2022/08/24 by Emma Joy Dodson, Dodson, Emma Joy, Nicholas Werren +7
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms #Porphyrin and Phthalocyanine Chemistry #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2208.11397
openalex publication_date 2022/08/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Phycobilisomes (PBS) are massive structures that absorb and transfer light energy to photochemical reaction centers. Among the range of light harvesting systems, PBS are considered to be excellent solutions for absorption cross-sections but relatively inefficient energy transferring systems. This is due to the combination of a large number of chromophores with intermediate coupling distances. Nevertheless, PBS systems persisted from the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis to present day cyanobacteria and red algae, organisms that account for approximately half of the primary productivity in the ocean. In this study we modeled energy transfer through subsets of PBS structures, using a comprehensive dynamic Hamiltonian model. Our approach was applied, initially, to pairs of phycobilin hexamers and then extended to short rods. By manipulating the distances and angles between the structures we could probe the dynamics of exciton transfer. These simulations suggest that the PBS chromophore network enhances energy distribution over the entire PBS structure, both horizontally and vertically to the rod axis. Furthermore, energy transfer was found to be relatively immune to the effects of distances or rotations, within the range of intermediate coupling distances. Therefore, we suggest that the PBS provides unique advantages and flexibility to aquatic photosynthesis.