrow (LEGATO)

The project has been conceived to promote the culture of grain legumes in Europe by identifying priority issues currently limiting grain legume cultivation and devising solutions in term of novel varietal development, culture practices, and food uses. LEGATO will develop tools and resources to enable state of the art breeding methodology and to exploit fully the breadth of genetic resources available. The project will focus on a small number of key characters not previously explored in depth These topics covered include disease and pest resistance, where in addition to marker development for major fungal and viral pathogens, a focus on emerging insect pests is planned. The impact of end-of-season drought and heat stress on the rhizobial symbiosis, and its consequences for plant performance, will be studied. Two characters that can influence grain legume yield, autofertility and number of flowering nodes, will be investigated. The potential for improving legume nutritional and organoleptic quality by identification of desirable traits and innovative selection methods will be investigated. Promising legume varieties and cropping systems will be tested at a series of pan-european sites to favour the widest posible take-up in agriculture.

General Objectives

Legume breeding and management for sustainable agriculture as well as protein supply for food and feed.

Role of Andalusian partner

To design and assess the sustainability and adoption of novel cropping systems with grain legumes grown as sole crops or intercrops. To determine the effect of novel and diversified grain legume designs and management on production, yield stability, symbiotic performance and impact on biotic stresses in crop rotation sequences with grain legumes.To develop methods for rapid determination of the requirement for inoculation with Rhizobium leguminosarum in faba bean, including strain selection for inoculation.

 

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