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Title: Augmenting light coverage for photosynthesis through YFP-enhanced charge separation at the Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction centre

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13972· OSTI ID:1345997

Photosynthesis uses a limited range of the solar spectrum, so enhancing spectral coverage could improve the efficiency of light capture. Here, we show that a hybrid reaction centre (RC)/yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) complex accelerates photosynthetic growth in the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The structure of the RC/YFP-light-harvesting 1 (LH1) complex shows the position of YFP attachment to the RC-H subunit, on the cytoplasmic side of the RC complex. Fluorescence lifetime microscopy of whole cells and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy of purified RC/YFP complexes show that the YFP–RC intermolecular distance and spectral overlap between the emission of YFP and the visible-region (QX) absorption bands of the RC allow energy transfer via a Fo¨rster mechanism, with an efficiency of 40±10%. Finally, this proof-of-principle study demonstrates the feasibility of increasing spectral coverage for harvesting light using non-native genetically-encoded light-absorbers, thereby augmenting energy transfer and trapping in photosynthesis.

Research Organization:
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center (PARC)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001035
OSTI ID:
1345997
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 8; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 32 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Mechanisms of Self-Assembly and Energy Harvesting in Tuneable Conjugates of Quantum Dots and Engineered Photovoltaic Proteins journal December 2018
Sequential energy transfer driven by monoexponential dynamics in a biohybrid light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) journal October 2019
Fabrication of microstructured binary polymer brush “corrals” with integral pH sensing for studies of proton transport in model membrane systems journal January 2018
Designed for life: biocompatible de novo designed proteins and components journal August 2018
Proteorhodopsin Overproduction Enhances the Long-Term Viability of Escherichia coli journal October 2019
The Multiplanetary Future of Plant Synthetic Biology journal July 2018