Projet PHYMET : Phytoextraction of metals in contaminated soils

**Phytoextraction of metals in contaminated soils : transfer and sequestration of cadmium and zinc in the hyperaccumulating plant Arabidopsis halleri.

[(

Duration : 2010 - 2014

Budget : 155 k€

Coodinator : Marie-Pierre Isaure (IRPEM Pau),

ISTerre research team involved :
– Geochemistry

ISTerre contact : Géraldine Sarret

Collaborations :
– IRPEM(Pau),
– GEPV(Lille),
– BPMP(Montpellier),
– ULB(Bruxelles)

)]

The purpose of this project is to get new insights on metal accumulation in plants. We wish to (1) determine the mechanisms of transfer and sequestration of Zn and Cd in A. halleri shoots originated from various metallicolous and non-metallicolous natural sites, and (2) test the correlation between these mechanisms and the traits of tolerance and accumulation. In particular, this study will bring new insights on the biomolecules produced to transport the metals in the xylem sap and to bind them in the compartments of storage of the shoots. Moreover, we propose to revisit the identification of organic compounds possibly excreted by roots to increase the bioavailability of Zn and Cd to A. halleri.

The originality of the project is double. Firstly, the project attempts to make a link between the distribution and chemical forms of metals and genetics related to metal tolerance and accumulation thanks to the study of plants from metallicolous and non-metallicolous sites with contrasted phenotypes. Secondly, the study is based on an original combination of physical microscopic and synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques, and hyphenated analytical chemistry techniques, which are state-of-the art tools in the field of metal speciation, and are totally complementary in term of sensitivity.