The molecular suite of shell Bio- & ArCHaeochromes

ongoing

Molluscs adorn their shells with an incredible diversity of colours and patterns which were highly appreciated since ancient times. Shell biochromes encode important biological information - they may play a role in immunity, shell strengthening, protection from thermal stress and UV radiation. They are also extremely durable in time – pigments can be found in fossil shells dating to millions of years. Could shell biochromes be among the most promising ancient biomolecules? Despite the great diversity and complexity of shell colours, there is no complete molecular understanding of shell pigmentation in any mollusc system. The studies are limited and our knowledge how biochromes are mineralised (not to mention how they preserve) remains patchy. BAch will carry out an in-depth study of mollusc shell biochromes. The work will focus on a model species Littorina fabalis which displays colour polymorphism and are abundantly found in archaeological record, since they were used in prehistory. I will employ cutting-edge ‘ShellOmic’ techniques - transcriptomics and proteomics, coupled with the first application of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool to elucidate the chemical nature of shell biochromes and associated proteins. Gene editing will help to verify genes that are involved in shell coloration and biomineralisation. The research and training will provide me with a novel set of skills reinforcing my position as an expert shell research. Finally, I will use palaeoproteomics, the analysis of ancient proteins by mass spectrometry techniques, to investigate the preservation potential of ancient biochromes, i.e. archaeochromes. In the future, we could use these as biomolecular colour markers to answer archaeological questions. BAch will address decades long query – what are the shell pigments and what biological information do they encode? My unique expertise, multidisciplinary network, international background and expert team on board will guide me to answer these questions.