Barnaby Slater (Graduate Student)

Education

MPhil by Research in Biochemistry, University of Cambridge

BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry, Royal Holloway University of London

Research Interests:

My research is centred on elucidating the function of cytochrome c_6A, a protein found in the chloroplasts of land plants and green algae that is similar in structure to cytochrome c₆, but does not perform the same function in photosynthesis. Therefore I am analysing mutants of the unicellular algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that either overexpress or knock down expression of cytochrome c_6A, as well as measuring expression of cytochrome c_6A under various conditions to determine what scenarios trigger regulation.

I am also investigating some features of cytochrome c_6A that differ it from cytochrome c₆. These features include single amino acids that contribute to a large difference in redox midpoint potential between the two cytochromes, and a sequence of 12 amino acids called the loop insertion peptide that is found exclusively in cytochrome c_6A. Analysis of these unique features could lead to understanding how cytochrome c_6A fits into the light reaction of photosynthesis.

Determining the molecular function of cytochrome c_6A will lead to further understanding on how photosynthesis is regulated, which in turn could lead to new methods of optimising plant growth in agriculture and industry.