Pfrengle Lab

Research focus

ERC Consolidator Grant · 2022

Automated Synthesis of Algal Polysaccharides

Through photosynthesis, marine algae convert gigatonnes of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates every year. In the form of algal polysaccharides, these structurally complex biomolecules determine to a large extent how much carbon is stored in the oceans. Specialised marine bacteria unlock this carbon energy by breaking down the polysaccharides through the action of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and releasing the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. However, some of the polysaccharides are not recycled quickly, but sink into the deep sea and sediments, where they can store carbon for millennia. To better understand these processes, great efforts are needed to further explore the…

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