A Facility for Biophysical, Biochemical and Molecular Genetic Studies of Photosynthesis

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The coupled chemical reactions that perform photosynthesis, although not common to all organisms, are among the most crucial to the existence of life on this planet. Although photosynthesis has been studied intensively for many years, detailed structural and functional information at the molecular level about how the proteins and membranes that make up the photosynthetic apparatus are assembled is just beginning to become available. Such information should prove valuable in understanding not only photosynthesis itself, but also the structure of highly ordered membranes and the mechanisms of electron transfer reactions. This, in turn, should prove important for the future development of biotechnology in the areas of membranes and electrochemistry. This award will provide funds to a group of investigators at Arizona State University for the purchase of an advanced picosecond spectrophotometer, an NMR and other equipment to be used for primary protein structure determination. The research to be performed includes physical, chemical and genetic studies of the photosynthetic apparatus, including the individual steps of electron transfer that follow photon capture. Other related structural studies of non-photosynthetic proteins are also planned. These investigators are among the most outstanding now working in the area of photosynthesis. In addition to this award, they have recently been selected to receive one of three Plant Research Center awards.