MELISSA · MEasurement of Lichen and Seed Survival through non-invasive Assessment of metabolic activity

Desiccation tolerance is an intriguing phenomenon that allows certain organisms, including lichens and most plant seeds, to survive long periods of time in the absence of water. As yet, the molecular mechanisms that underpin the ""desiccome"" are not fully understood. Tools that can diagnose how long desiccation tolerant organisms can remain in the dry state would be extremely valuable, especially for the seed industry, and for conservation projects.MELISSA will use a unique combination of the most modern non-invasive techniques to diagnose cell viability (infrared thermography, PAM microscopy imaging, hyperspectral imaging, headspace GC-MS) in conjunction with state-of-the-art metabolomics techniques (UPLC-MS, GC-MS). At the forefront of knowledge, the primary scientific aims of MELISSA are to(1) characterise the early stages of rehydration of seeds and lichens (i.e. to diagnose whether or not an organism can ""spring back to life"" after periods of desiccation)