The project provides advanced systems biology training for 5 ESRs who will develop novel methods for increasing crop strength and resistance to stress by alternative genetic and genomic, non-GMO, technologies: (1) Selecting allelic variants of a novel gene identified by members of the consortium which regulates oxidative and abiotic stress tolerance and (2) Molecular priming by biostimulants or low doses of H2O2 to induce stress-protective mechanisms in crops. This dual approach will meet the growing EU push towards secure, sustainable and safe means of food production (Dir.2009/128/EC & EU Reg. EC/178/2002). The genetic approaches are combined with high-throughput technologies for transcriptome, metabolome, and phenotypic analyses, combined with advanced bioinformatics. Both approaches to increasing crop yield are growing in importance, with the biostimulants industry expected to reach $2.2B globally by 2018. Equipping ESRs with these skills will enable them to develop their research careers in academia or industry. Training will be conducted at the University of Potsdam (UP, Coordinator), Germany, and two companies: BioAtlantis (BA), Ireland, and Enza Zaden (EZ), The Netherlands. Prof. B. Mueller-Roeber (UP) has extensive research management and teaching experience and will supervise the ESRs as PhD students. BA is internationally recognized for producing innovative biostimulants and has 3 patents filed, while EZ is among the top ten in vegetable breeding worldwide. All partners have experience in coordination and participation in EU FP7 projects. The expected results will increase our understanding of the molecular basis of stress tolerance and provide two alternative strategies for crop improvement and increasing food production. BA and EZ will ensure rapid dissemination of applied research to end users.

A major challenge faced by modern agriculture is abiotic stress caused by unfavourable environmental conditions. Global warming is expected to further intensify these problems, including frequency and severity of drought stress, which seriously affect both crop quality and yield. Therefore, timely action is needed to find solutions to mitigate the consequences of water deprivation. A small number of species called resurrection plants, which can tolerate desiccation of their vegetative organs, are a natural resource that can be tapped to solve this problem. They can withstand transition to air-dried state and completely restore physiological activities upon rehydration. In this project, we will study the genomes of several resurrection species and compare them with the genomes of desiccation-sensitive plants to identify molecular mechanisms that are involved in drought tolerance. In addition to the publicly available data of resurrection plants with already sequenced genomes, we will sequence and analyze two more- Haberlea rhodopensis and Xerophyta humilis. Comparative transcriptomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics of resurrection, model, and crop plants subjected to drought will bring further insights about the nature of drought stress tolerance. The research team involves European specialists in resurrection species, drought signaling, plant systems biology and bioinformatics, a partner from Israel experienced in lipidomics, and the leading African university with expertise in resurrection plants and bioinformatics. Next to that, an industrial partner will ensure that the knowledge gained by studying the resurrection and model species is transferred to crops. Moreover, the company will contribute with novel biostimulant based treatment technologies to mitigate stress and achieve optimal yield and net profit. An extensive mobility program will provide staff exchange to maximize research outputs and increase the human capacity of the partners.

Modern agriculture is expected to provide ever-increasing amounts of food and feed under uncertain climate scenarios and significant pressure from consumers and regulators for environmentally friendly solutions to combat abiotic and biotic stress associated yield losses. Biostimulants that can improve crop productivity in a sustainable way offer a plausible alternative to the heavily criticized synthetic agrochemicals. To achieve their full potential a science-based understanding of their beneficial effects and avenues for fine-tuning of their bioactivities are of utmost importance. The proposed project will bring together expertise in plant systems biology, chemical biology, as well as biostimulant preparation and characterization, to discover new and optimize existing biostimulants by tapping into innovative sources of natural compounds and integrative biology approaches for elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying stress priming. A global network of leading plant scientists in abiotic and biotic stress signaling from Europe, Africa, and South America, facilitated by an industrial partner specializing in biostimulants production and marketing, will channel their efforts to bring sustainable solutions for crop protection to the farmer. An extensive mobility program will facilitate optimal knowledge-sharing within the network, maximize the research outputs and ultimately lead to increasing the human capacity of the partners.

The overreaching mission of EpiSeedLink is to foster a European network that empowers crop improvement through epigenetics by providing expertise, know-how, and creativity in high-end technologies to 11 early stage scientists and enabling them to translate scientific knowledge and skills into innovation. Through international, multidisciplinary, and inter-sectorial training in experimental and computational biology, EpiSeedLink will contribute to excellence in research and also timely address societal and agricultural needs. This original research program combines the unique know-how of academic experts with that of two companies to synergize research and knowledge transfer between a plant model and a crop of enormous agroeconomic importance (oilseed rape). EpiSeedLink will exploit the epigenetic regulation of seed priming mechanisms to improve crop performance under threats caused by climate change (i.e drought) through non-GMO practices. Crop breeding strategies have led to genetic erosion. A critical challenge is to identify new genetic and epigenetic markers for crop selection programs and for bioengineering the intrinsic performance of seeds or their enhancement through farming practices referred to as 'seed priming' strategies. These include chemical osmopriming and biostimulants use, that enhance germination efficiency and drought tolerance. Despite being a broadly adopted agriculture technique, the molecular determinants of seed priming are just starting to emerge and the nature, duration and implementation of plant priming remain poorly understood. These gaps in mechanistic understanding have so far precluded fully exploiting the biotechnological potential of seed priming. EpiSeedLink aims to fill these gaps by 1) understanding which chromatin regulatory layers contribute to improve plant performance to environmental threats through priming and by 2) exploiting epigenome diversity to provide markers of crop traits and strategies to the seed industry.