David Pearce

David is involved in projects focusing on the cellular machinery driving both chloroplast transcription (RNA polymerase mediated synthesis of mRNA from DNA templates) and chloroplast translation (ribosome mediated synthesis of proteins from mRNA templates), two key processes which underpin the production of photosynthetic proteins in the plant chloroplast.

Within the Transcription team, he is working on recombinant expression of modified plant chloroplast RNA polymerase subunits in bacterial hosts, these protein subunits will then be purified and combined to investigate their molecular interactions in vitro.

In the Translation team, he is involved in the generation of high resolution chloroplast ribosome models using Cryo-EM, to provide a foundation for study of the ribosome regulatory processes sustaining plant growth and adaptation.

David also works to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the Webster lab.