Objective
Most photosensitive integral membrane proteins (PIMP) are not able to deal with the excess energy of photons from UV to blue region and normally do not absorb them at all. If high-energy photons were absorbed, they might destroy the light-harvesting chromophores or even induce apoptotic-like cell death. Thus, the energy efficiency of green plants is less than 5% and the energy-producing PIMP bacteriorhodopsin (bR) not possessing specific light-harvesting system utilizes less than 0.5% of solar light. Nanotechnology opens the way to increase performances of biological functions. Summarizing the sources of energy losses provides an idea to optimization through the engineering of a built-on-the-membrane light-harvesting antenna from photoluminescent (PL) quantum dots (QDs) which might be able: (1) to harvest light from deep UV to blue region, (2) to convert this energy to photons that can be absorbed by bR or photosynthetic reaction centers (RC) and (3) to transfer this energy to PIMP’s chromophores thus improving biological function. The QD is a unique nanomaterial able to absorb a lot of light from UV to visible region and to convert it in the photons of PL in a narrow spectral region determined by their size. NanoPhotoChrome will combine the nanotechnology and genetic engineering, where genetic engineering develops RC and bR variants with biological functions adapted to specific application and nanotechnology develops QDs specifically selected to be optically coupled with the PIMP chromophores and with surfaces functionalized to form complexes with biomembranes or to be chemically tagged with desired amino acid residues of bR or RC. Such optical and spatial coupling will form efficient energy transfer donor (QD)/acceptor (PIMP chromophore) pairs. The PIMP-QDs nano-units operating in the FRET-regime will provide new hybrid materials with improved biological functions with the advantages of efficiency of light-controlled operation, stability and low cost production.
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.
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials nanocrystals
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry amines
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels energy conversion
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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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.
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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008
See other projects for this call
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.
Coordinator
20018 San Sebastian
Spain
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.