In collaboration with Anton Dohrn Experimental Station Naples (SZN)
Over time, seagrasses have evolved specialized physiological and molecular adaptations in their photosynthetic apparatus, enabling them to optimize the balance of absorbed photons between photosystems. These adaptations support efficient photosynthesis in marine environments, where solar radiation is significantly altered in spectrum and intensity.
This research collaboration aims to characterize light-harvesting antenna (LHC) proteins in seagrasses across various sea depths. In these conditions, red and far-red photons, crucial for terrestrial plant photosystem I (PSI) activity, are largely absent. The study seeks to expand our understanding of photosynthetic mechanisms in extreme habitats by examining how seagrasses adapt their LHC proteins to these light-limited environments. Such insights could pave the way for biotechnological innovations, including developing modified LHC proteins to enhance light-use efficiency in terrestrial plants under suboptimal light conditions.
In practical terms, this collaboration involves the collection of seagrasses from marine environments using SZN ‘s specialized facilities. Subsequently, physiological, biochemical, and spectroscopic analyses have been conducted on both in vivo and in vitro samples.
This research is conducted by Antonello Amelii, co-funded by ERC and EMBRC-IT.
