Project description
Explaining the secrets of nature’s electric highways
Biological electron transport (ET) is limited to short distances, confining its impact to nanometre scales. Recent discoveries of cable bacteria, however, have expanded this reach to centimetres by using conductive fibres that connect thousands of cells. This vast electric network influences redox cycling and enables complex interspecies interactions, such as the ‘flocking’ behaviour where aerobes use these cables to access oxygen in low-oxygen environments. This system has sparked interest in green electronics but requires a deeper understanding to harness its full potential. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ENTER project aims to map the natural entryways of these electric fibres. By identifying electron shuttles and characterising entryway proteins, ENTER seeks to unlock new insights into electric ecosystems.
Objective
The reach of biological electron transport (ET) increased from nm to cm with the discovery of cable bacteria that do ET via highly conductive fibres along their filaments. Their extremely long distance ET electrically connects 1000s of cells and influences redox cycling. Other bacteria interact with this electric highway via interspecies ET. A visual version: flocking, where aerobes use cables to breathe oxygen in its absence. Flockers dump electrons on intermediates, electron shuttles, which cables recycle. Since their discovery, cable bacteria sparked interest for green, biodegradable electronics. Flocking suggests that we can access the electric fibre without damaging it. Cables must have a natural electric entryway, to upload electrons from shuttles onto the fibres. ENTER aims to map this.
We combine Prof Meysman's expertise on cable bacteria fibres with mine on flocker-cable bacteria interactions to:
1) Identify the electron shuttle by extensive electrochemical characterization of flockers (isolated in my PhD), map their ability to generate electricity, and find shuttle production potential in the genomes.
2) Advance models to find entryway protein sequences in closed cable bacteria genomes (from the host).
3) Localize the entryways on the filament and activate them using correlative light and electron microscopy with labelled shuttles and Raman microscopy.
ENTER will provide new insights into the functioning of electric ecosystems and electric microbes. It will offer novel perspectives on redox and electron flow in natural systems. For example, oxygen breathing way beyond its presence will affect CO2 burying and sequestration in the seafloor. ENTERs impact, not limited to natural systems, will also inspire new insights for engineered systems (microbial fuel cells, contaminant biodegradation). It could provide critical stepping stones for promising alternatives in new green electronics. ENTER connects many disciplines, that it will influence and inspire.
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 microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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