UCPH Synbio Research on the Cover of ACS Synthetic Biology

After having the article "Redirecting Photosynthetic Reducing Power toward Bioactive Natural Product Synthesis " accepted in ACS Synthetic Biology, researchers on the Light-driven Biosynthesis project were invited to submit cover art to the journal. 

The illustration was accepted and depicts light-driven synthesis in plant cells where photosynthesis provides the reducing power to cytochrome P450 enzymes for synthesis of valuable compounds. Cover art by Agnieszka Janina Zygadlo Nielsen and Lærke M. Lassen, adapted from artwork by Claas Bischok and Kenneth Jensen.

The cover illustrates the key themes of the group's current research, which has shown that it is possible to move a complete biosynthetic pathway consisting of cytochrome P450 enzymes from one compartment of the plant cell (the endoplasmatic reticulum) to the chloroplast.

The advantage of this is to let the energy-demanding P450 enzymes receive their energy directly from the photosynthetic molecular machinery present in the chloroplast.