I'm a scientist studying and engineering CO2 assimilation in plants, algae, chloroplasts, and pyrenoids!
https://jonikaslab.princeton.edu/
Martin Jonikas
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The algal pyrenoid fixes ~1/3 of global carbon, relying on a unique membrane-within-condensate architecture. How is this architecture built? We discovered that the protein MITH1 draws membranes into the pyrenoid condensate by promoting wetting! 🌿💧
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Are you an immigrant leading scientific advancements through your research? Then apply today for a Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science! These $50,000 cash awards are given as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program. Apply by May 4, 2026: vilcek.co/4kXM6fY
Now published @natcellbio.nature.com!
Kinase KEY1 controls pyrenoid condensate size throughout the cell cycle by disrupting phase separation interactions
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We genetically disconnected starch from the matrix in the algal pyrenoid!
A saga1;saga2 double mutant lacks a starch sheath!
Our model: SAGA1 & SAGA2 locally initiate starch on the pyrenoid surface by enriching starch precursors.
🌞🦠🔬🔌👀
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Congratulations to Sabrina Ergun, Claire Dignazio, Jonathan Bouvette, Haoyu Wu, Eric Franklin, and Claire McWhite!
Congratulations, Shan and Linnea!
Congrats to Tori, Micah, Aastha, and Lianyong!
Grateful to @hhmi-science.bsky.social, NIH, NSF, Gates Foundation, and UK FCDO for supporting the work.
Grateful to our funders @gatesfoundation.bsky.social, @hhmi-science.bsky.social, @princetonmolbio.bsky.social, UK FCDO, and NSF!
@hhmi_science's #FreemanHrabowski Scholars
Program offers early career faculty up to $10M over 10 yrs, + salary & benefits. Postdocs can apply too. Opens 11/3! www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...
Now published @PNASNews!
SAGA1 and SAGA2 localize the starch sheath to the pyrenoid in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
