Antioxidants as indicators of plant response to salt stress

Worldwide, climate change and human interventions are promoting saltwater intrusion in estuaries. This increase in salinity affects freshwater wetlands, leading to reduced growth of vegetation and increased mortality. However, there is a high variability in duration and intensity of saltwater intrusion among estuaries. Even small differences between environmental factors, or their interactions, may lead to considerable differences in plant response. Yet, their specific influence on plants and their metabolite composition is still uncertain.

The goal of this internship is to investigate if changes in metabolite composition occur due to the different environmental circumstances that are present. Antioxidants are natural polyphenol compounds present in plants. These compounds help the plant for protection in more difficult circumstances, such as insect infestation and UV light. In this study it will be investigated if metabolite changes can also be found when the plants are grown in different salty conditions.

In this project different plant parts will be investigated on antioxidant compounds. This will be done by HPLC analysis but also by calorimetric methods. Beside this, also FTIR will be used to determine if metabolomics (principal component analysis) can be used as antioxidant predictor.  

Requirements

We are seeking a master or bachelor student with an interest in metabolite research. A student with a background in biochemistry, phytochemistry or analytical chemistry with some multivariate analysis interest. Students that hold a keen interest in research on the cutting edge between biology, chemistry and some modeling.

Contact

For more information and to apply, please contact Eleonora or Dorien (eleonora.saccon@nioz.nl, dorien.derksen@nioz.nl).

Relevant publications

Johnson J., Mani J., Ashwath N., Naiker M., Potential for Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy toward predicting antioxidant and phenolic contents in powdered plant matrices, Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 233, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2020.118228

Markus-Michalczyk, H., Hanelt, D., & Jensen, K., Effects of Tidal Flooding on Juvenile Willows. Estuaries and Coasts, 39(2), 397-405, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0014-8