An Electrochemical Approach to Understanding Coral Bleaching

了解珊瑚白化的电化学方法

• 批准号: 2894423
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Cambridge
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2894423
• 关键词: Electrochemical; Approach; Understanding; Coral; Bleaching

Coral bleaching is a growing catastrophe resulting from climate change. Coral animals rely on symbiosis with intracellular dinoflagellate algae. The dinoflagellates provide the host with photosynthetically fixed carbon, and receive other nutrients and physical protection in return. This symbiosis breaks down under some conditions, including raised temperatures, resulting in expulsion of the dinoflagellates and bleaching. All photosynthetic microorganisms exhibit exoelectrogenesis, where electrons from photosynthesis are exported extracellularly. The project will develop electrochemical approaches for measuring exoelectrogenesis by the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium, the genus whose members form symbiosis with corals. It will study how external stresses may disturb photosynthesis, affecting redox signalling via exoelectrogenesis. Several mutant cell lines are available in which photosynthesis has been directly compromised; these will be included in the study. Overall, the project will provide direct indications of how disturbance of photosynthesis affects the redox exchange between dinoflagellates and their hosts.

珊瑚白化是气候变化造成的日益严重的灾难。珊瑚动物依赖于细胞内甲藻的共生。甲藻为宿主提供光合作用固定碳，并获得其他营养物质和物理保护作为回报。这种共生关系在某些条件下会破裂，包括温度升高，导致甲藻排出和白化。所有光合微生物都表现出外生电，其中光合作用产生的电子被输出到细胞外。该项目将开发电化学方法来测量甲藻共生藻的外生电，该属的成员与珊瑚形成共生。它将研究外部压力如何干扰光合作用，通过外生电影响氧化还原信号。有几种突变细胞系，其中光合作用直接受到损害；这些将被纳入研究中。总体而言，该项目将直接表明光合作用的干扰如何影响甲藻与其宿主之间的氧化还原交换。