Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The algae with chlorophyll c, especially diatoms and dinoflagellates, are a major part of the marine biosphere. They absorb sunlight using chlorophyll-containing light-harvesting antennas and use it to fix carbon dioxide, a process called photosynthesis. By removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they contribute significantly to regulation of global climate. In spite of this, they have not received much attention compared to their green plant relatives on land. My research program integrates information from genomics, molecular biology and biochemistry to understand how these algal cells assemble their photosynthetic apparatus, and how they adjust to changes in light intensity, nutrition and temperature in order to survive daily life in the ocean.