Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Building On Nature: Spectroscopic Studies Of Photosynthesis-Inspired Pigments, Fused Light Harvesting Proteins, And Bacterial Reaction Center Mutants, Kaitlyn Faries

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Photosynthesis is the dominant form of solar energy conversion on the planet, making it critical to understand the fundamentals of the process in order to effectively mimic and improve upon it for human energy needs. The initial stages of photosynthesis include light harvesting and chemical conversion of that harvested energy via electron transport, with both of these stages relying on pigments (or chromophores) such as chlorophyll and specific protein architectures for the processes. In this work, the fundamental underpinnings of photosynthetic light harvesting and electron transport are explored via spectroscopy of various photosynthetic systems with altered natural pigments and proteins. …

Structure And Function Of Cytochrome Containing Electron Transport Chain Proteins From Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria, Erica Lois-Wunderlich Majumder

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the structure and function of photosynthetic proteins that contain c-type heme cofactors that function in the electron transport chains of anaerobic phototrophic bacteria. The diversity and range of these cytochromes proteins was explored. Then, individual proteins were studied in detail. The diheme cytochrome c from Heliobacteria modesticaldum was studied using hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and homology modeling. A structural model of the protein and a mechanism for the cytochrome bc complex was proposed. Next, the monoheme cytochrome c subunit from the Alternative Complex III from the Filamentous Anoxygenic Phototrophs was studied using biochemistry and found to …

Light-Harvesting, Redox Control, And Biomimicry Of The Photosynthetic Antennas Of Green Sulfur Bacteria, Gregory Scott Orf

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The green sulfur bacteria (class Chlorobea) are obligately anaerobic photoautotrophic prokaryotes. Members of this bacterial class are found in anoxic, sulfur- or iron-rich environments such as hydrothermal vents and hot springs. These bacteria are champions of lowlight adaptation, with some species being able to thrive photosynthetically on less than eight photons hr-1 per pigment. We have studied the two photosynthetic antenna complexes from these organisms that are responsible for light capture: the chlorosome and the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) protein.

In regards to the chlorosome, we studied, using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods, the effect of incorporation of an expected, but as-yet-undiscovered-in-nature, …