Recognizing Plant Physiology first authors: Wojciech J. Nawrocki

Wojciech J. Nawrocki, first author of Chlororespiration controls growth under intermittent light

Current Position:  Postdoctoral fellow at the VU Amsterdam

Education:  MSc in Biophysics, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France, PhD, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, Paris, France

Non-scientific Interests: Volleyball, experimental music, politics

Brief bio:  After an enjoyable Erasmus program in Paris I decided to study in France and obtained my Master’s degree in biophysics. I was then very lucky to start the PhD with Dr Fabrice Rappaport in the laboratory of Dr Francis-André Wollman at the IBPC. During my thesis, we explored the function of alternative photosynthetic electron transfer pathways and regulatory mechanisms in Chlamydomonas – chlororespiration, state transitions, and cyclic electron flow – and their intricate interplay in vivo. After obtaining the doctorate, I briefly moved to Université de Liège where I worked in the group of Dr Pierre Cardol. Subsequently, I got the opportunity to join Prof. Roberta Croce’s group at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Our current research is focused on the excitation energy transfer within photosynthetic complexes and the quenching of excitation, in particular when Photosystem II becomes damaged. I hope to continue studying the regulation of photosynthesis in the future, as many of the fundamental aspects of this process are fascinating, yet poorly understood.