"Algae with Chlorophyll c: Genomics, Molecular Evolution and Photosynthesis"

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The algae with chlorophyll c are a major part of the marine biosphere. They include the diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophorids, and many of the "nanoplankton"--very small microalgae that have recently been discovered to be an important part of the biota. All the algae absorb sunlight using chlorophyll-containing light-harvesting antennas, and use the energy to fix carbon dioxide in the process called photosynthesis. By removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they contribute significantly to the regulation of global climate. In spite of this, they have not received much attention campared to their green plant relatives on land. This is now starting to change, with the sequencing of several important algal genomes. My research program integrates information from genomics, molecular biology and biochemistry to understand how these algal cells, particularly the diatoms, assemble their photosynthetic apparatus and how they adjust to changes in light intensity, nutrition and termperature in order to survive daily life in the ocean.