The Role of Xanthophylls in the Mechanism of Nonradiative Energy Dissipation in Photosynthesis

叶黄素在光合作用非辐射能量耗散机制中的作用

• 批准号: 0913022
• 负责人: Harry Frank
• 金额: $ 54.53万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0913022&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Role; Xanthophylls; Mechanism; Nonradiative; Energy

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Photosynthetic organisms contain protective mechanisms that allow them to dissipate excess solar energy not needed for photosynthesis. This protective process is called nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Among its critical components are xanthophyll pigments, the oxygen-containing derivatives of carotenes. These molecules are also thought to play a role in regulating energy flow as solar energy absorbed by photosynthetic organisms is converted into electrical potential. The molecular features that control these processes are not well understood. In this research, biochemical and spectroscopic experiments will be carried out to uncover the controlling factors for NPQ and energy flow regulation in plants and algae. Various proposed molecular mechanisms will be tested to see how the processes function. The overall objective of the project is to examine these processes in detail in order to understand how photosynthetic organisms protect themselves from high light stress and how they regulate energy flow.Broader Impacts The educational and training contributions of the work are that students will gain experience in the techniques for the isolation, purification and characterization of complex biological materials and in sophisticated molecular spectroscopic methods. The training will foster organizational and problem-solving skills, writing reports and publications, and making presentations at scientific meetings where the results of the studies will be openly disseminated. The students will also travel to the laboratories of our collaborators as needed to bring these studies to fruition as rapidly as possible. Thus, the project provides exposure to a broad spectrum of experimental methodologies and professional experiences which will be valuable for the development of the participating students as independent scientists. The outreach contributions of the project will include active participation in the Northeast Alliance University of Connecticut Summer Research Program for Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM Fields, the University of Connecticut NSF REU program, the Northeast Middle School Science Bowl, and Odyssey Day for Gifted and Talented Middle School Students. The intellectual merit and societal benefits of the research program are that it will enlarge our view of how photosynthetic organisms are protected from excessive light energy absorption and respond to varying environmental conditions while maintaining efficient energy flow essential for survival. Lessons learned from how photosynthetic organisms function in this manner can be used in the development of novel solar energy conversion devices.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。光合生物含有保护机制，使它们能够耗散光合作用不需要的多余太阳能。 这种保护过程称为非光化学猝灭（NPQ）。 它的关键成分是叶黄素色素，胡萝卜素的含氧衍生物。 这些分子也被认为在调节能量流方面发挥作用，因为光合生物吸收的太阳能被转化为电势。 控制这些过程的分子特征还不清楚。 在本研究中，将进行生化和光谱实验，以揭示植物和藻类的NPQ和能量流调节的控制因素。 将测试各种提出的分子机制，以了解这些过程如何发挥作用。该项目的总体目标是详细研究这些过程，以了解光合生物如何保护自己免受强光胁迫，以及它们如何调节能量流。更广泛的影响这项工作的教育和培训贡献是，学生将获得复杂生物材料的分离，纯化和表征技术以及复杂分子光谱方法的经验。 培训将培养组织和解决问题的技能，编写报告和出版物，并在公开传播研究结果的科学会议上发言。 学生们还将根据需要前往我们合作者的实验室，以尽快实现这些研究。 因此，该项目提供了广泛的实验方法和专业经验，这将是宝贵的参与学生作为独立的科学家的发展。 该项目的推广贡献将包括积极参与康涅狄格州东北联盟大学夏季研究计划，为STEM领域代表性不足的少数民族学生，康涅狄格州NSF REU计划的大学，东北中学科学碗，以及天才中学生奥德赛日。 该研究计划的智力价值和社会效益在于，它将扩大我们对光合生物如何免受过度光能吸收的保护，并对不同的环境条件作出反应，同时保持生存所必需的有效能量流的看法。 从光合生物如何以这种方式发挥作用中吸取的经验教训可以用于开发新型太阳能转换装置。