Dr. S Rajagopal, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been elected fellow of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences – NASI (F.N.A.Sc, Allahabad). This fellowship has been given to Dr. Rajagopal for his significant contribution in Plant Sciences Field related to Structural Biology of Chloroplast and also for a fundamental understanding of abiotic stress tolerance with emphasis on adaptations of photosynthetic apparatus. These findings can help in sustenance of photosynthesis in plants/algae.
Dr. Subramanyam Rajagopal made significant contributions in Plant Biology, particularly in the area of Chloroplast Bioenergetics (Photosynthesis) and its structural aspects in Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad. His research focus was on the activity and components of photosynthetic apparatus in cyanobacteria, algae and higher plants during abiotic stress adaptation. His group studied in detail the structural organizational dynamics of photosystems (PS) and their light harvesting complexes (LHC) of PSII-LHCII and PSI-LHCI of Chlamydomonasreinhardtii and Arabidopsis thaliana under moderate stress like light, temperature and salt. He discovered that under fluctuating light, the light harvesting complex II-LHCB2 undergoes phosphorylation triggering dissociation of the entire LHCII from PS II and eventual migration to PSI. The temperature and salt stress induced state transitions (balancing energy transfer between PS II and PSI) in both C. reinhardtii and A. thaliana, constituting an important protective strategy under those stress conditions. Similarly, Dr. Rajagopal’s group studied the influence of iron deficiency on the organization of photosynthetic apparatus and proposed a structural model of photosystem I from C. reinhardtii. Further, over expression of ferredoxin NADP reductase in chloroplast of C. Reinhardtii conferred protection against abiotic stress.
His group has applied biophysical, biochemical, molecular and bioinformatics tools, to detect the changes in photosystems. In addition, Dr. Rajagopal’s lab has used proteomics and metabolomics-based approaches to identify the abiotic stress responsive signaling events in chloroplasts of higher plants, and algal systems. Dr. Rajagopal provided a fundamental understanding of abiotic stress tolerance with emphasis on adaptations of photosynthetic apparatus. His findings can help in sustenance of photosynthesis in plants/algae.
Founded in the year 1930, the National Academy of Sciences, India is the oldest Science Academy of the country. The main objective of the Academy is to provide a national forum for the publication of research work carried out by Indian scientists and to provide opportunities for exchange of views among them. (http://www.nasi.org.in/index.htm)
Dr. Rajagopal can be reached on e-mail: srgsl@uohyd.ernet.in