Objective
Plants use light energy to reduce carbon from CO2 to produce sugars. But what happens if too much light is absorbed? Part of the energy is thermally dissipated in a process called non-photochemical quenching; nevertheless excessive absorption inevitably leads to Photosystem II (PSII) damage and photoinhibition. This is followed by degradation and replacement of the reaction center core. Interestingly, photoinhibition is accompanied by a decrease in fluorescence yield, indicating an increase of thermal energy dissipation, leading to the proposal that it functions as a photoprotective mechanism. The molecular mechanism behind this energy dissipation is, however, unknown and the aim of this project is to determine the fate of excitons during photoinhibition.
We plan to investigate two scenarios of photoinhibition: one in which the PSII centers are damaged and not degraded, and a second in which the PSII centers are damaged and subsequently degraded. We will use a hypothesis-driven approach for the first scenario and investigate whether the altered thermodynamics of the inhibited PSII can explain changes in fluorescence emission yield and kinetics. The second scenario explores the mechanism that dissipates excitation energy in the absence of the PSII core. Both situations will be probed using spectrally- and temporarily-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy combined with biochemical analyses. Finally, we will use single-molecule spectroscopy on isolated PSII to reveal heterogeneity of PSII damage during photoinhibition.
Potentially unraveling new mechanisms of protection against excessive energy absorption, crucial in natural environments where photoinhibition occurs regularly, holds promises not only for our fundamental understanding of energy conversion, but also for future applications in algae and crop cultivation.
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 condensed matter physics quasiparticles
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology phycology
- natural sciences physical sciences thermodynamics
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy absorption spectroscopy
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
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.