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

Información del proyecto

SUITCASES

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 101026536

DOI

10.3030/101026536

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de la firma de la CE 17 Marzo 2021

Fecha de inicio 16 Marzo 2022

Fecha de finalización 15 Marzo 2024

Financiado con arreglo a

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Coste total

€ 214 158,72

Aportación de la UE

€ 214 158,72

Coordinado por

UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Norway

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

Período documentado: 2022-03-16 hasta 2024-03-15

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

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.

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

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

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

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