I am a research student studying for my Master’s in plant science degree with Professor Nir Keren. My current research follows Iron Homeostasis in cyanobacteria.
Iron is one of the most abundant elements in the photosynthetic apparatus, and it’s concentration in large bodies of water can limit global photosynthesis rates. On the other hand, free Iron can participate in redox reactions which are particularly toxic to all living cells. Cyanobacteria have to manage both a fluctuating free iron concentration while maintaining a rather large internal iron pool. How cyanobacteria manage these challenges is the primary focus of my research.
The freshwater cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 is a common model organism in laboratories. 6803 manages Iron by storing it in large bacterioferritin complexes. A feredoxin was discovered that associates with these complexes, and is highly upregulated under iron starvation. After several attempts to knock out this feredoxin were unsuccessful, it was assumed that a knockout mutation is lethal, despite the fact that it has no known function within the cell. The main goal of my research is to understand how this protein fits into the iron storage mechanism.
In addition, I have been studying the green algae Chlorella Ohadii. This fascinating organism was discovered in desert crusts in the Nitzana region in the south of Israel. This organism exhibits a fascinating resilience to high light intensities, in addition to a very high growth rate. My research attempts to understand the mechanism of acclimation for survival and growth that this organism has adapted under these extreme conditions.
Iron is one of the most abundant elements in the photosynthetic apparatus, and it’s concentration in large bodies of water can limit global photosynthesis rates. On the other hand, free Iron can participate in redox reactions which are particularly toxic to all living cells. Cyanobacteria have to manage both a fluctuating free iron concentration while maintaining a rather large internal iron pool. How cyanobacteria manage these challenges is the primary focus of my research.
The freshwater cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 is a common model organism in laboratories. 6803 manages Iron by storing it in large bacterioferritin complexes. A feredoxin was discovered that associates with these complexes, and is highly upregulated under iron starvation. After several attempts to knock out this feredoxin were unsuccessful, it was assumed that a knockout mutation is lethal, despite the fact that it has no known function within the cell. The main goal of my research is to understand how this protein fits into the iron storage mechanism.
In addition, I have been studying the green algae Chlorella Ohadii. This fascinating organism was discovered in desert crusts in the Nitzana region in the south of Israel. This organism exhibits a fascinating resilience to high light intensities, in addition to a very high growth rate. My research attempts to understand the mechanism of acclimation for survival and growth that this organism has adapted under these extreme conditions.