Tuning near-infrared photosynthesis

调节近红外光合作用

• 批准号: BB/X015955/1
• 负责人: Daniel Canniffe
• 金额: $ 56.6万
• 依托单位: University of Liverpool
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FX015955%2F1
• 关键词: Tuning; near; infrared; photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the source of all the food we eat, and almost all of the energy we use. This process uses sunlight to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into sugars that feed the planet. Sunlight is captured by chlorophyll pigments that are arranged and held in place by proteins; these pigment-protein arrangements are known as antenna complexes. Antennas collect the light energy and funnel it towards specialised 'reaction centres', where the energy is converted to a form that can be used by the cell.Plants and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) use chlorophyll (Chl) pigments to capture visible light (400-700 nm) to perform 'oxygenic' photosynthesis, releasing the oxygen that supports respiration. Additionally, a diverse range of bacteria are also capable of using far-red and near-infrared light (>700 nm), which we cannot see but feel as heat, to perform 'anoxygenic' photosynthesis. This mode of photosynthesis relies on the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) pigments, rather than Chls.The majority of anoxygenic photosynthesisers use BChl a to harvest light between 750-900 nm, while a few use BChl b and harvest very low energy wavelengths >1000 nm. Most of the light between 900-1000 nm is absorbed by water in the atmosphere, so it is rarely used by naturally-occurring phototrophs. This project will reveal how BChl b-containing organisms are able to extend absorption past this rarely-used region, and whether it is possible to access even lower energy wavelengths to power photosynthesis. We will do this by creating new versions of the BChl b antenna-reaction centre complex able to capture unique ranges in the near-infrared. We will also measure how close together the pigments in these complexes are, and how quickly/efficiently energy can collected and funnelled to the reaction centre to power the cell.Achieving these aims will reveal how to control and tune absorption in the near-infrared region of the spectrum, and to see if the low-energy limit for photosynthesis can be surpassed, with the long-term goal of efficiently capturing the entire usable range of the solar spectrum to tackle some of humanity's impending fuel and food supply challenges in a sustainable manner.

光合作用是我们吃的所有食物的来源，几乎是我们使用的所有能量。该过程使用阳光去除大气中的二氧化碳，并将其转化为供电的糖。阳光是由蛋白质排列和固定在适当位置的叶绿素色素捕获的。这些颜料蛋白质排列称为天线复合物。 Antennas collect the light energy and funnel it towards specialised 'reaction centres', where the energy is converted to a form that can be used by the cell.Plants and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) use chlorophyll (Chl) pigments to capture visible light (400-700 nm) to perform 'oxygenic' photosynthesis, releasing the oxygen that supports respiration.此外，多种细菌还能够使用远红色和近红外光（> 700 nm），我们看不到它是热的，可以进行“无氧”光合作用。这种光合作用模式取决于细菌氯粘生（BCHL）的颜料，而不是CHL。大多数无氧光合作用者使用BCHL A收集750-900 nm的光，而少数使用BCHL B和收获BCHL B和收获非常低的能量波长> 1000 nm> 1000 nm。 900-1000 nm之间的大部分光在大气中被水吸收，因此很少被自然呈现的光养食物使用。该项目将揭示含BCHL B的生物如何能够将吸收延伸到这个很少使用的区域，以及是否有可能访问较低的能量波长来进行光合作用。我们将通过创建新版本的BCHL B天线反应中心综合体能够捕获近红外范围的新版本。我们还将衡量这些复合物中的色素之间的近距离，以及能够收集和漏斗到反应中心的速度/有效的能量，以供电。以可持续的方式应对人类即将面临的燃料和粮食供应挑战。