Prof. Eva-Mari Aro
- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.
I established my laboratory at the University of Turku, in Finland, some years before Agrisera was established. At that time, our lab focused on ecophysiology of higher plants and mosses, particularly on changes occurring in carbon fixation and chloroplast ultrastructure during the growth period, in different environments and under various stress conditions. This rapidly led to keen interest in the relationship between chloroplast ultrastructure and thylakoid membrane biochemistry, as well as their dynamic interactions. Biochemistry of thylakoids, at that time, meant the identification of unknown proteins. The availability of the genomes, first from Synechocystis and then from Arabidopsis in 2000, revolutionized our research by introducing cyanobacteria to the species protocol and molecular biology & omics technologies as well as synthetic biology as new technology developments.
- What motivated you to get into plant science?
My motivation has always been to understand the unique property of plants and cyanobacteria: the oxygen evolving photosynthesis that maintains our life on Earth. How does it function in evolutionarily different species? How is photosynthesis regulated and protected against photodamage? Thylakoid structure and dynamics in different environments and species. Photoinhibition and repair of photosystems. Resiliency of photosynthesis in rapidly changing environments, induced, for example, by the climate change. Engineering cyanobacteria for production of useful chemicals from solar energy and CO2 in order to replace fossil fuels.
- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?
Agrisera antibodies and other services have been instrumental for our research from the very beginning. Agrisera has provided us with antibodies for a number of chloroplast proteins, which have then become available for Agrisera customers. As we have worked with a number of different plant and cyanobacterial species, it has often occurred that the recognition of the protein by an antibody produced for one species does not function with another plant species. These problems have also been solved with Agrisera by design of a new antibody. Likewise, Agrisera has provided us with specific antibodies against proteins with post-translational modifications. The Agrisera catalogue has also been very beneficial for ordering and testing many ready-made antibodies from Agrisera.
Links
• Prof. Eva-Mari Aro
• Marker Antibodies for Chloroplast and Thylakoid membranes