Each eukaryotic ribosome consists of approximately 80 proteins. Higher eukaryotes have 79-81 families of ribosomal proteins (RPs), of which only one family member is present per ribosome. Interestingly, very recently it has been shown that not all the RPs are present stoichiometrically in the cell. Even more, that ribosomes containing one or another of the RPs differentially translate specific mRNA populations.

In Arabidopsis each RP family is composed of two to seven paralogs, which means 242 RPs in the genome and 10^34 possible ribosomal configurations.

We are interested in understanding the biological importance of this high number of RPs and determine if this large number of RPs is related to the broader diversity of environmental conditions sessile organisms may have to cope with, and thus, signify an adaptation of great biological importance.