Project description
Understanding algaenan metabolism to unleash microalgae’s essential nutrients
Microalgae are rich in proteins and fatty acids and require far less land and water to cultivate than traditional crops. Unlocking their nutritional potential is difficult; important species are encased in a cell wall made of the biopolymer algaenan. Engineering algaenan-deficient strains or enzymes that degrade algaenan has been challenging as algaenan metabolism is poorly understood. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BreakThrough project aims to uncover the evolutionarily conserved genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying algaenan anabolism and catabolism. Using advanced genetic engineering, microscopy and mass spectrometry technologies, BreakThrough will support the development of energy-efficient, food-safe methods to harness microalgae in biotechnological applications and as a sustainable food source.
Objective
Microalgae are exceptionally rich in essential nutrients such as proteins and fatty acids (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids). Their cultivation requires significantly less land and water compared to traditional crops, reducing the strain on these resources. However, accessing the nutrients of eukaryotic microalgae as a food source, particularly from the economically important genera Nannochloropsis and Chlorella, requires substantial resources. These algae are encapsulated by a resilient cell wall composed of a polymer known as algaenan. The development of algaenan-deficient strains or enzymes degrading algaenan to make nutrients accessible, has been hindered severely by the lack of knowledge about algaenan metabolism.
In the BreakThrough project, I will team up with Prof. Johan Andersen-Ranberg from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences of the University of Copenhagen. The goal is to clarify the evolutionary conserved mechanisms underlying the algaenan metabolism throughout the cell cycle, particularly during autospore release. The proposed work involves co-expression analysis, genetic engineering, confocal microscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify and characterize the genes in algaenan metabolism in the eukaryotic microalgae Nannochloropsis oceanica. Insights obtained in this project will benefit both fundamental and applied sciences. On the fundamental side, BreakThrough will uncover the biochemical process underlying algaenan anabolism and catabolism. For the applied aspect, the project will improve the use of microalgae as a future food source and biotechnological applications by developing energy-efficient and food safe methods to bypass the recalcitrant algaenan polymer in extraction processes.
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
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences chemical sciences analytical chemistry mass spectrometry
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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)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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.
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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