Structural Biology of Photosynthetic Microorganisms

The Structural Biology of Photosynthetic Microorganisms research group, led by  Dr. Dmitry Shvarev, investigates the molecular mechanisms of metabolism in phototrophic organisms – i.e. organisms that use light as a source of energy. Using cyanobacteria as a model and cryo-EM as the main method, the group researches chlorophyll biosynthesis, glucan degradation and transport processes.

Chlorophyll biosynthesis

Photosynthesis is an essential process for life on Earth. Through photosynthesis, photoautotrophs such as plants, algae and cyanobacteria, use the energy of sunlight to convert it into chemical energy, producing organic molecules required for their metabolism. Chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for light capture, is the central molecule driving photosynthesis. The biosynthesis of chlorophyll in photoautotrophs is a highly conserved, multistep process involving numerous enzymatic reactions.

Our group studies how the proteins that synthesise chlorophyll work together. We isolate these proteins from cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic organisms and investigate their function using biochemical and structural biology methods. With cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we visualize the three-dimensional structures of these proteins to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying chlorophyll biosynthesis.

Alongside chlorophyll biosynthesis, we investigate the structure–function relationships and regulation of the photosynthetic apparatus in various photoautotrophs. We also study the mechanisms of sugar (glycogen) metabolism and membrane transport processes mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in cyanobacteria.