Redesigning the Light Reactions of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis converts solar energy into chemical energy, underpinning the Earth’s food chains and producing oxygen for respiratory electron flow. We can now envisage altering, enhancing and repurposing photosynthetic reactions, particularly in view of the need to support an ever-growing human population. This talk will focus on the light reactions, namely the absorption of solar energy and its transfer to the reaction centre where the energy is stored as a charge separation. A broad definition of redesign includes genetic engineering of light harvesting and reaction complexes for enhanced light absorption, re-routing pigment biosynthesis pathways to produce novel light absorbers, the de novo design of new light-absorbing and charge-separating proteins, and even the production of reconfigured photosystems immobilised on solid planar or electrode supports. The talk will summarise recent progress in these areas.