Darwinian adaptation studied with ERC grant

The European Research Council has awarded a €1.6m Consolidator Grant to investigate the molecular basis of Darwinian adaptation.

Professor Juliette de Meaux of the Botanical Institute of the University of Cologne received the funding for her project ‘AdaptoSCOPE’, which will run for five years. The goal of the investigation is to demonstrate that novel aspects of the molecular basis of Darwinian adaptation can be discovered if the polygenic basis of adaptation is taken into account. Specifically, it will study the adaptation of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana to different climatic surroundings; the species is found at diverse latitudes and shows signs of local adaptation to different climates. Its molecular structures are optimised in the course of this adaptation.

The research project will identify the molecular pathways subjected collectively to natural selection. Moreover, it will clarify if Arabidopsis lyrata, a close relative of Arabidopsis thaliana, is subject to similar modifications of its molecular systems in its adaptation to different climates. It is hoped that the project will provide a new viewpoint on adaptive landscapes and examine whether local adaptation occurs by convergent evolution of the molecular systems in plants.