Jake McKie
2365042M@student.gla.ac.uk
Research title: Guardians of the nucleus – the role of chloroplast positioning in cross-organelle communication and plant protection against global warming.
Research Summary
The main aim of this study is to investigate how plants adapt to extreme environmental conditions, particularly high light and elevated temperatures. Specifically, I focus on a unique stress response observed in plants, where chloroplasts cluster around the nucleus to form a "chloroplast shield" that may protect nuclear DNA from damage and promote inter-organelle-communication. This research aims to understand the physiological, molecular, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying this response, with a focus on the role of the evolutionary conserved photoreceptors PHOT1 and PHOT2, which are known to regulate chloroplast movements in response to light.
