This June, Claudia Battarra had the opportunity to conduct research at the CNRS–Sorbonne, Institut de biologie physico-chimique (IBPC) in Paris. Located in the heart of the city, the lab focuses on how microalgae harvest light and adapt their photosynthetic machinery to excess light conditions. Claudia worked with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants engineered to have varying amounts of monomeric and trimeric LHCII antenna proteins—components located within the Photosystem II supercomplex.

Using biophysical techniques, the team is able to measure how efficiently these mutants absorb light and transfer excitation energy.

“Working alongside CNRS and Sorbonne colleagues was both inspiring and enriching. The lab’s vibrant, collaborative environment—spanning molecular biology to biophysics—made this an unforgettable learning experience.”

Photobiology and Physiology of Plastids and Microalgae (P3M) – UMR7141

(CNRS/Sorbonne Université)