Role of nanodomains in compartmentalisation of electron transport functions in plant photosynthetic membranes.

地球上的生命依靠光合作用，这是我们所有食物、氧气和大部分能量的来源。光合作用的早期步骤包括通过光合膜中的电子转移（ET）反应捕获太阳能。最近的研究进展表明，原子力显微镜和荧光激发光谱揭示了光合膜中ET组分在特定纳米域内的意外区隔，尺寸为50-100纳米。区隔化被认为是通过紧密聚集同源成分来提高ET效率，从而促进在严重蛋白质拥挤的膜上快速ET，同时分离竞争途径的成分。然而，由于其极度脆弱，这种ET纳米结构域已被证明难以纯化。该项目将利用体内交联和质谱的最新进展来表征ET纳米马达的结构成分并确定其确切的ET功能。博士学位将为候选人提供现代生物化学净化技术、质谱、荧光和吸收光谱的跨学科培训，并有机会在他们的项目过程中与生物学家、物理学家和化学工程师互动。

Life on earth depends on photosynthesis, the source of all of our food, oxygen and most of our energy. The early steps of photosynthesis involve trapping of solar energy by electron transfer (ET) reactions in the photosynthetic membrane. Recent advances have shown using atomic force microscopy and fluorescence excitation spectroscopy have revealed an unexpected compartmentalization of ET components in the photosynthetic membrane within specific nanodomains, 50-100 nm in size. Compartmentalization was suggested to improve ET efficiency by closely grouping cognate components, thereby facilitating rapid ET in the severely protein crowded membrane, while separating components of competing pathways. However, due to their extreme fragility such ET nanodomains have proved resistant to purification. This project will make use of the latest advances in in vivo crosslinking and mass spectrometry to characterise the structural components of ET nanodmomains and determine their exact ET function. The PhD would offer the candidate a board interdisciplinary training in modern biochemistry purification techniques, mass spectrometry and fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy with the opportunity to interact with biologists, physicists and chemical engineers during the course of their project.