Photosynthesis Research

In photosynthetic systems, light-harvesting antenna complexes gather solar energy and transfer it to reaction centers that convert the energy into stable charge-separation that drives the later stages of photosynthesis. The primary energy transfer and charge separation processes occur on ultrafast (femtosecond-picosecond) timescales, with high unit quantum efficiency. We are interested in uncovering the design principles at work in natural photosynthetic systems.

The Photosystem II Reaction Center

The primary energy conversion steps of oxygenic photosynthesis occur in the photosystem II reaction center (PSII RC). The PSII RC is the only natural system capable of using solar energy to split water, motivating an understanding of its structure-function relationship.

Read about our most recent photosynthesis research here.