S., Protheroe, C., Ivanescu, M.-A., Lag, S. Melissa Valente-Paterno (2012), SCOL 290.student in Psychology, SCOL 391, Directed and Independent Study II: Impact of suboptimal manganese concentration on electron transfer in bacterial reaction center: One step closer to understanding photosynthesis. Rose-Ange Tremblay-Ethier (Summer 2018), B.Sc.Yves Lorand (September 2018-April 2019), BSc student in Biology, SCOL 391, Directed and Independent Study II: Investigation into the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis: Efficiency of bicarbonate coordinated manganese ions as electron donors in bacterial reaction centers.Fadi Touma (September 2018-April 2019), BSc student in Biology, SCOL 391, Directed and Independent Study II: Effect of tetryl on the charge recombination kinetics in bacterial reaction center.Sevag Pilavdian (Summer 2019) BSc student in Chemistry, SCOL 290, Directed and Independent Study I: Investigation into the Role of bis-tris Propane in the pH-dependence and Redox Potential of Manganese Complexes.Biophysical characterization of a membrane protein isolated from non-toxic photosynthetic bacterium. Sarah Nyeki (Winter 2019), visiting Physics BSc student from University of Toulouse 3: Paul Sabatier, France.Laszlo Nagy, visiting professor, University of Szeged, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics (2007) Tibor Janosi, M.Sc., 2000 (University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary).Hydrophobic mismatch influencing the structure-function relationship of the reaction center from photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides
Light-induced conformational changes in the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides Molecular assignment of light-induced structural changes using site-directed mutant reaction centersĮlectron and proton transfer during conformational changes in reaction centers reconstituted into liposomes Manganese as secondary electron donor in native bacterial reaction centers Modifying redox and binding interactions between coordinated manganese and native bacterial reaction centers The Interaction of Tetryl, a Nitroaromatic Explosive, with Bacterial Reaction Centres Why study photosynthesis? Nature's photosynthetic process has been the primary solar energy conversion on Earth for 3.5 billion years and has a great potential to inspire the development of man-made solar energy converters.Ĭonformation-activated metal binding and oxidation in native anoxygenic photosystems The biophysical characterization involves transient and steady state optical spectroscopy to determine the kinetics of the individual reaction steps from nanoseconds to minutes time scale and dual polarization interferometry to follow the conformational rearrangement of the protein in real time and in atomic resolution. The membrane environment of the isolated proteins is systematically altered in order to maximize the efficiency of the electron and proton transfer reactions. We grow and harvest photosynthetic organisms, isolate and purify the reaction center protein. We use an interdisciplinary approach to detect and modify these reactions that can connect concepts from physics, chemistry and biology. We are particularly interested in the link between the light-induced electron transfer and the accompanying protonational reactions occurring in these centers during the early stage of the energy conversion process. The energy conversion in these enzymes is secured primarily trough transporting electrons and protons across their natural membranes.
The reactions leading to the energy conversion and storage take place in specially organized membrane-bound pigment-protein complexes, termed reaction centers.
Thorough understanding of the natural solar energy conversion is essential in the process of developing artificial energy converters for sustainable future energy production. This process uses inexhaustible resources, such as sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide and provides an example of a unique natural biocatalyst. Study of the primary processes of photosynthesisĪ large family of photosynthetic organisms is capable of the catalytic conversion of the water into molecular oxygen and hydrogen-ions.
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