Postdoctoral Associate | Niyogi Lab
I am a phytoplankton molecular and cell biologist drawing my scientific inspiration from the diversity of biominerals across the tree of life. The overarching ambition of my research is to understand molecular, cellular, and evolutionary underpinnings of phytoplankton biomineralization, how these processes tie into elemental cycles sustaining oceanic and planetary health, and to turn this knowledge into medical, industrial, and environmental applications.
Evolutionary and ecological success of diatoms—ubiquitously distributed photosynthetic single-celled algae and dominant primary producers in the contemporary ocean—has been attributed to their silica-based cell wall called a frustule. Diatoms exhibit a dazzling variety of frustule morphologies. How they construct this ornate organic-inorganic hybrid material at mild temperatures and pressures is a fascinating question, a bridge between nanoscale and planetary scale biological and geological processes. Additionally, the biocompatibility and hierarchical mesoporous structure of naturally produced diatom silica represents a basis for applications in drug delivery, biosensing, industrial catalysis, energy storage, and bioremediation.
I am investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms of silica-based cell wall biogenesis and morphogenesis in diatoms using a combination of reverse genetics, imaging, omics, and bioinformatics. My primary experimental model system is a centric marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana.
Keywords: Ocean, Phytoplankton, Diatoms, Photosynthesis, Silicon Cycle, Biosilicification, Proximity Proteomics, CRISPR, Genetically Encoded Materials, Biotechnology
- Turnšek J, Brunson JK, Viedma MDPM, Deerinck TJ, Horák A, Oborník M, Bielinski VA, Allen AE. 2021. Proximity proteomics in a marine diatom reveals a putative cell surface-to-chloroplast iron trafficking pathway. eLife 10:e52770. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.52770 URL
- Faktorová D, Nisbet RER, Fernández Robledo JA, Casacuberta E, Sudek L, (...), Turnšek J, (...), Lukeš J. 2020. Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology. Nat Methods 17:481–494. DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0796-x URL
- Conrado RJ, Wu GC, Boock JT, Xu H, Chen SY, Lebar T, Turnšek J, Tomšič N, Avbelj M, Gaber R, Koprivnjak T, Mori J, Glavnik V, Vovk I, Benčina M, Hodnik V, Anderluh G, Dueber JE, Jerala R, DeLisa MP. 2012. DNA-guided assembly of biosynthetic pathways promotes improved catalytic efficiency. Nucleic Acids Res 40:1879–1889. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr888 URL
PhD, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University
MSc, Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana
Jernej Turnšek
Berkeley, CA 94720