MEICOM | Meiotic Control of Recombination in Crops

Summary
The increasing growth of human population and the intrinsic increase in world pollution, together with the uncertain challenge of climate change will undeniably require an internationally sustained effort to meet the global food demand. An increase of food production by at least 50% has been projected to be necessary by 2050. Thus, Food Security is one of the most important challenges for the future. Classical plant breeding has been crucial to improve our crop species from the beginning of human civilizations until now. Classical plant breeding harnesses the natural genetic variation that is generated by meiotic recombination. During meiosis, new allele combinations are obtained which could confer new improved phenotypes. Nevertheless, plant breeders are reaching the limits of this methodology. These boundaries are intrinsically shaped by the restrictions on the frequency and distribution of meiotic recombination in the different crop species. In cereals, it has been estimated that 30-50% of genes rarely (if at all) recombine, limiting the genetic variation available to use by plant breeders. The MEICOM consortium has been designed to prepare future scientists, academics, plant breeders and policy makers in how to manipulate and control meiotic recombination in different crops (brassicas, wheats, barley, tomato, maize) and to provide a sustainable assurance on Food Security for the future. MEICOM is a network of the finest European Plant Meiosis Researchers with internationally acclaimed industrial partners to gain knowledge and transfer it into our training programme and the general public.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/765212
Start date: 01-01-2018
End date: 30-06-2022
Total budget - Public funding: 3 107 819,88 Euro - 3 107 819,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

The increasing growth of human population and the intrinsic increase in world pollution, together with the uncertain challenge of climate change will undeniably require an internationally sustained effort to meet the global food demand. An increase of food production by at least 50% has been projected to be necessary by 2050. Thus, Food Security is one of the most important challenges for the future. Classical plant breeding has been crucial to improve our crop species from the beginning of human civilizations until now. Classical plant breeding harnesses the natural genetic variation that is generated by meiotic recombination. During meiosis, new allele combinations are obtained which could confer new improved phenotypes. Nevertheless, plant breeders are reaching the limits of this methodology. These boundaries are intrinsically shaped by the restrictions on the frequency and distribution of meiotic recombination in the different crop species. In cereals, it has been estimated that 30-50% of genes rarely (if at all) recombine, limiting the genetic variation available to use by plant breeders. The MEICOM consortium has been designed to prepare future scientists, academics, plant breeders and policy makers in how to manipulate and control meiotic recombination in different crops (brassicas, wheats, barley, tomato, maize) and to provide a sustainable assurance on Food Security for the future. MEICOM is a network of the finest European Plant Meiosis Researchers with internationally acclaimed industrial partners to gain knowledge and transfer it into our training programme and the general public.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-ITN-2017

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.1. Fostering new skills by means of excellent initial training of researchers
H2020-MSCA-ITN-2017
MSCA-ITN-2017