Dissertation
A study on PsbS and its role as a pH sensor
Solar energy harnessed by plants and algae has great potential to be converted into biofuels for future generations.
- Author
- Krishnan, M.
- Date
- 12 September 2019
- Links
- Thesis in Leiden Repository
Solar energy harnessed by plants and algae has great potential to be converted into biofuels for future generations. Understanding the regulatory mechanism of photosynthesis can increase biomass yield and drive the generation of biofuels to its maximum. PsbS, a membrane protein, is an essential component for NPQ and has been studied extensively in this thesis. PsbS is hypothesized to sense pH and to regulate photosynthesis under light stress conditions. The first objective in this thesis is to produce, purify and refold recombinant PsbS with sufficiently high yields for biochemical studies along with optimizing the detergent conditions for maintaining its stability. The second objective is the spectroscopic characterization of PsbS to understand its role as a pH sensor and its molecular mechanism during photoprotection.