Mystery of photosynthetic algae evolution finally solved
31 Mar 2021
Finding a needle in a haystack: The CaRSP1 protein – shown in magenta above – is one representative member of a family of previously undiscovered light-harvesting antenna proteins. The researchers found the structure “hiding in plain sight” when they reinterpreted electron microscope images of the photosynthetic apparatus from several species of red algae, a huge collection of proteins that together are responsible for converting light into energy. Credit: Associate Professor Michael Landsberg.
Scientists have identified the protein that was the missing evolutionary link between two ancient algae species – red algae and cryptophytes.
An evolutionary mystery that had eluded molecular biologists for decades may never have been solved if it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic.
