Absorption spectrometer for photophysical Studies of light harvesting in photosynthetic organisms and conjugated polymers

我们的研究小组最近获得了NSERC的发现资助，其重点是研究海藻中的量子相干性，旨在阐明这些光合作用生物中捕捉和传输太阳能的量子力学机制。我们小组报告的关于自然界中光收集的量子力学方面的令人信服的证据已出现在《新科学家》、《连线》、《宇宙》、《发现》杂志、《科学家》、《科学》、《科学美国人》杂志、《科学新闻》杂志、CBCNews.Ca等杂志以及CBC广播节目《Quirks and Quarks》(“Quantum Pond Scum”)中，该节目强调了这一迅速发展的领域的重要性和人们的兴趣。我们提出了进一步的实验，通过研究大量相关的海藻物种，可以揭示光捕获机制的进化，这些海藻在其生态系统特有的光照条件下，在优化和调节光合作用活动的方式上表现出显着的多样性。除了好奇心驱动的光合作用研究外，了解生物系统中量子相干光收集的好处，以及发现光合作用装置的结构和功能组织，为在能源生产系统的开发和调整中模仿自然调节的过程提供了机会。

Our research group has recently received an NSERC discovery grant "Quantum effects in biology and chemistry", which focuses on the study of quantum coherence in marine algae and aims at elucidating the quantum mechanical mechanisms with which solar energy is captured and transmitted through the light-harvesting machinery in these photosynthetic organisms. Compelling evidence on the quantum-mechanical aspect of light-harvesting in nature reported by our group has been featured in New Scientist, Wired, Cosmos, Discover magazine, The Scientist, Science, Scientific American, Science News magazine, CBCnews.ca, etc. as well as the CBC radio show Quirks and Quarks ("Quantum Pond Scum") emphasizing the importance and the interest in this rapidly expanding field. We propose further experiments that could shed light on the evolution of light-harvesting mechanisms by studying a large number of related species of marine algae which exhibit a remarkable diversity in the ways they optimize and regulate their photosynthetic activity in lighting conditions characteristic of their ecosystem. Alongside the curiosity-driven research of photosynthesis, understanding the benefits of quantum-coherent light-harvesting in biological systems in addition to the discovery of structural and functional organization of the photosynthetic apparatus affords the opportunity for mimicry of nature tuned processes in the development and adjustment of energy producing systems.