Project description
Improving photosynthesis with far-red light
Plants use only a small portion of the solar spectrum, resulting in the loss of over 50 % of incoming photons. Cyanobacteria, however, can grow in far-red light, challenging previous beliefs about photosynthesis. The ERC-funded FARED WELL project investigates how cyanobacteria adapt to far-red light and explores how this knowledge can be used to modify plant photosynthetic systems. The project aims to understand how new pigments are produced, how they are integrated into photosynthetic proteins, and how they influence the efficiency and regulation of photosynthesis. Using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches, the project will study whether introducing a far-red light response in plants can improve crop yields.
Objective
Photosynthesis, the process that sustains life on our planet by generating food and supplying oxygen, is astonishingly inefficient: less than 1% of accessible solar energy is converted into biomass by a crop. Improving photosynthesis is thus a promising approach to meet the increasing demand for food production. The capacity to optimally harness light is a crucial factor in the photosynthetic process, especially in light-limited environments. However, plants only utilize the visible part of the solar spectrum (400-700 nm), which results in more than 50% of the photons reaching the Earths surface being discarded. This represents an important limitation, especially for crops, as plants in the field are close together, and the light reaching the lower leaves is almost exclusively far-red (>700 nm). Until recently, it was believed that 700 nm was the thermodynamic limit of oxygenic photosynthesis. However, the discovery of several species of cyanobacteria, the prokaryotic ancestors of plant chloroplasts, that can grow in far-red light has shown that this is not the case. How can cyanobacteria use far-red light? Would it be possible to introduce the same mechanisms into plants to expand their spectral coverage and increase light-use efficiency? This project aims to address these questions by elucidating the mechanisms underlying far-red light acclimation in cyanobacteria and re-designing them to be compatible with the photosynthetic system of plants. This requires to address knowledge gaps related to the synthesis of novel pigments, their integration into photosynthetic proteins, and their impact on photochemical efficiency and photosynthesis regulation. For this I will combine in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches, ranging from molecular biology to ultrafast spectroscopy and modeling, which is the trademark of my group. This project will determine if implementing a far-red response in plants is viable, beneficial, and a potential strategy for crop enhancement.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences biological sciences botany
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-ADG
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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.
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
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.