Meet Giovanni Consoli: FEBS Advanced Courses 60th Anniversary Awardee

Our interviewee is Giovanni Consoli, PhD student at the Imperial College London, United Kingdom. Giovanni received a FEBS 60th Anniversary Award and the FEBS Open Bio 1st place poster award for the ‘’Photochemistry on a budget: Understanding the architecture of long wavelength photosystems from high-resolution CryoEM structures and functional considerations’’ poster presentation at the FEBS Advanced Course Metals in biology: their importance and tools to study them (26 May – 2 June 2024) in Oeiras, Portugal.
Tell us about your research topic/work. What project(s) are you working on? What is the aim of your study?
Photosynthesis is the process that harnesses the energy of photons that hit Earth’s surface to drive charge separation, oxidizing water and producing molecular oxygen that energizes the atmosphere while forming the reduced carbon species that sustains all the food chain in the form of biomass, and our economies and lifestyle in the form of fossil fuels.
In the last decades, different photosynthetic organisms able to exploit longer wavelength photons to drive photosynthesis were identified, and both academia and industry had a renewed interest in trying to couple it with existing photosynthetic bioprocesses in order to achieve higher productivities. These organisms benefit from an extended absorption range (up to 750nm) that would account for a nominal 19% increase in available photons, allowing room for improvement to the theoretical maximum efficiency of photosynthesis. However, given the stringent energy requirements of long wavelength photosynthesis and the presence of these organisms just in specific environmental niches, it is crucial to assess what the burdens on the photosynthetic apparatus are in different light conditions.
To understand light harvesting, charge separation, and the position of long wavelength pigments, during my PhD I focused on obtaining the CryoEM structure of the long-wavelength adapted photosynthetic complexes from the organism C. thermalis PCC 7203.
Moreover, I am starting to characterize both biophysical and regulatory aspects of long-wavelength photosynthesis and photoacclimation thanks to mechanistic, spectroscopic, and modelling techniques. The knowledge generated can provide insight on the biophysical question regarding long-wavelength photosynthesis, highlighting the benefits and downsides of far-red photoacclimation processes both in the ecological niches of the organisms studied and in potential biotechnological applications, such as microalgal cultivation and vertical farming.

Who or what inspired you to choose a career in science?
Since I was a kid, nature, and above all plant life, has always sparked my curiosity. Understanding how organisms survive and adapt in different ecological niches is, to me, fascinating and provides a key to read the world around us. My parents were always very supportive, and explained to me how everybody can be a 'scientist' by observing the little details of life. Since I've started university, I was lucky enough to meet peers, professors and mentors who were able to push me and that managed to keep conveying how the most important thing about science is exchanging ideas, being curious and above all having fun.
How did you learn about the FEBS Advanced Course? Why did you choose this course to attend?
My supervisor is great and always shares with us all of the growth opportunities that land in his inbox. This one, in particular, featured some topics that were according to him (and now according to me too) crucial knowledge for someone in our field.

How does attending this course influence your present and future plans? What are the benefits of attending the FEBS Advanced Course?
I think the biggest benefit of attending the FEBS Advanced Courses is always the possibility to meet other scientists and foster the idea of a scientific community.
What work were you presenting at the FEBS Advanced Course?
I presented one of the main chapters of my thesis on the cryoEM structure of a long wavelength adapted photosystem I at a resolution of 2.01Å and how my group and I managed to understand the position of the long wavelength chlorophylls through an approach that combined structural biology, biophysics, and phylogenetics.
How does it feel to receive a FEBS 60th Anniversary Award at a FEBS Advanced course as recognition for your work? How do you see this award influencing your career and future?
To be honest it was above all surprising; all of the other participants’ posters were beautifully done and featured incredible science. I think this unexpected achievement has driven me to dedicate more time in curating the graphical aspect of my work, so as to make our science more accessible to everybody.
What is your advice to aspiring students/scientists?
To keep a good work/life balance, to prioritize your needs as a person and a scientist and to accept early that research always goes slower than you would want it to.
Where do you envision the future of your career?
The ‘where’ is not particularly important, but I hope it’s going to be studying something I care about and I like doing, but above all surrounded by people I like to work with.
For more information on upcoming FEBS Advanced Courses and available travel grants, visit the FEBS website.
Photo by Sean Sinclair on Unsplash.
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