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Ultrafast Dynamics of Photosynthetic Light Harvesting: Strategies for Acclimation Across Organisms

Journal Article · · Annual Review of Physical Chemistry
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); OSTI
  2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Photosynthetic light harvesting exhibits near-unity quantum efficiency. The high efficiency is achieved through a series of energy and charge transfer steps within a network of pigment-containing proteins. Remarkably, high efficiency is conserved across many organisms despite differences in the protein structures and organization that allow each organism to respond to its own biological niche and the stressors within. In this review, we highlight recent progress toward understanding how organisms maintain optimal light-harvesting ability by acclimating to their environment. First, we review the building blocks of photosynthetic light harvesting, energy transfer, and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Then, we explore how three classes of photosynthetic organisms—purple bacteria, cyanobacteria, and green plants—optimize their light-harvesting apparatuses to their particular environment. Overall, research has shown that photosynthetic energy transfer is robust to changing environmental conditions, with each organism utilizing its own strategies to optimize photon capture in its particular biological niche.
Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0018097
OSTI ID:
2420705
Journal Information:
Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, Journal Name: Annual Review of Physical Chemistry Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 74; ISSN 0066-426X
Publisher:
Annual ReviewsCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Cogdell, Richard J.; Howard, Tina D.; Bittl, Robert
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 355, Issue 1402 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2000.0696
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