Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

<p>The goal of the proposed research is to gain a fundamental understanding of the factors governing the efficiency of solar energy conversion in natural and artificial photosynthetic systems. Our suite of modern time resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) instruments allows us to measure the electron spin polarization associated with the energy conversion and to use it to study the initial steps of this process in detail. Our close collaborations with groups in the US, Germany, Russia and Japan give us access to a wide range of complementary spectroscopic, theoretical, biochemical and molecular biology techniques. Using this broad array of methods, we are putting together an exquisitely detailed picture of the energetics, kinetics and dynamics of these vitally important systems. We are now using this knowledge to aid in the design and characterization of artificial mimics of the natural systems. <br /> <span style=""text-decoration: underline;"">The studies of natural photosynthetic proteins focus on two main areas: </span><br /> (i) Investigations of the pathway and energetics of light-induced electron transfer <br /> (ii) Determination of the structure of the complexes in oxygen sensitive organisms. <br /> <span style=""text-decoration: underline;"">In the area of artificial photosynthesis we are developing two main types of systems:</span><br /> (i) Light-driven, photochemical cells, which are able to split water. <br /> (ii) Biohybrid complexes in which natural proteins are chemically modified to create photosystem mimics<br /> With our unique combination of biochemical and spectroscopic techniques and expertise in spin chemistry we expect to make significant progress in resolving these issues, which are critical to a full understanding of the efficiency of photochemical energy conversion.</p>