The Big Picture

Pigment-protein complexes are implicated in highly efficient energy transfer in many photosynthetic processes. It is known that significant coupling between the pigment facilitates this energy transfer, but the role of the protein in this process is less clear.  They provide a scaffold holding the pigments in relative position, but is that sufficient for the efficiency observed? By combining mutation studies on bacterial and synthetic photosynthetic complexes with femtosecond electronic spectroscopy, I can access the role of the protein environment in pigment interactions and energy transfer.