Dynamics of Light Harvesting and Trapping in Photosynthesis

本项目由化学学部（实验物理化学）和分子与细胞生物学部（生物化学和分子结构与功能）联合主办，致力于了解光合作用的初级光化学过程。弗莱明教授和梅茨（芝加哥大学）教授将对紫色细菌和高等植物进行基因改造，获得适合超快（飞秒）激光光谱研究的改良反应中心。从这些测量中获得的电子和振动减相时间将与适当的理论一起用于建立光合单位的完整分子描述。了解植物将阳光转化为能量（光合作用）的化学机制是一个具有突出技术重要性和基础科学兴趣的问题。在这个过程的最初阶段，光首先照射到植物上，并以某种方式被捕获，这个过程发生得非常快，以至于光本身在捕获事件结束之前只有不到0.00001英尺的时间。弗莱明教授和芝加哥大学的梅茨教授将对植物进行基因工程改造，使其具有适合进行主要化学反应的超快光谱测量的特殊色素。这将允许对光合单位进行完整的分子描述。

This project, sponsored jointly by the Chemistry Division (Experimental Physical Chemistry) and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (Biochemistry and Molecular Structure and Function), is devoted to understanding primary photochemical processes in photosynthesis. Professors Fleming and Mets (Univ. of Chicago) will perform genetic modification of purple bacteria and of higher plants, obtaining modified reaction centers which are suitable for ultrafast (femtosecond) laser spectroscopic studies. The electronic and vibrational dephasing times obtained from these measurements will be used with appropriate theory to build up a complete molecular description of the photosynthetic unit. %%% Understanding the chemical mechanisms by which plants convert sunlight into energy (photosynthesis) is a problem of outstanding technological importance as well as fundamental scientific interest. The very early steps in this process, in which light first strikes the plant and is somehow trapped, occur so fast that light itself has time to travel less than 0.00001 feet before the trapping event is over. Professors Fleming and Mets (University of Chicago) will genetically engineer plants with special pigments suitable for performing ultrafast spectroscopic measurements of the primary chemical reactions. This will permit a complete molecular description of the photosynthetic unit.