Metabolic pathways in Physcomitrella patens

Armin Horn

ESR 2
Plant Genomics Lab Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and Mosspiration Biotech IVS

Project description
Plant synthetic biology offers tremendous potential, and it will be among the leading technologies for the prospective production of natural products. For this reason, I will investigate the metabolic pathways in Physcomitrella patens in order to enhance its suitability as a producer of valuable compounds such as terpenoids. My overall PhD objective is the establishment of engineered lines of Physcomitrella patens with increased terpenoid production. As part of this project, regulatory elements will be identified with the help of transcriptomic co-expression profiles and overexpression/knock-out of candidate genes will be performed.

One step closer to a more sustainable production platform for fine chemicals from plants

Armin Horn suggests using mosses as an alternative to the synthetic cell factory for the production of fine chemicals thereby reducing the harm to nature. By understanding the limiting factors the researchers aim to find ways to increase the productivity of the moss cells for the production of natural compounds. Plant genomoics Lab Insotituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal.

Updated by Mette Haagen Marcussen on 10 January 2020