Half time seminar with PhD-student Kim van Maldegem, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Focus for Kim's PhD-project is on ion transporters and channels and their role in photosynthesis, see short summary below.
Opponent at the seminar is Simon Stael, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and examiner is Adrian K Clarke, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. Kim’s main supervisor is Cornelia Spetea Wiklund with Mats Andersson as co-supervisor.
Abstract
Photosynthesis drives plant growth and is a major determinant of crop yield and food production. This process heavily depends on a well-balanced ion homeostasis within the chloroplast. Since ions cannot passively diffuse over the chloroplast inner envelope and thylakoid membranes, specialized ion transporters and channels make sure that internal ion concentrations match the chloroplast’s varying demand. Despite their important role, knowledge about their identity and mode of action is in most cases lacking in algae and plants.
Through in silico, in vitro and in vivo experiments, the work that is part of my thesis aims to elucidate the identity and physiological role of various ion transporters and channels. A specific focus is placed on chloroplast-localized magnesium and phosphate transport proteins from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and bestrophin-like transmembrane proteins (BSTs) from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.