Photosynthetic protein structure that harvests and traps infrared light

Scientist finds the solution for the structure of a photosynthetic protein in plants to know how near-infrared light is converted into electrical charge. This study explores the insight of the efficiency & limits to the photosynthesis process i.e life-giving process.

The chlorophyll used by the plants & algae to absorb energy from sun initiates photosynthesis at wavelength up to 720nm. This is the red part of the light spectrum ranging in the visibility region for the human eye. Bacteria, however, can extend this limit of wavelength into near infra-red region.

The research was acted on photosynthetic LH1-RC complex obtained from bacterium Blastochloris Viridis, which has the ability to harvest and use light at wavelengths more than 1,000 nm. Cryo-electron microscopy is used to determine the structure of this complex which depicts how near-infrared light is converted to electrical charge which boosts cell metabolism in the bacterium allowing it to live at an extreme red limit of photosynthesis on earth.

Photosynthesis is the ultimate source of energy for all life on Earth & it is equally important to know its limits in order to know how to increase spectral coverage and to improve the efficiency of the process.

This is the first study utilizing cryo-electron microscopy to predict the structure of the photosynthetic complex in detail and to obtain the structure of complex using light at the extreme red wavelength. Now the research is going on to identify the factor to predict the function of the complex with regards to proteins and pigment involved.

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