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

Informations projet

SUITCASES

N° de convention de subvention: 101026536

DOI

10.3030/101026536

Projet clôturé

Date de signature de la CE 17 Mars 2021

Date de début 16 Mars 2022

Date de fin 15 Mars 2024

Financé au titre de

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Coût total

€ 214 158,72

Contribution de l’UE

€ 214 158,72

Coordonné par

UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Norway

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

Période du rapport: 2022-03-16 au 2024-03-15

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

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.

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

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

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

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