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Bioenergetics in microalgae : regulation modes of mitochondrial respiration, photosynthesis, and fermentative pathways, and their interactions in secondary algae

Description du projet

Régulation de la photosynthèse dans les algues secondaires

Les algues secondaires sont des organismes photosynthétiques qui ont acquis la capacité de réaliser la photosynthèse dans le contexte d’événements endosymbiotiques entre des algues primaires et des organismes eucaryotes. Les algues secondaires se distinguent des algues primaires, qui sont les organismes photosynthétiques originaux, mais elles jouent néanmoins un rôle important dans la fixation du carbone sur Terre. Si la régulation de la photosynthèse est parfaitement comprise dans les algues primaires, des recherches sur les mécanismes de régulation qui opèrent dans les algues secondaires sont encore nécessaires. Financé par le Conseil européen de la recherche, le projet BEAL entend caractériser et comparer la régulation de la photosynthèse, de la respiration et de la fermentation chez les algues secondaires. Les résultats du projet fourniront des informations cruciales sur la croissance des algues secondaires et contribueront à appréhender la complexité du phytoplancton marin.

Objectif

During the course of eukaryote evolution, photosynthesis was propagated from primary eukaryotic algae to non-photosynthetic organisms through multiple secondary endosymbiotic events. Collectively referred to as “secondary algae”, these photosynthetic organisms account for only 1-2% of the total global biomass, but produce a far larger part of the global annual fixation of carbon on Earth.
ATP is the universal chemical energy carrier in living cells. In photosynthetic eukaryotes, it is produced by two major cellular processes: photosynthesis and respiration taking place in chloroplasts and mitochondria, respectively. Both processes support the production of biomass and govern gas (O2 and CO2) exchanges. On the other hand, anaerobic fermentative enzymes have also been identified in several primary and secondary algae. The regulation modes and interactions of respiration, photosynthesis and fermentation are fairly well understood in primary green algae. Conversely, the complex evolutionary history of secondary algae implies a great variety of original regulatory mechanisms that have been barely investigated to date.
Over the last years my laboratory has developed and optimized a range of multidisciplinary approaches that now allow us, within the frame of the BEAL (BioEnergetics in microALgae) project, to (i) characterize and compare the photosynthetic regulation modes by biophysical approaches, (ii) use genetic and biochemical approaches to gain fundamental knowledge on aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentative pathways, and (iii) investigate and compare interconnections between respiration, photosynthesis, and fermentation in organisms resulting from distinct evolutionary scenarios. On a long term, these developments will be instrumental to unravel bioenergetics constraints on growth in microalgae, a required knowledge to exploit the microalgal diversity in a biotechnological perspective, and to understand the complexity of the marine phytoplankton.

Régime de financement

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

Institution d’accueil

UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 837 625,00
Adresse
PLACE DU 20 AOUT 7
4000 Liege
Belgique

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Région
Région wallonne Prov. Liège Arr. Liège
Type d’activité
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Liens
Coût total
€ 1 837 625,00

Bénéficiaires (1)