Unravelling the complex evolutionary history of a novel superclass of ochrophytes
Public support
Provider
Czech Science Foundation
Programme
Standard projects
Call for proposals
SGA0202600001
Main participants
Ostravská univerzita / Přírodovědecká fakulta
Contest type
VS - Public tender
Contract ID
26-21526S
Alternative language
Project name in Czech
Unravelling the complex evolutionary history of a novel superclass of ochrophytes
Annotation in Czech
The knowledge of Ochrophyta, the major algal phylum containing diatoms, brown seaweeds, and a plethora of less familiar lineages, comprises many “known unknowns”. We want to address two of them: (1) the conflicting answer regarding the phylogenetic position of the class Eustigmatophyceae provided by their plastid genome and the nuclear/mitochondrial genome; (2) the unknown nature of two class-level ochrophyte lineages, MOCH-3 and MOCH-5, previously detected through environmental DNA sequences. Our preliminary results indicate that all three classes, together with two additional newly identified uncultivated lineages, constitute a single “superclass” that, we hypothesize, has experienced non-vertical inheritance of the plastid. We will test this scenario by sequencing a MOCH-5 member exclusively available to us, cultivation and characterization of members of the novel lineages, exploration of metagenomic data, and complex comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses. The results will resolve a major conundrum of ochrophyte biology, with implications for plastid evolution in general.
Scientific branches
R&D category
ZV - Basic research
OECD FORD - main branch
10611 - Plant sciences, botany
OECD FORD - secondary branch
10602 - Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology
OECD FORD - another secondary branch
10606 - Microbiology
CEP - equivalent branches <br>(according to the <a href="http://www.vyzkum.cz/storage/att/E6EF7938F0E854BAE520AC119FB22E8D/Prevodnik_oboru_Frascati.pdf">converter</a>)
EA - Morphology and cytology<br>EE - Microbiology, virology<br>EF - Botany
Solution timeline
Realization period - beginning
Jan 1, 2026
Realization period - end
Dec 31, 2028
Project status
Z - Beginning multi-year project
Latest support payment
—
Data delivery to CEP
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data delivery code
CEP26-GA0-GA-R
Data delivery date
Apr 29, 2026
Finance
Total approved costs
8,247 thou. CZK
Public financial support
8,247 thou. CZK
Other public sources
0 thou. CZK
Non public and foreign sources
0 thou. CZK