Friday, March 29, 2024
News

Old enzyme helps algae combat photo-oxidative stress: Research

   SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Washington | January 22, 2023 3:32:59 PM IST
According to recent research, OYEs in microalgae utilise photosynthesis for energy.

"Our research group is among the first to investigate OYEs in algae," said Dr Stefanie Bohmer, lead author of the study. "Initially, we set out to determine whether these biocatalysts are also suitable for industrial processes. We were particularly interested in whether microalgae can use the energy of photosynthesis to drive the respective chemical reactions. This could help establish more environmentally friendly productions."

The researchers could indeed demonstrate this: a chemical molecule added to living algae cells was only converted at high rates in the light. "This result also indicated that the so-called en-reductases of the algae that are responsible for this conversion are linked to photosynthesis," says Bohmer. Therefore, the researchers from the Photobiotechnology working group investigated how an algal strain in which an OYE biocatalyst is defective adapts to strong light.

In cooperation with researchers from the University of Leipzig, the Bochum research team could indeed show that this algal strain is hardly able to dissipate excess light energy. "Photosynthetic organisms such as algae and plants must always maintain a balance between absorbed light energy and its conversion into chemical energy," explained Anja Hemschemeier, who led the study. "Otherwise, oxidative cell damage will occur if the light is too strong. Therefore, these organisms have sophisticated protective mechanisms in place to dissipate excess light energy, for example as heat."

In the microalgal strain lacking an OYE, the researchers detected hardly any of these protective mechanisms at all, and the strain accordingly exhibited oxidative damage. "We suspect that a certain molecule, which is normally converted by this biocatalyst in the algal cells, is essential for the photosynthetic balance," said Hemschemeier.

The research team now plans to get to the bottom of this. "Photosynthetic organisms provide the basis for our life. It's very important to understand how they adapt to stress, and we believe we've found another piece of the jigsaw here," concluded Hemschemeier. (ANI)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS (0)
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
 
MORE SCIENCE NEWS
AI technique accurately predicts deadly ...
Researchers discover new approach to tre...
Researchers discover how gene mutation r...
Climate change disrupts vital ecosystems...
Study finds how ageing reduces ability o...
Israeli researchers uncover biological p...
More...
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena releases first...
Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhta...
Chennai: Three dead after false ceiling ...
'Three parties have allied directly...':...
AAP workers protesting against Kejriwal'...
TMC leader Mohua Moitra skips 3rd ED sum...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
"There's no one better in India to ... 
Chennai: Three dead after false cei... 
I-League: Aizawl blank Churchill, c... 
"Government's attempts to scare and... 
Interest rate on small saving schem... 
Indian Open: Three Indians in top-1... 
Neurologist raises alarm on Epileps... 
"I never think that I will...": Kri...