Excitation Energy Transfer in the Chlorosome Light Harvesting Complex

In Green Sulphur Bacteria, the chlorosome is the organelle responsible for the harvesting of solar energy, and for the transportation of this energy to the rest of the photosynthetic system. This is attained through the use of many pigment molecules, on the order of thousands, that are present within the chlorosome. These pigments absorb the sun’s energy in the form of electronic excitations. Recently developed models for the electronic structure for the chlorosome, in which the pigments are arranged as molecular nanotubes, will be adapted for use with quantum-dynamics simulations to model excitation energy transport within the chlorosome. This will create a more detailed picture of this fundamental energy transport mechanism in natural photosynthetic systems like Green Sulphur Bacteria, and will promote our understanding of both natural and bio-inspired photosynthetic systems.

Faculty Supervisor:

Aaron Kelly

Student:

Partner:

Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: