MSc Defence: Vlastimil Novak

Name of MSc candidate

Vlastimil Novak

Title of thesis

High-throughput identification of transporters for plant specialized metabolites

Summary

Plants are versatile chemical factories. Water, carbon dioxide, and minerals are transformed into a vast number of structurally diverse compounds. Many of these plant chemicals play a role in the complex dynamic interactions of the plant with its environment; we refer to them as specialized metabolites. Interest in specialized metabolites is not purely academic but is also motivated by their importance as drugs, dyes, perfumes or flavoring agents. Elucidation of their transport mechanisms can be used to obtain a better understanding of their biological functions and for biochemical applications to facilitate crop improvement. Membrane transporters represent one of the major mechanisms in shaping the distribution of specialized metabolites. In this thesis a high-throughput screening platform for transporters of specialized metabolites is established. The thesis elaborates on the selection process of metabolites for the compound mixture and gives a guideline for selection of compounds for future screens.

External examiner

Morten Nørholm, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability

Supervisor

Hussam Nour-Eldin, DynaMo Center, University of Copenhagen