FLEXINEL Project to study plant photosynthesis and productivity adaptation to a changing climate has kicked off on September 1, 2023, with funding from the European Research Council (ERC). The project is led by Dr. Jochem Verrelst at the Universitat de València in Spain.
FLEXINEL will focus on studying the dynamic changes in plant photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy. The project is framed within the developments of ESA’s 8th Earth Explorer FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX ) mission. FLEX is a satellite mission that will measure Sun-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) emission from terrestrial vegetation. SIF is a measure of plant photosynthesis, and it can be used to track how plants are responding to climate change.
The FLEXINEL project is funded by the ERC Consolidator Grant, which is a prestigious award given to outstanding early-career researchers. The grant provides €2 million in funding for the project over a five-year period.
