Investigating the CO₂ concentrating mechanism in diverse algal lineages

Context 

Eukaryotic algae are responsible for up to 30% of all global photosynthesis, the process whereby light and CO₂ are converted into O₂ and chemical energy, in the form of sugars. This process provides energy for the bottom of the global food web, produces the O₂ we breathe and plays an important role in removing the greenhouse gas CO₂ from the atmosphere. Algae have evolved a mechanism to boost their photosynthesis making it very efficient, this mechanism is known as the CO₂ concentrating mechanism (CCM). 

The research

We study the CCM in diverse algal systems, including the laboratory model green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and brown macroalga Ectocarpus. Our current research is focussed on mediators of inorganic carbon transport, including bicarbonate channels and carbonic anhydrases. We are also exploring the protein contents of the Rubisco-rich pyrenoid, the central component to many algal CCMs. 

Publications

From algae to plants: understanding pyrenoid-based CO₂-concentrating mechanisms 

Bestrophin-like protein 4 is involved in photosynthetic acclimation to light fluctuations in Chlamydomonas