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Energy transfer in a single self-aggregated photosynthetic unit
Clemens Hofmann1, Francesco Francia, Giovanni Venturoli
1Experimental Physics IV and BZMB, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany. clemens.hofmann@uni-bayreuth.de
Abstract:
The primary events of bacterial photosynthesis rely on the interplay of various specialized protein complexes organized in a supramolecular structure commonly termed the photosynthetic unit (PSU), which consists of the photochemical reaction center and of an associated antenna network. Employing single-molecule spectroscopic techniques we have been able to observe the excitation-energy transfer within a single PSU. From these findings we conclude that the building blocks of the PSU spontaneously form stable, functional aggregates in a non-membrane environment.