Project Reference: TRG27-BIO-PD1

Project title: Assembly of the plant cell wall

Project outline

The two most abundant biopolymers on the planet are cellulose and xylan. These polysaccharides are important for cell wall properties and hence plant growth and form.

After biosynthesis, the cellulose forms fibrils and the xylan associates with the surface. This project will investigate how these two polymers assemble together into this fibril complex. We wish to understand the structural basis for this interaction, and its function in determining the cell wall properties.

The objectives will include development of protein tools for recognising the xylan on the surface of the cellulose fibrils, through protein selection and engineering. Mutants in xylan synthesis will be used to modulate the assembly of the complex. Techniques including cryo-EM and biophysical measurements such as isothermal calorimetry will be used to assess assembly of the fibril complex, and eventually to determine the structure, mode of binding of xylan, and principles of cell wall assembly.

Principal Supervisor

Professor Paul Dupree

Email address: pd101@cam.ac.uk

Department / Partner Institute: Biochemistry

Website: https://www.bioc.cam.ac.uk/dupree

BBSRC strategic theme

Bioscience for sustainable agriculture and food