Objective
The goal of this proposed research initiative is to engineer chloroplasts into production units for high value bio-active natural products. The first aim is to re-route the biosynthetic pathways for these compounds into the chloroplast and to boost compound formation by optimizing and channeling reducing power from photosystem I into to the energy demanding steps. By these measures we aim to overcome the inherent limitations in plants to channel photosynthetic fixed carbon and reducing power directly into production of desired bioactive natural products. Our production targets are diterpenoids with the anti-cancer drug ingenol-3-angelate and the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin as the two chosen test compounds. Formation of the complicated hydroxylated core structures of these compounds is catalyzed by diterpenoid synthases and cytochrome P450s. These will be identified and expressed in the chloroplast. The ultimate aim is to construct a single supramolecular enzyme complex effectively using solar energy to produce complex diterpenoids. This will be accomplished by tethering the terpenoid synthases and the key P450 enzymes directly to the photosystem I complex using some of the small membrane spanning subunits of photosystem I as membrane anchors. The experimental systems used will initially be transient expression in tobacco and then move to stably transformed moss (Physcomitrella patens). The production system is built on the “share your parts” principle of synthetic biology and the aim is to construct a modular ‘tool box’ as template for tailoring the synthesis of a whole range of valuable bioactive diterpenoids. Typically, these are difficult to obtain because they are produced in very low amounts in plants difficult to cultivate. The proposal opens up entirely new research horizons and removes current bottlenecks in industrial exploitation. The technology holds the promise of true sustainability as it is driven by solar power and CO2.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy solar energy
- natural sciences biological sciences synthetic biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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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.
ERC-2012-ADG_20120314
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.
Host institution
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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.