Unravelling the visual system of a bacterium
- đ¤ Speaker: Prof Conrad Mullineaux
- đ Date & Time: Tuesday 28 January 2020, 13:00 - 14:00
- đ Venue: Department of Biochemistry, Sanger Building, Thomas Lecture Theatre
Abstract
Some cyanobacteria have a remarkable ability to navigate towards light-sources. How can something that small see where the light is coming from? We showed a few years ago that the spherical cyanobacterium Synechocystis works like amicroscopic eyeball, with the cell body as the lens and the cell periphery as the retina. I will discuss our recent progress with this problem: the physical basis for the lensing properties and the biochemical basis for light perception, signal transduction and control of the motility apparatus. There are some unexpected connections with both photosynthesis and the circadian clock.
Series This talk is part of the Seminars at the Department of Biochemistry series.
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Prof Conrad Mullineaux
Tuesday 28 January 2020, 13:00-14:00