PLAMORF: Long-distance RNA signalling in plants

NEWS! Breakthrough in plant breeding!

Nature Biotech publication: Grafting and mobile CRISPR for genome editing in plants

Consortium

Objectives

PLAMORF is…

Challenge

PLAMORF focuses on Plant Mobile RNAs: Function, Transport and Features.

An essential consequence of multi-cellularity is the need for intercellular and tissue-wide communication, which happens through transport of signalling molecules. In higher plants long-distance transport of signalling molecules occurs mainly via  the phloem.

In addition to small molecules, a remarkably large number of macromolecules such as micro RNAs (miRNAs), protein producing messenger RNAs (mRNAs), and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been identified in the phloem, representing additional classes of signalling molecules.

Research questions and approach

  • How are mobile RNAs selected for transport?
  • How specific is RNA mobility?
  • What determines their destination?
  • How are these signals processed in the destination cells?

We develop predictive models, using single cell transcriptomics to establish cell-type specific RNA transport and motifs, and study the structure, affinity, and functions of phloem transported RNAs associated proteins. We combine the advantages of the agronomically important oilseed rape with the well-established A. thaliana belonging to the same plant family.

The ERC

PLAMORF is funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The ERC, set up by the EU in 2007, is the premiere European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. Every year, it selects and funds the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based in Europe.

The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting, Consolidator, Advanced and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between grantees’ pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation.

News & Blog

PUBLICATION: Chaperone feedback regulation

As they reported in New Phytologist, PLAMORF scientists found an auto-regulation mechanism for the chaperone HSC70!

PUBLICATION: PLANT BREEDING BREAKTHROUGH

As just reported in Nature Biotech, combining grafting and a mobile CRISPR for genome editing in plants can hugely simplify and speed up plant breeding.

PUBLICATION: Bayesian inference in long-distance mRNA movement in plants

In sequencing data, SNPs from one genotype are simliar to sequencing erros in another genotope. How to differentiate?

Events

Twitter feed

Open to all research areas! #postdoc #funding https://t.co/W5g80Twcov
@plamorf

- 1 day ago

3 days to submit your abstract! https://t.co/IAfcX8Gfdw
@plamorf

- 1 day ago

@ThePlantCell: REVIEW: The mRNA mobileome: Challenges and opportunities for deciphering signals from the noise (Michelle Heeney, Margaret H Frank @Cornell) https://t.co/CeJaX49ebB @ASPB #PlantSci https://t.co/omczozSklD
@plamorf

- 15 days ago

PLAMORF in a nutshell

Fact box

Title: Plant mobile RNAs: function, transport and features (PLAMORF)
Start: 1.4.2019
Duration: 6 years
Keywords: plant, tranport, mobile RNA, signalling, phloem, RNA-binding proteins, oilseed rape, A. thaliana
Budget: 6.1 million
Funding: ERC synergy grant

Research groups:

Friedrich Kragler, Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Golm, Germany
Julia Kehr, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Richard Morris, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom

 

Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 810131)