Welcome
The Molecular Evolution Lab, led by Dr. Tanai Cardona at Queen Mary University of London, uses an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the molecular evolution and evolvability of photosynthesis. We work with cyanobacteria and their photosystems aiming to develope methods and approaches to evolve new photosystems for applications in sustainable biocatalysis.
When did photosynthesis originate? Can we evolve photosystems with novel chemistries?
Latest news
December 2024. Several PhD opportunities are available to join the Molecular Evolution Lab. Find the various opportunities and all the info in the JOIN US page.
November 2024, a new preprint is out now! A collaborative study on the strucutre, function, and evolution of photosystem I in a novel thylakoid-less cyanobacterium. Check it out!
July 2024, we have a new paper out in The Plant Cell. Check it out: Lighting the way: Compelling open questions in photosynthesis research. We contributed a small essay asking whether the photosystems are evolvable to combine a fundamental and applied perspective on the evolution of photsynthesis. Check it out!
November 2023, Join my group! A PhD position is available focusing on developing and applying directed evolution methods to photosystem II. Email me for details and updates! For details on the project, click here.
November, 2023. Our paper: Molecular diversity and evolution of far-red light-acclimated photosystem I by Gisriel CG, Bryant DA, Brudvig G, and Cardona T has been accepted for publication in Frontiers in Plant Science.
August, 2023. Excited to announce that the 3-year extension of my UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship has been awarded, which will extend our projects until Spring 2027. Thank you UKRI for your generous support.
August, 2023. Delighted to announce my appointment as Reader in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology at Queen Mary University of London's School of Biological and Behavioural Science. The Molecular Evolution Lab is moving and we’re starting operations at QMUL this Septermber 2023!
March, 2023. Thrilled to announce the publication of our comprehensive synthesis on the evolution and adaptability potential of photosystem II:
Oliver T, Kim TD, Trinugroho JP, Cordón-Preciado V, Wijayatilake N, Bhatia A, Rutherford AW, Cardona T. (2023) The evolution and evolvability of photosystem II. Annual Reviews of Plant Biology, 74:225-257, doi:10.1146/annurev-arplant-070522-062509. The paper is available open access, so check it ou!
October, 2022. Really happy to see our textbook Photosynthetic Life: Origin, Evolution, and Future out now! Published by Oxford University Press in collaboration with the Royal Society of Biology. It is part of the Biology Primers Series aimed at undergraduate students and lecturers who wish to teach the subject. Also available as an ebook here.
