Department of Plant Sciences

Dr Janneke Balk, Royal Society Research Fellow

Janneke Balk

Plant Biochemistry: Fe-S protein biogenesis

Many fundamental biological processes, including respiration, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and hydrogen production, depend strongly on proteins containing iron-sulphur (Fe-S) clusters as co-factors. How Fe-S proteins are assembled in different compartments of the eukaryotic cell, is the focus of our research.

Using reverse genetics and biochemical approaches we aim to identify new proteins involved in Fe-S cluster assembly. In addition, we are interested in how the compartmentalized pathways in the mitochondria, cytosol and plastids interact. We use various model organisms depending on the research question, including Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the obligate respiratory yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana or the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Our recent work impinges on the assembly of respiratory complexes and related human diseases, bio-hydrogen production (Fe-S hydrogenases in algae) and metal homeostasis in crop plants.