Final Activity Report Summary - ISONET (Ecological and physiological functions of biogenic isoprenoids and their impact on the environment)
Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) play a critical role in biosphere and atmosphere interactions and are key constraints of the physical and chemical properties of the atmosphere and climate. An estimated 500 to 1,000 Tg of carbon are emitted annually from the vegetation as BVOC, dominated by isoprenoids. Such a high rate of emissions implies a large metabolic cost and, hence, a very important plant functional role for these compounds. Isoprenoids can be emitted by plants constitutively, or the emission may be induced in response to biotic and abiotic factors. Both constitutive and induced isoprenoids act as defensive compounds and are often crucial for plant protection in stressful environments, though their specific functions are still often elusive.
The main training objective of ISONET was to educate researchers who would be able to investigate a complex biological question, namely the function of plant isoprenoids, by using an integrated functional and environmental genomic approach. The network provided 19 young scientists, i.e. 7 early-stage and 12 experienced researchers who mastered specific fields covered by the project, with expertise and practice in a wealth of experimental techniques. ISONET offered a total of 467 person months over the project duration to young researchers, meeting gender balance issues. ISONET trainees were able to exploit this combination of knowledge to make significant progress in understanding the functions of plant isoprenoids. Through the organisation of 15 outstanding international conferences, workshops and training courses, the participation to a number of other events and the implementation of a large exchange of personnel, ISONET offered opportunities for high level training in the molecular biology, biochemistry and eco-physiology of isoprenoids as part of a network whose members worked together on a topic of increased environmental impact and scientific importance. In addition, ISONET provided a direct link with the atmospheric chemistry, air quality and global change research communities, enhancing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research across the entire spectrum of biosphere and atmosphere interactions science. All young scientists appointed by ISONET found job in the research area after completion of their appointment, and five of the experienced researchers had already been enrolled with permanent positions by the time of the project completion. The latter was a further demonstration of the excellent return of the project and the high professional training achieved throughout ISONET activities.
The two major scientific objectives of ISONET were to elucidate the present and future roles of constitutive and stress-induced volatile isoprenoids. ISONET studies provided scientific evidence at molecular, biochemical and eco-physiological level on isoprenoids involvement in plant protection against abiotic and biotic stresses. Some of the most relevant project findings allowed to generate transgenic plants with induced synthesis and emission of isoprenoids, and to conclude that isoprenoids relieved oxidative and thermal stresses acting as powerful antioxidants, especially when plants were exposed to oxidative stress conditions that were expected to be more frequent or acute in future environments. Isoprenoids were also key constituents of plant interactions with other organisms.
ISONET catalysed European research expanding knowledge of isoprenoid-mediated tritrophic interactions and focussed on understanding how future climate change, and especially CO2 and O3 rising concentrations, might affect these relationships. By discovering and elucidating the mechanisms by which constitutive and stress-induced isoprenoids acted, this research would enable the use of these compounds as valuable tools for improving plant performances in unfavourable physical environments and for defending plants against pathogens and herbivores attacks.
The ISONET scientific results were highly regarded by the scientific community. The network published more than 100 papers in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) journals, with top publications in Nature, Science and other high impact journals in specific research areas.
The main training objective of ISONET was to educate researchers who would be able to investigate a complex biological question, namely the function of plant isoprenoids, by using an integrated functional and environmental genomic approach. The network provided 19 young scientists, i.e. 7 early-stage and 12 experienced researchers who mastered specific fields covered by the project, with expertise and practice in a wealth of experimental techniques. ISONET offered a total of 467 person months over the project duration to young researchers, meeting gender balance issues. ISONET trainees were able to exploit this combination of knowledge to make significant progress in understanding the functions of plant isoprenoids. Through the organisation of 15 outstanding international conferences, workshops and training courses, the participation to a number of other events and the implementation of a large exchange of personnel, ISONET offered opportunities for high level training in the molecular biology, biochemistry and eco-physiology of isoprenoids as part of a network whose members worked together on a topic of increased environmental impact and scientific importance. In addition, ISONET provided a direct link with the atmospheric chemistry, air quality and global change research communities, enhancing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research across the entire spectrum of biosphere and atmosphere interactions science. All young scientists appointed by ISONET found job in the research area after completion of their appointment, and five of the experienced researchers had already been enrolled with permanent positions by the time of the project completion. The latter was a further demonstration of the excellent return of the project and the high professional training achieved throughout ISONET activities.
The two major scientific objectives of ISONET were to elucidate the present and future roles of constitutive and stress-induced volatile isoprenoids. ISONET studies provided scientific evidence at molecular, biochemical and eco-physiological level on isoprenoids involvement in plant protection against abiotic and biotic stresses. Some of the most relevant project findings allowed to generate transgenic plants with induced synthesis and emission of isoprenoids, and to conclude that isoprenoids relieved oxidative and thermal stresses acting as powerful antioxidants, especially when plants were exposed to oxidative stress conditions that were expected to be more frequent or acute in future environments. Isoprenoids were also key constituents of plant interactions with other organisms.
ISONET catalysed European research expanding knowledge of isoprenoid-mediated tritrophic interactions and focussed on understanding how future climate change, and especially CO2 and O3 rising concentrations, might affect these relationships. By discovering and elucidating the mechanisms by which constitutive and stress-induced isoprenoids acted, this research would enable the use of these compounds as valuable tools for improving plant performances in unfavourable physical environments and for defending plants against pathogens and herbivores attacks.
The ISONET scientific results were highly regarded by the scientific community. The network published more than 100 papers in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) journals, with top publications in Nature, Science and other high impact journals in specific research areas.