Intellectual Merit: Cyanobacteria carry out oxygenic photosynthesis in which the inputs are carbon dioxide and light, and the product is stored energy in the form of sugars, with oxygen being generated as a by-product. This process is very similar to photosynthesis in eukaryotes such as algae and higher plants. As also true of other photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria exhibit finely tuned abilities to sense and respond to changes in their ambient environment, including changes in light and nutrient availabilty, by undergoing adaptive processes called photomorphogenesis. The molecular mechanisms for allocating resources to balance the energy demands for photosynthesis (sugar production) with the energy costs of responding to environmental variations (photomorphogenesis) are not well understood, and will be the focus of this investigation.
Broader Impacts: Results from these studies are expected to provide novel insights into the molecular bases of balancing the energy demands of sensing and responding to environmental fluctuations in light and nutrient availability in photosynthetic organisms. In addition to the training of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars and collaborative research and mentoring interactions with students and a faculty member at an Historically Black College and University, broader impacts of the proposed investigations include research and instructional experiences designed to develop the capacity of undergraduate science majors and students from underrepresented groups, including students in the Charles Drew Science Enrichment Program at Michigan State University, to think critically and analytically.
