Project description
Engineering photosynthetic efficiency for climate-resilient crops
Global food production is being strained by climate change and population growth, making the development of more efficient crop production technologies vital. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EngNPQ project aims to increase productivity by engineering photosynthetic efficiency, focusing on the regulation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), which limits plant performance under fluctuating light conditions. First, it will identify the molecular features that control NPQ dynamics. Secondly, it will design improved protein variants with enhanced light-use efficiency. The project’s overall goal is to translate fundamental discoveries into practical tools for crop improvement. It supports sustainable food production and Europe’s goals for green innovation.
Objective
Global food security is under increasing threat as climate change and population growth demand sustainable gains in crop productivity. Enhancing photosynthetic efficiency represents a transformative solution, yet the protective process of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) remains a major bottleneck under fluctuating light. This proposal (EngNPQ) aims to optimize NPQ regulation in crops by targeting the Photosystem II subunit S (PsbS), a thylakoid protein that governs NPQ dynamics and exhibits substantial natural variation across photosynthetic lineages. The originality of EngNPQ is to link natural PsbS sequence variation to functional outcomes and use this knowledge to design protein variants that accelerate NPQ relaxation and improve light-use efficiency. To achieve this, I will characterize eleven natural PsbS variants in Arabidopsis thaliana npq4-1 mutant and Marchantia polymorpha PsbS knockout transgenic lines, employ chimeric protein design and targeted mutagenesis to identify key structural determinants, and translate these findings into tomato through CRISPR-based genome editing. This integrative approach combines comparative genomics, structural modeling, synthetic biology, and advanced phenotyping. The results will yield fundamental insights into the molecular regulation of photoprotection and provide practical tools for engineering photosynthetic traits in crops. The fellowship will also equip me with advanced expertise in genome editing and translational plant biotechnology, while expanding my profile in photophysiology. The University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Prof. Johannes Kromdijk, offers the ideal environment for this work. The outcomes will directly support the European Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goals, positioning Europe at the forefront of sustainable agricultural innovation, with potential applications in crop improvement, resource-efficient farming, and agricultural biotechnology.
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.
- agricultural sciences agricultural biotechnology
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- natural sciences biological sciences synthetic biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
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Keywords
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)
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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom
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.