Researchers determine the structure of very efficient light-harvesting antennae in green bacteria

An international team of scientists, including researchers from the Universities of Groningen and Leiden, has resolved the structure of chlorophyll in the chlorosomes of green bacteria. Chlorosomes are the light-harvesting antennae of these bacteria. They are elongated small pockets which can accommodate up to 250,000 chlorophyll molecules.

Such structures could be useful in the future for the development of ‘artificial leaves’: new generations of solar cells for the conversion of energy from sunlight into fuel, because green bacteria can collect sunlight in a very efficient way to convert it into chemical energy.

Further results available in the PNAS publication on this research: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  (PNAS).

Alternating syn-anti bacteriochlorophylls form concentric helical nanotubes in Chlorosomes

Swapna Ganapathy, Gert T. Oostergetel, Piotr K. Wawryziniak, Michael Reus, Aline Gomez Maqueo Chew, Francesco Buda, Egbert J. Boekema, Donald A. Bryant, Alfred R. Holzwarth, Huub J.M. de Groot. 
PNAS Early Edition