SEED FUND 2.0 project QuantiP

P-quantification in vivo and in vitro by Raman spectroscopy and NMR

Results

Phosphate is a main component of fertilizers and therefore essential to feed humankind. Subsequently, recycling concepts for phosphorus are a key request to ensure a self-sustaining food production in Europe and to avoid rapid depletion of concentrated natural deposits. QuantiP will contributes to phosphate stewardship by developing a platform for detecting P-species which will strengthen the development of P-recovery concepts. In QuantiP we combined the expertise of three CGs which complete each other. We could successfully combine findings from NMR, colorimetric assays as well as HPLC to identify the P fate in enzymatic treated plant material, algae and yeast cells. The P-content in the enzymatic production route of green-P (CG Schwaneberg) was investigated and revealed that up to 25 mg PO43-/g plant material could be extracted.  
Algae Biomass was produced in different states of P nutrition. P-rich biomass was analyzed by NMR and different pre-treaments (storage and extraction variations); The production process of P-containing biomass is established in batch-flask culture and continuous culture (monitored photobioreactors, tube multiphotobioreactors), and data about e.g. light, pH and P uptake in dependency thereof collected (CG Schurr).  
CG Küpers are sampling the biomas received from the partners and performing the identification and quantification of inositols, phosphates and polyphosphates by 31P-NMR. The identification and quantification of of P-species in selected algae, yeast and rape samples was successful. The determination of individual chain length and chain-length distribution of polyphosphates in microalgae by 31P-DOSY-NMR were published. Furthermore light-and time dependent experiments were successfully done on selected algae in-vivo, showing poly-P build-up in low-light exposed algae.  Overall, a fruitful exchange between the partners lead to several interesting questions and first results and publications support the understanding of the P-species in algae and plant material.

SEED FUND 2.0 Coordinator

Dr. Anna Joelle Ruff
Biotechnology
RWTH Aachen University
phone: +49 241 8023604
email: aj.ruff@biotec.rwth-aachen.de

Partners

Dr. Ladislav Nedbal, Dr. Christina Kuchendorf, IBG-2 Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Dr. Sabine Willbold, Engineering, Electronics and Analytics (ZEA-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Funding period

01.11.2018 - 31.12.2019

Funding

The total budget of QuantiP was 174,995 €. QuantiP is part of the NRW-Strategieprojekt BioSC and thus funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.