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Discovery of a novel phenylalanine degradation pathway in plants

Objective

Plants are anticipated to be a more sustainable platform for chemical production than fossil-fuel-based chemical production, as plants can produce various natural products using CO2 as a solo carbon source. In plants, phenylalanine (Phe) is an aromatic amino acid that acts as precursors of numerous Phe-derived specialized metabolites, many of which are utilized for nutritional, pharmaceutical, and biomaterial uses in our society. Whereas plants produce a large amount of Phe to produce such abundant Phe derivatives, Phe itself is so toxic and must be somehow safely detoxified to balance its biosynthesis and degradation. Despite a growing body of knowledge on Phe biosynthesis, however, little is known about Phe degradation, because a plant Phe degradation pathway has not been discovered, unlike the well-characterized Phe degradation in animals. This knowledge gap has been a long-term mystery in the plant metabolism research field for decades, making plant-based chemical production for Phe-derived natural products difficult on a commercial scale. The applicant has studied the biosynthesis of Phe in plants and found a piece of evidence for a putative Phe degradation pathway in Arabidopsis. Combining biochemistry and plant genetics with start-of-art metabolomics, this proposal will aim to identify enzymes mediating a novel Phe degradation pathway and elucidate the roles of Phe degradation in plant metabolism. These potential findings will uncover the unique plant Phe degradation that has never been described in animals and accelerate the development of plant-based chemical production for Phe-derived high-value chemicals.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01

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Coordinator

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 189 687,36
Address
HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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