UV radiation tolerance and sunscreen in desert mosses

In arid habitats, Syntrichia caninervis must endure long periods of intense UV radiation while dry and inactive. This project explores the physiological and molecular mechanisms behind UV-induced pigmentation, which may serve as a natural sunscreen. Students may conduct experiments to quantify pigment accumulation under UV exposure and identify underlying genetic or biochemical pathways through genomics or metabolomics. This work bridges ecophysiology, molecular biology, and climate adaptation research. It offers training in experimental design, pigment analysis, molecular techniques, and bioinformatics.