Lalonde Lab

Research focus

ERC Starting Grant · 2016

Earth’s first biological bloom: An integrated field, geochemical, and geobiological examination of the origins of photosynthesis and carbonate production 3 billion years ago

The origin of oxygenic photosynthesis is one of the most dramatic evolutionary events that the Earth has ever experienced. At some point in Earth’s first two billion years, primitive bacteria acquired the ability to harness sunlight, oxidize water, release O2, and transform CO2 to organic carbon, and all with unprecedented efficiency. Today, oxygenic photosynthesis accounts for nearly all of the biomass on the planet, and exerts significant control over the carbon cycle. Since 2 billion years ago (Ga), it has regulated the climate of our planet, ensuring liquid water at the surface and enough oxygen to support complex life. The biological and geological consequences of oxygenic…

From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.