Interview with Belén Naranjo, winner of the June ‘Article of the Month’

Belén Naranjo, a PhD in Biotechnology since December 2015 and hired by the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF), changed Biomedicine, the specialty in which she began her research, for Molecular Biology of plants. Now she dedicates a good part of her time to the study of photosynthesis, a field about which, in the words of Belén herself, “there is still much to discover.”

What is the main objective of your research work?

Broadly speaking, my research work deals with how plants adapt to the environment. To be more exact, I focus on the process of photosynthesis and the role that the NTRC protein plays in it.

Can you explain to us what the NTRC protein is?

To get a sense of the situation, we will begin by explaining that photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplast, an organelle or part of the plant cells. This is where NTRC, the acronym for NADPH-thioredoxin reductase C, acts mainly. NTRC acts by donating electrons to other proteins, reducing them and thus regulating their activity. Through this exchange of electrons, vital processes are directed, such as, in this case, photosynthesis.

Recently, cicCartuja has chosen one of your papers as ‘Article of the month’. Tell us what it is about.

The article studies how a plant molecularly regulates the amount of light it absorbs. Part of this light will be converted into energy and will be used to carry out photosynthesis; the excess energy will be dissipated in the form of heat. In line with all this, we have discovered that the NTRC protein, which is key in the article, is involved in this energy dissipation mechanism. To apply this process we have used mutant Arabidopsis plants, which lack NTRC; in them photosynthesis was totally deregulated and the plant suffered irreversible damage.

Belén Naranjo in one of the IBVF plant chambers

What application does this study have for society?

At this point in the study it is difficult to say, since it is a basic investigation and it is necessary to have a theoretical corpus to apply it later. It must be taken into account that the work has been done with a model plant (Arabidopsis) and all the results would have to be transferred to other organisms. However, this helps to understand what the plant does with the energy and what possibility there would be of improving crops of agronomic interest that survive in situations of light stress, both excess and lack of light.

When did you become interested in research?

I studied Biotechnology because I liked the idea of ​​being able to study genes, proteins and what living beings were like at a molecular level. At first I focused on Biomedicine, in fact I have a master’s degree in this branch, and I started working at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital (Seville), researching rare diseases. However, over time I discovered that my true calling was plants, and I am still doing it.

Did you ever imagine a job other than scientific research?

The truth is that no. It is true that, when I finished my degree, I was not very clear about how to continue. I was fascinated by plants, but I also liked Biomedicine. In any case, I always knew that I wanted to do research.

How did you end up at the IBVF?

When my contract at the hospital ended, I looked for research groups related to my interests and with which I could apply for a grant, since my goal was to do my doctoral thesis. Fortunately, I found one at the IBVF, an institute where I was awarded a FPI (Training of Research Personnel) grant, and I started my thesis with them.

What are your future plans once you finish your stay at the IBVF?

For now, I will be here until September, since I am going to Munich to do a postdoctoral stay and start another project. I think this experience will open many professional doors for me.

What motivated you to leave Spain?

The FPI scholarship gives you the possibility of applying for short stays abroad, so in 2014 I went to Paris for three months to collaborate with another research group working at the Saclay Commission for Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA). The experience was great in every way and I wanted to repeat it.

What is the best and worst thing about your job?

The best thing is when the experiments go well; it is gratifying. The problem is that it is very difficult to achieve when you work with living organisms. Each plant grows in its own way and the cultivation conditions are very difficult to reproduce no matter how much the technique is optimized. On the other hand, the worst thing is the frustration of not achieving the objectives you set yourself. In research, to get to a good end, you have to fail many times, which causes frustration and a feeling of wasted time. However, the negativity disappears when you finally manage to prove your hypothesis.

What do you think about the situation of scientific research in Spain?

Research is not highly valued, perhaps because there is no good communication between society and science, so the amount of investment in this field is not as high as it should be. It is currently very difficult to get a contract or a grant and there are fewer and fewer public positions because they are not called for. A culture of pragmatism has been fostered in which if your research does not have immediate practical application, no one will finance it, and that is another drawback. In countries like France and Germany, scientific advances are faster because they have more money and resources in their laboratories.

What advice would you give to those who are starting out in the world of research or who are planning to immerse themselves in it?

You have to be clear that you want to dedicate yourself to it because it is a long-distance race and requires a lot of effort. In my opinion, it is crucial to have work experience in the field that you like, which will allow you to narrow down your interests; It is difficult to choose from all the things you learn at university. Another recommendation I give is to contact research groups that may seem interesting and ask for as many grants and contracts as possible. Of course, you should never get frustrated or give up, even if it is tedious. Starting from scratch is always difficult, but you have to be patient and not doubt yourself.

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