Fixing Photosynthesis: Understanding how damaged photosystem proteins are replaced.

Understanding how plants resist heat stress and drought is of increasing importance. Both stresses inhibit photosynthesis and thereby limit plant growth and crop yields. This is primarily due to damage to the photosystem II (PSII), in a process termed 'photoinhibition'.

Given its importance, surprisingly little is known about the molecular mechanisms that support the repair of PSII and the restoration of photosynthetic activity. Recently, a set of proteins has been identified that are essential to the PSII repair process. This breakthrough provides an opportunity to establish the molecular basis of PSII repair and define the roles of repair factors.

In this project, we will investigate how gene expression processes in the chloroplast allow plants to replace their damaged photosynthetic proteins.

This exciting project will employ a variety of cutting-edge methods. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) will be employed to visualise the structure of gene expression complexes. Biophysical methods, such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), will be used to measure molecular interactions of proteins with other proteins and with RNA.

The molecular pathway of PSII repair will be explored using coimmunoprecipitation and proteomic analyses. Genetic manipulation of plants will be performed to test the hypotheses that arise. These discoveries will support the long-term effort to better control photosynthetic output and timing for improved crops and biotechnologies. They will also shed new light on fundamental biological questions of how genes are read.

The student will be trained in diverse and transferrable scientific skills. Special attention will be given to training in cryo-EM, a speciality of our team that represents an increasingly powerful method of visualising large and dynamic molecular machines. National and internation conference attendance is expected. The JIC hosts a wealth of expertise in plant biology, gene expression mechanisms, and structural biology, and is therefore an excellent research environment for this project.