Research area and keywords of research:
Plant Physiology, Plant Biochemistry
(Keywords: Chlorella, heavy metals, cadmium, chlorophyll fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, electron microscopy, small angle neutron scattering)
Name of the researcher(s) and research group:
- Dr. Zsolt Hörcsik, PhD
Name of the Institute:
University of Nyíregyháza, Institute of Environmental Science
Research objectives:
We investigate the effect of the heavy metals on the growth, structure and photosynthetic activity of Chlorella variabilis green algae.
Description and results of research:
Cell number determination (growth rate)
Circular dichroism spectroscopy (in vivo structural examinations of the photosynthetic machinery of the macroorganization of thylakoid mambranes)
Fast Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements (photosystem II efficiency), Transmission electron microscopy (structure determination of the photosynthetic machinery of the macroorganization of thylakoid mambranes)
Small Angle Neutron Scattering measurements (in vivo examination of the photosynthetic machinery of the macroorganization of thylakoid mambranes), Measurement of the oxidation–reduction kinetics of P700 (phosystem I efficiency)
Western-blot (determination of the protin changes of the photosynthetic machinery), and
Pigment determination
Research partners from other institutions:
Forschungs-Neutronenquelle, Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II), Garching, Germany
The Paul Scherrer Institute, PSI, Villigen, Switzerland
Other information:-
Publications (max. 5):
- Zsolt T. Hörcsik1, László Kovács2, Réka Láposi3, Ilona Mészáros3, Gyula Lakatos3, Győző Garab2* Effect of chromium on photosystem II in the unicellular green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Photosynthetica 2007. 45(1). 65-69.
- Renáta Ünnep; Ottó Zsiros; Zsolt T Hörcsik; Márton Markó; Anjana Jajoo; Joachim Kohlbrecher; Győző Garab; Gergely Nagy Low-pH induced reversible reorganizations of chloroplast thylakoid membranes - as revealed by small-angle neutron scattering. BBA – Bioenergetics 2017, 1858. 360-365.
- O. Zsiros, L. Kovács, G. Nagy, R. Ünnep, R. Patai, G, Garab, Z.T. Hörcsik Toxic effects of cadmium and chromium on the photosynthesis of Chlorella variabilis cells. Structure and function of thylakoid membranes. BBA Bioenergetics (2020)