01-10-2024
An IRBio Researcher obtains a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to explore the origin of genetic mutations
Marc de Manuel, Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona, has obtained a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC), intended to support young scientists with between two and seven years of experience postdoctoral De Manuel, a member of the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics group, led by Julio Rozas, will have funding of 1.48 million euros to carry out his Mut-Scales project, focused on the study of genetic mutations.
Objective of the research
The main objective of the project is to decipher the origin of genetic mutations and to understand why the mutation rate varies between different types of cells and species. As De Manuel explains, the Mut-Scales project focuses on two areas of study:
1.The mutation rate in the male germline during spermatogenesis in mammals.
2.The DNA damage response in primates.
Evolutionary and medical implications
The study seeks to understand the processes that regulate mutations in order to discover evolutionary strategies that allow certain species to be longer-lived and resistant to cancer. De Manuel states that the results "may have significant implications in the field of human genetics and evolutionary biology". To achieve these goals, the use of advanced long-read DNA sequencing technologies will be combined with cross-species comparative analyzes to identify the molecular mechanisms that influence mutation rate.
Starting Grant call
In the latest ERC Starting Grant call, 494 grants were awarded to emerging researchers working on innovative projects in areas such as life sciences, physics, social sciences and humanities. In total, the funding allocated for this edition is 780 million euros. On the other hand, 44% of the grants have been granted to female researchers, consolidating a growing trend (39% in 2022 and 43% in 2023).