SUITCASES – Adaptive photobiont community assemblage as a process of lichen response to changing environments

Project Information

SUITCASES

Grant agreement ID: 101026536

DOI

10.3030/101026536

Project closed

EC signature date 17 March 2021

Start date 16 March 2022

End date 15 March 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 214 158,72

EU contribution

€ 214 158,72

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SUITCASES (SUITCASES – Adaptive photobiont community assemblage as a process of lichen response to changing environments)

Reporting period: 2022-03-16 to 2024-03-15

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Lichens, symbiotic organisms composed of fungi, photobionts (algal partners), and bacteria, play crucial roles, particularly in cold environments, contributing significantly to biogeochemical cycles and trophic interactions. Recent scientific evidence suggests that lichen photobionts play decisive roles in lichen adaptation to different environments, yet the mechanisms behind this are poorly understood. et, many key aspects behind lichen adaptability are still unknown because of the complexity and fluidity of lichen symbiosis, the difficulty to recreate lichens in the laboratory setting, and the limitation that taxonomic identification of photobionts is only possible by genotyping.
The goal of SUITCASES was to understand at the genetic level how photobiont community living in lichens responds to different environmental conditions and to unravel the photobionts unknown life cycle.

Three projects with three objectives arise from the MSCA action. The publications are not yet available

Project 1 Investigates how environmental conditions represented by the annual seasons
Project 2 Investigates how environmental conditions represented by pollution influence photobiont community assemblage within lichens
Project 3 Investigate how photobionts travel across environment using lichens as suitace.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The work necessary for this project included filed trips to collect lichen samples, molecular lab work (DNA extractions, normal and quantitative PCR, genome sequencing), microscopy, chemical analyses of the trace elements and bioinformatic analyses (phylogenies. metagenomic assemblies). It also required communication with stakeholders, organising lab and field work, preparing presentations, attending different courses and writing grant applications.

The following results were achieved for the final period:
- field trip complete
- courses complete
- chemical analyses of the trace elements
- dissemination of the results with presentation for the host and secondment institution, and stakeholders: the iron-ore mining company from Kiruna (LKAB) and the reindeer herder Sami village Laevas.
- outreach events: ECOTONE
- writing sucesfull grant applications - I received this year a 400,000 Euro establishment grant from the Swedish Research Council

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

In one of the projects I am collaborating with two stake holders: the iron-ore mining company from Kiruna (LKAB) and the reindeer herder Sami village Laevas. These stake holders are very interested to understand the impact of pollution generated by the mine on the lichen biodiversity and health status. The results and the scientific publication of WP1b will answer many of their questions.

Summary of the three planned publications