Elucidating the role of protein-protein interactions in photosynthesis using novel nanotechnology combined with advanced microscopy

Photosynthesis is responsible for life on Earth but many questions remain unanswered. The chloroplasts of green plants contain specialized membranes that absorb sunlight and act like a nanoscale satellite dish for energy capture. These membranes are packed with a network of "light-harvesting" (LH) and "photosystem" (PS) protein complexes.

These proteins rearrange in response to environmental stimuli, such as light intensity, but we do not understand the molecular mechanisms involved. This PhD project will analyze the dynamics of photosynthetic membranes. We will generate different arrangements of LH/PS proteins and characterize them using world-class microscopes and advanced techniques developed in Leeds.

The objectives are: (1) to observe how the internal structure of LH/PS proteins change as they cluster together, assessing single proteins using time-resolved electron microscopy; (2) to quantify how the energetic state of LH/PS proteins change during clustering, assessing natural and model membranes, using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy; (3) to uncover the mechanism for LH/PS protein rearrangements from the combined biophysical and structural data. This project will provide a major advance in our understanding of photosynthesis with wider relevance to solar technologies and agriculture.