The on-going biological sub-projects

• Light harvesting and light protection in the cryptophyte alga Guillardia theta Goals: Identification of light-harvesting genes expressed under various light regimes, and understanding of the special light protection mechanisms in this algae. PIs: Wolfgang Schröder and Christiane Funk Co-worker: Otilia Cheregi and Lorenza Ferro
• Modelling of the regulatory network controlling the expression of genes encoding the components of the photosynthetic machinery Goals: The aim of the project is to study the kinetics of chloroplast development and to identify the components in anterograde and retrograde signaling that control the developmental process. PIs: Andreas Grönlund and Åsa Strand
• Proton transport and protein dynamics during water-splitting in photosystem II Goals: Demonstration if and how the extrinsic psbO protein of photosystem II participates in the proton release during water-splitting, and studying if this protein is undergoing structural changes during the catalytic cycle. PIs: Göran Samuelsson and Elisabeth Sauer-Eriksson Co-workers: Suman Paul and Carolina Arias Gomez
• Mechanism of water-oxidation by photosystem II Goals: Elucidation of the mechanism of water oxidation in photosystem II via structural and mechanistic studies. Our techniques include time-resolved membrane-inlet mass spectrometry, EPR/NMR, and X-ray spectroscopy. PI: Johannes Messinger Co-workers: Casper De Lichtenberg, Dmitriy Shevela, and Long Vo Pham