ECOFix
Financiado
Engineering Catalytic Membraneless Organelles for CO2 Fixation
In recent years, membraneless organelles were shown to be intracellular liquid like condensates formed through phase separation. Following their discovery, they have been found across all kingdoms of life. For some of these organe...
In recent years, membraneless organelles were shown to be intracellular liquid like condensates formed through phase separation. Following their discovery, they have been found across all kingdoms of life. For some of these organelles, a crucial role in cellular physiology has been determined, while for many others their true function remains unresolved. Recently, it has also emerged that the pyrenoid, which concentrates the CO2 fixation machinery of photosynthesis, behaves like a liquid non-membrane bound organelle in green algae. However, the pyrenoid and its forming protein EPYC1 undergo a complicated assembly in vivo, which poses a challenge for the functional understanding, engineering and transplantation of pyrenoids. Here I propose to use a bottom-up strategy to assemble and evolve pyrenoid formation de novo. To paraphrase the renowned physicist Richard Feynman – What I cannot create, I do not understand – I plan to mimic the formation of pyrenoids by fusing liquid-liquid phase separating (LLPS) intrinsically disordered peptides (IDP) to RuBisCO to create artificial pyrenoid-like condensates in vitro (objective 1). From the RuBisCO-IDP library, I will select the best performing condensate for transplanting into S. elongatus to generate an artificial pyrenoid. Subsequently, I will compare this strain with the wild-type and a carboxysome knock-out strain (objective 2). Finally, I will evolve the RuBisCO-IDP and the corresponding strain for enhanced photosynthesis (objective 3). My experiments will inform on the evolutionary differences between different carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCM), on the biochemical mechanisms underlying a liquid-liquid phase separated CCM and will show whether and how CCMs can be engineered towards improved photosynthesis. This project will lay the basis to realize strategies for increased CO2 uptake in phototrophs, thereby providing new options for a carbon-neutral bioeconomy and improved food productivity in the future.
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Duración del proyecto: 23 meses
Fecha Inicio: 2023-05-14
Fecha Fin: 2025-04-30
Fecha Fin: 2025-04-30
Línea de financiación: concedida
El organismo HORIZON EUROPE notifico la concesión del proyecto el día 2023-05-14
Línea de financiación objetivo
El proyecto se financió a través de la siguiente ayuda:
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01:
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022
Cerrada
hace 2 años
Presupuesto
El presupuesto total del proyecto asciende a
130K€
Líder del proyecto
MAXPLANCKGESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSE...
No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Perfil tecnológico
TRL
4-5
Perfil tecnológico
TRL
4-5