Martedì 18 giugno 2024 - Ore 14:30 - Aula 33
Prof.ssa Nicoletta Liguori
ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
  Seminario  

Plants and algae provide a natural example of how solar energy can be converted into chemical energy in the presence of oxygen while avoiding photodamage. It has now been established that plants and algae prevent photooxidation by activating a rapidly inducible and reversible photoprotective mechanism at the level of their light-harvesting complexes. However, the precise activation process of this photoprotective mechanism remains unknown. We will here introduce our current understanding of how light-harvesting is regulated in plants and algae and, more generally, in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. We will then highlight the tools, especially in the field of ultrafast spectroscopy, developed by our group aimed at unraveling the molecular mechanisms governing the activation of photoprotection in photosynthetic organisms. Understanding both the mechanism and the rate at which plants can activate or deactivate photoprotection will provide answers to long-standing open questions in the fields of biophysics and physical chemistry. This knowledge will also be instrumental in inspiring new studies focused on maximizing plant productivity through the optimization of photoprotective responses—a recent, groundbreaking avenue of research.