Investigating the molecular basis for vitamin B12 transport between bacteria and algae

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Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble co-factor that is produced by prokaryotic organisms. Fifty percent of algal species are dependent on vitamin B12 for growth, thus they must obtain sufficient quantities of the vitamin from their environment. In doing so, algae may interact with bacteria and form symbiotic relationships with them. The aim of this project is to investigate the proteins and regulatory mechanisms involved in vitamin B12 transport in bacteria and algae, making use of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Mesorhizobium loti which are partners of a model algal-bacterial symbiotic system that is regulated by vitamin B12 and photosynthate exchange.