Robert Burnap

co-author and editor of Functional Genomics and Evolution of Photosynthetic Systems

February 4, 2012

Robert Burnap developed an interest in photosynthesis during a summer field course in marine biology at Woods Hole (Massachusetts, USA), while an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan from where he graduated in 1977. He obtained Masters of Biology at the University of California Los Angeles and later joined the laboratory of Robert Trench, at the University of California Santa Barbara, a world's expert on symbiosis and Cyanophora paradoxa – an organism representing a 'missing link' in the evolution of chloroplasts. The result was a thesis, entitled "Biogenesis of the Endosymbiotic Cyanobacteria (Cyanelles) of Cyanophora paradoxa." That project began the life-long fascination with oxygenic photosynthesis as conducted by the originators of this earth-transforming process: the Cyanobacteria. Following his PhD research, Rob joined the laboratory of Louis Sherman at Purdue University to focus on Photosystem II (PSII), the system that splits water. He became a member of the faculty of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the Oklahoma State University (OSU) in 1991. He teaches several courses in the area of molecular biology and developed the first course in Bioinformatics in the state. He maintains an active laboratory research investigation of oxygenic photosynthesis – Nature's Solar Energy – for which he has funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. The underlying theme of the research is to understand the structure, function, and evolution of photosynthetic systems. How is it that organisms have evolved mechanisms to efficiently capture solar energy and convert it to usable metabolic energy to drive cellular growth and reproduction? How do the individual components of the photosynthetic machinery work and how do they integrate with each other to optimize the overall performance photosynthetic process? Rob has served as a rotating Program Director at the United States National Science Foundation where, besides his regular duties in the Division of Cellular Molecular Biochemistry, he helped develop a special program for fielding and funding innovative proposals in photosynthesis research. For further information on Rob, see his web page at: http://microbiology.okstate.edu/faculty/burnap/

The book is inspired by the new possibilities brought about by the stunning number of genomic sequences that are currently, or will soon become, available for photosynthetic organisms. The explosive growth DNA sequence data continues to impact all areas of biology and has largely outstripped our ability to fully assimilate its biological meaning. In the world of photosynthetic organisms, ranging from plants to phototrophic bacteria, the task of translating the genomic DNA sequence information is in full swing and "Functional Genomics and Evolution of Photosynthetic Systems" provides a window into the laboratories of top researchers utilizing experimental and bioinformatic tools to decode this wealth of new data. It highlights promising approaches in analyzing sequence information and the resultant insights that these analyses are providing regarding the function and evolution of photosynthesis. It provides a good introduction to some of the many aspects of the genomics of photosynthetic systems in relation to the variety of photosynthetic mechanisms that have evolved. The book provides detailed views of specific cases and thereby illustrates important new directions that are being taken in this fast-moving field – a field that involves the integration of bioinformatics, molecular biology, physiology, and ecology. The book is intended for a wide audience but it is designed specifically for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and for researchers in photosynthesis who are interested in functional genomics, bioinformatics, and evolution of photosynthesis.

URL: https://library.okstate.edu/news/celebratingbooks/2012-honorees/robert-burnap

Last Updated: 12 January 2022