Project description
Enhancing photosynthesis in crops
To feed the growing global population, we must improve crop productivity. Maize and sorghum are up to 50 % more efficient than other common crops like wheat and rice, because of the photosynthetic pathway they use. Understanding how plants achieve this efficiency could unlock novel strategies for engineering crops. The ERC-funded CELL4 project focuses on the development of specialised sheath cells that provide enhanced photosynthetic efficiency in maize. Researchers will uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms through high-resolution 3D electron microscopy and metabolite and genetic analysis. By revealing how this architecture is established and how each trait contributes to photosynthetic function, the project will inform strategies for engineering crops and maintaining global food security.
Objective
PROPOSAL SUMMARY
The architecture of specialised cell types intricately aligns with cell function. A prime example is the bundle sheath (BS) cells of plants conducting C4 photosynthesis, in which CO2 is concentrated. This concentration mechanism increases photosynthetic efficiency by up to 50% compared to plants that use the more common C3 photosynthetic pathway. BS cells of C4 plants have two key adaptations: increased connectivity with adjacent mesophyll cells via numerous plasmodesmata that facilitate metabolite exchange for building CO2 concentration, and an increased number of organelles which are uniquely positioned at one side of the cell. Despite the proposed functional importance of these traits, it is not understood how they arise during leaf development.
In this project, I aim to elucidate mechanisms governing BS cell architecture. I recently discovered that the polar localisation of plasmodesmata and organelles in BS cells occurs early in leaf development following light exposure in multiple C4 plants. I will use 3D electron microscopy to study BS cell development at high resolution in the C4 grass sorghum and mass spectrometry imaging to map key C4 metabolites, linking structure to metabolic function. I will then investigate molecular mechanisms involved in the development of both traits using mutants that are disrupted in components known to influence plasmodesmata development and organelle positioning in C3 species. I will identify additional components by looking for interaction partners of these components in C4 BS cells. In mutants showing defects in either trait, I will study the impact on metabolite gradients and photosynthetic efficiency, and will explore interdependency between the two polar traits. Overall, my project will reveal mechanisms essential for the development of leaf architecture in C4 plants, and will inform the design strategy for engineering C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops to increase yield.
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 physical sciences optics microscopy
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture industrial crops fodder
- natural sciences biological sciences botany
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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.
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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
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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NR4 7UH NORWICH
United Kingdom
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