Dynamics of Energy Transfer in Photosynthesis

在这个由实验物理化学计划支持的项目中， 化学系的格雷厄姆·弗莱明， 劳伦·梅茨在分子遗传学和细胞生物学系， 芝加哥大学将进行实验和理论研究 光合作用能量和电子转移的研究。 私家侦探会 研究激发在色素分子之间的传递， 光合作用天线分子，发生在飞秒上的过程， 时间尺度和更长，使用超快非线性光谱。 将建立理论模型来帮助解释这种动力学 数据作为振动能量和相位弛豫速率。 本研究的目的是描述 发色团，分子的光吸收部分，以及 这些相互作用的强度以及它们发生的时间尺度。 这些研究应该有助于理解 植物和光合细菌的光合作用效率

In this project supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Graham Fleming in the Chemistry Department and Lauren Mets in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago will conduct experimental and theoretical studies of photosynthetic energy- and electron-transfer. The PIs will investigate the transfer of excitation among pigment molecules in photosynthetic antenna molecule, processes which occur on the femtosecond time-scale and longer, using ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy. Theoretical models will be constructed to help explain such dynamical data as the vibrational energy and phase relaxation rates. The goal of this research is to characterize the interactions between chromophores, the light-absorbing parts of molecules, as well as the strength of these interactions and the time scales on which they occur. These studies should help in the understanding of the remarkable efficiency of photosynthesis in both plants and photosynthetic bacteria