Semchonok Lab - Cryo-EM Integrative Structural Biology Laboratory

Research Interests and Focus 1. Photosynthetic Processes. My primary research interest is centered around the study of photosynthetic organisms. In response to the global food crisis, research on various photosynthetic organisms has intensified worldwide, aiming to unravel the principles and limits of photosynthesis. By leveraging my expertise as a cryo-EM specialist, I aim to elucidate the central processes in photosynthetic organisms through high-resolution structural characterization using cryo-EM. This includes multisubunit (pigment)-protein complexes, including membrane-associated ones and supercomplexes of metabolic pathways (metabolones), allowing us to decipher stoichiometries, subunit proximity, interfaces, and the localization of reaction centers and antennae. 2. Cellular Transport Mechanisms. My secondary research interest delves into the intricate structures of COPI and COPII vesicles, along with the dynamics of key proteins such as Arf1, governing intracellular vesicular trafficking and membrane dynamics. As a cryo-EM specialist, I aim to decode the mechanisms underlying cellular transport, focusing on processes like (dis)-assembly of COPI and COPII vesicles.