Vijayalaxmi Ambekar

Vijayalaxmi is currently working within the Webster group.

Damage to the Photosystem II (PSII) core D1 protein results in photoinhibition, which reduces overall photosynthetic efficiency. To counter this, plants rely on an efficient photosystem II (PSII) repair cycle. The psbA mRNA encoding the D1 protein is the most abundant transcript in green tissue, highlighting the critical need for continuous D1 synthesis under stress. However, the mechanism by which light regulates this translation remains unclear. A nuclear-encoded protein is essential for initiating psbA translation.

This project aims to understand the role of this protein in chloroplast translation initiation, with a focus on its function during PSII repair, by applying integrated biophysical, biochemical, and structural analysis techniques.