Objective
Sulfur (S), phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) are, together with carbon (C), required by photosynthetic organisms at higher levels than other mineral nutrients. A deficiency in each of these nutrients can result in a severe decrease in crop plant productivity, resulting in stunted plants and reducing the quality and yields of seeds.
The cellular machinery required to take up and assimilate these nutrients has been the subject of numerous studies for decades. Over the last several years, studies have mainly focused on regulatory mechanisms that control macronutrient assimilation and the adaptive responses associated with nutrient deficiency. The present project will mainly focus on S nutrition and associated regulatory processes in the photosynthetic model organism, the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
The study combines biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, genomics and physiology aspects, along with an opportunity to use state of the art technology in a multidisciplinary training environment. The identification of regulatory proteins involved in nutrient stress responses (those of S, P, N and light deficiency) will contribute to our understanding of how nutrient levels influence plant growth and development.
The study is likely to help guide biotechnological approaches focused on improving the efficiency of European agriculture, but will also contribute to a reduction in the use of fertilizers, thereby reducing the risks of environmental pollution, and extending or altering the range of environments in which specific plants can thrive.
On the other hand, the emergent field of industrial bioproduction of H2 through S-deprived Chlamydomonas cultures is a promising way of obtaining a clean and inexpensive energy source (reducing the huge problem of genera ting enough affordable energy, in a sustainable way), which in turn could minimizes global climate change and ecosystem degradation
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyphycology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryamines
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology
Call for proposal
FP6-2005-MOBILITY-6
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