Descripción del proyecto
Nuevos agentes moleculares favorecen el uso de microalgas para energías limpias
Las microalgas son organismos unicelulares que llevan a cabo la fotosíntesis: un proceso que convierte la luz solar y el dióxido de carbono (CO2) en biomasa. En los últimos años se les ha prestado mucha atención por su potencial como fuente sostenible de biocombustibles. Para optimizar sus condiciones de cultivo, es necesario comprender la regulación intracelular de la captura y el almacenamiento de CO2. En el proyecto INSPirAUTOR, financiado por las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, se estudiarán las rutas de señalización específicas que regulan el metabolismo de los lípidos, una fuente clave para la producción de biocombustibles. Los resultados del proyecto podrían mejorar la ingeniería metabólica de algas, promover su papel en la mitigación del CO2 y ayudar a cumplir la estrategia de neutralidad climática de la Unión Europea.
Objetivo
The elucidation of regulatory networks that govern cell growth and carbon storage in photosynthetic cells may potentially benefit the world's dependence on the declining reserves of fossil fuels. The growth/carbon sink relationship impacts metabolism, carbon partitioning and productivity but its regulation is poorly understood. Recently, we found a connection between two major cell growth regulators in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Our findings revealed a synergistic effect between TOR kinase and Inositol polyphosphate (InsP) regulating lipid metabolism and the recycling process of autophagy. Based on the relevance of these results, we aim to find the mechanisms and the conditions in which this intersection takes place within the green lineage. In this sense, we have designed a straight-forward project including different goals. First, we will set novel analytical tools to evaluate the InsP level fluctuations in the presence of new TOR inhibitors and monitor the impact on autophagy flux and lipid metabolism in the model photosynthetic organisms Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Arabidopsis thaliana. Second, we want to identify the phosphorylation targets of InsPs using Kinome/P-phosphoproteome in a Chlamydomonas InsP-deficient mutant. This analysis will unravel the phosphorylation network of InsP signaling and will provide new insights about the role of InsP in the control of cell growth. Third, we will evaluate InsP levels, autophagy flux and lipid storage under nutritional stress to determine the InsP modulation response in plants and algae. Understanding this signaling pathway will impact metabolic engineering of food and biofuel crops to improve yields of high-value products including oils and lipids. We believe this project will impact a general audience and will help to teach people how basic research can turn into a greater understanding of a process that is conserved in humans and has a direct economic impact.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologymetabolic engineering
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyphycology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF-EF-RI - RI – Reintegration panelCoordinador
28006 Madrid
España