Molecular Plant Science

Prof. Dr. Jörg Nickelsen

+49 89 2180 4773

Jörg Nickelsen

E03.023

CRC TRR 175

Research

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The goal of our scientific work is the molecular analysis of the biogenesis of the photosynthetic apparatus which represents one of the most complex energy-transducing systems currently known. We especially ask the questions how the synthesis and assembly of photosynthetic components is organized in space, what the molecular working mode of assisting factors is and how the process can acclimate to changing environmental conditions.

A second aspect of our work concerns the application of photosynthetic activity in biomedical strategies by following an approach named “Synthetic Photosymbiosis”. The basic idea is to co-cultivate microalgae with human cells to deliver photosynthetic oxygen to tissues thereby rescuing it from hypoxia-induced damage. A proof-of-concept work showed that microalgae indeed efficiently provide oxygen to dermal wounds as well as tadpole brains. The goal of our future work is to optimize such new techniques by molecular and adaptive means.

Methods and Approaches

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For the analysis of biogenic aspects of photosynthesis as well as its application in biomedicine, we make use of genetic, molecular, biochemical and cell biological techniques. This includes, e.g., the CRISPR-based generation of mutant strains and their characterization by various targeted and “omics” strategies. Moreover, heterologous traits are introduced into both unicellular microalgae and cyanobacteria via transgenic approaches.

Key Publications

Chavez, M.N., Schenck, T.L., Hopfner, U., Centeno-Cerdas, C., Machens, H.-G., Somlai-Schweiger, I., Heikenwalder, M., Bono, M.R., Schwarz, C., Allende, M.L., Nickelsen, J., Egana, J.T. (2016) Towards Autotrophic Tissue Engineering: Photosynthetic Gene Therapy for Tissue Regeneration. Biomaterials 75: 25-36.

Ostermeier M., Heinz S., Hamm J., Zabret J., Rast A., Klingl A., Nowaczyk M.M., Nickelsen J. (2022) Thylakoid attachment to the plasma membrane in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 requires the AncM protein. Plant Cell 34: 655-678.

Özugur S., Chávez M.N., Sanchez-Gonzalez R., Kunz L., Nickelsen J., Straka H. (2021) Green oxygen power plants in the brain rescue neuronal activity. iScience 24:103158.

Rast A., Schaffer M., Albert S., Wan W., Pfeffer S., Beck F., Plitzko J.M., Nickelsen J., Engel B.D. (2019). Biogenic regions of cyanobacterial thylakoids form contact sites with the plasma membrane. Nat Plants 5: 436-446.

Teh J.T., Leitz V., Holzer V.J.C., Neusius D., Marino G., Meitzel T., García-Cerdán J.G., Dent R.M., Niyogi K.K., Geigenberger P., NickelsenJ. (2023) NTRC regulates CP12 to activate Calvin–Benson cycle during cold acclimation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 120: e2306338120.