Description du projet
Comprendre le cycle du carbone marin
Bien que les microalgues marines séquestrent autant de CO2 sous la forme d’hydrates de carbone que les plantes terrestres, le fonctionnement de ce processus demeure encore mal compris au niveau moléculaire. Le projet MARINEGLYCAN, financé par l’UE, étudiera la biosphère marine par le biais d’une approche basée sur la biologie chimique et l’assemblage automatisé de glycanes. À terme, MARINEGLYCAN créera et concevra des outils de nouvelle génération destinés à déchiffrer les informations biologiques, notamment les microréseaux de glycanes, les polysaccharides marqués par fluorescence, les sondes de transfert d’énergie par résonance de type Förster et les sondes basées sur l’activité. Tous ces outils permettront l’étude systématique du flux de carbone depuis le niveau des enzymes individuelles jusqu’aux communautés microbiennes interdépendantes. MARINEGLYCAN utilisera ces outils pour découvrir les épitopes bioactifs des glycanes marins sulfatés.
Objectif
Marine microalgae sequester as much CO2 into carbohydrates as terrestrial plants. However, the marine carbon cycle is currently not understood in molecular detail. MARINEGLYCAN seeks to explore the marine biosphere using an approach rooted in chemical biology & automated glycan assembly (AGA) by inventing new tools for deciphering biological information.
I will generate an assortment of tools: glycan microarrays, fluorescently labelled polysaccharides (FLAPS), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes, & activity-based probes (ABP) working at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Colloids & Interfaces in collaboration with the MPI for Marine Microbiology to allow the systematic study of the flow of carbon–from the level of individual enzymes to interdependent communities. These tools will be used to discover the bioactive epitopes of sulfated marine glycans–known to have anti-viral, anti-cancer, & neuroprotective properties. A new continuous flow photocatalytic process to access fluorinated glycans will be developed in the context of the project.
While gaining a broad range of scientific techniques including AGA & techniques used in marine glycobiology, I will gain & develop my transferable skills & expand my network. All allowing me to have a successful career in both business & academia. These skills will be obtained through workshops provided by the Max-Planck Academy, managing of PhD students & mentoring by Prof. Seeberger. The knowledge & skills I gain working on MARINEGLYCAN will provide me with the skill set to collaborate with Industry–while also carrying out basic scientific research.
MARINEGLYCAN seeks to gain a better understanding of the flow of carbon in the marine environment, allowing Europe to advance towards a green circular economy. With the potential to pave the way for the design & development of new sustainable biomaterials, biocatalysts, & medicines. MARINEGLYCAN is in line with the European Commission's & UN sustainable development goals.
Champ scientifique
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
80539 Munchen
Allemagne