My research is to understand molecular evolution of Rubisco sub-units in Angiosperms.
RUBISCO is the most abundant protein and the key enzyme of photosynthesis. The different types of photosynthesis present in flowering plants have different efficiencies to concentrate and metabolite atmospheric CO2. In particular, two types, called C3 and C4, have evolved multiple times in specific plant families like the grasses. The key enzyme in photosynthesis is RUBISCO, which is constituted of 8 small and 8 large subunits, encoded by the rbcS and rbcL genes, respectively. Both genes are involved in the CO2 fixation pathway but the specific role of each gene is not known very well.
In this study, I investigate the evolution of the rbcS and rbcL genes for all flowering plant species. I estimate the occurrence of episodic events of positive selection along the branches of the phylogenetic trees of both genes to better understand the functional constraint during their evolution. I further estimate the coevolution between the two subunits to better understand the possible functional and structural interactions existing between them. The large-scale evolutionary analyses are complemented by a more detailed investigation of the evolution of this rbcL/rbcS complex in C3 and C4 transitions in grasses.
2012-Present
Ph.D., Computational phylogenetics lab, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland)
2011-2012
Project Researcher, Pharmacotherapeutics lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University (Tokyo, Japan)
2010-2011
Boursiere du Gouvernement Français, Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire, INRA/AgroParisTech (Paris, France)
2008-2010
Master of Applied Biological Chemistry, lab of “Food for life” sponsored by Nestlé (lab of Nutritional Chemistry until 2009), University of Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
2004-2008
Bachelor of Agrobiology, lab of Animal breeding, University of Niigata (Niigata, Japan)
Others activities
2011-Present
Founding original member of Non-profit organization, Yam Yum soul soup kitchen, to support connecting local farmers and consumers in Japan and Thailand
2012
Volunteer for supporting children from Fukushima (Paris, France)
2008
Obtained License of artificial insemination for cows (valid only in Japan)
2007
Internship at Suzue Patent Office (Tokyo, Japan)
2004
Volunteer for supporting victims of floods (Niigata, Japan)