Priority Programme
1152
"Evolution of Metabolic Diversity"
The Senate of the German Research Foundation decided to establish the Priority Programme "Evolution of Metabolic Diversity" (EvoMet).
Within this Priority Programme, the evolution of the diversity of secondary metabolites is being investigated. Three principle questions are being addressed:
| 1. | What is the evolutionary origin of the biosynthetic enzymes / genes and regulatory elements of secondary metabolism? |
| 2. | How are the catalytic and regulatory properties modified and functionally optimised during the course of evolution? |
| 3. | Which structural properties of enzymes and metabolites are responsible for the development of this metabolic diversity? |
These topics will be analysed using secondary metabolite-producing organisms ranging from bacteria to fungi and plants in order to establish general principles of the evolution of the biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabolite formation. Research on animals is not included.
All projects must comprise a clearly specified outline of their research on the evolution of secondary metabolism. In particular, projects requiring a coordinated interdisciplinary cooperation between plant biochemists / molecular biologists, microbiologists and chemists will be supported. Methodologically innovative projects will be accepted, too, if they are open to all SPP participants and in general meet the criteria for the supported projects.
Molecular biological or biochemical projects without connection to evolution of secondary metabolism are excluded. The same is valid for projects exclusively focussed on the mechanistic analysis of signal transduction pathways in pathogenic and symbiotic systems.
For information about the Priority Programme 1152, contact:
Prof.
Dieter Strack
Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie Halle
Phone: (03 45) 55 82 - 15 00
Email: dstrack@ipb-halle.de
and
Dr. Roswita Schönwitz
DFG
Phone: (02 28) 8 85 - 23 62
Email: roswitha.schoenwitz@dfg.de