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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Autofluorescence Imaging to Evaluate Red Algae Physiology

Autofluorescence Imaging to Evaluate Red Algae Physiology

Published on: February 17, 2023

A red-shifted chlorophyll.

Min Chen¹, Martin Schliep, Robert D Willows

¹School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. min.chen@sydney.edu.au

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|August 21, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered chlorophyll f, a new pigment extending photosynthesis into the infrared spectrum. This fifth chlorophyll type, [2-formyl]-chlorophyll a, may offer new bioenergy possibilities.

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Photosynthesis Research
Plant Science

Background:

Chlorophylls are vital pigments for light harvesting in photosynthesis.
Four types of chlorophyll have been recognized for six decades.
Oxygenic phototrophs utilize chlorophylls for energy transduction.

Purpose of the Study:

To report the isolation and characterization of a novel chlorophyll pigment.
To determine the chemical structure of the newly discovered chlorophyll.
To explore the implications of this finding for photosynthesis and bioenergy.

Main Methods:

Isolation of the novel chlorophyll pigment.
Spectroscopic analysis including optical, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
Chemical structure elucidation based on spectral data.

Main Results:

A fifth chlorophyll, designated chlorophyll f, was isolated.
Chlorophyll f exhibits red-shifted absorption (706 nm) and fluorescence (722 nm) maxima.
The proposed structure of chlorophyll f is [2-formyl]-chlorophyll a (C55H70O6N4Mg).

Conclusions:

Oxygenic photosynthesis can occur further into the infrared region.
The discovery of chlorophyll f expands our understanding of photosynthetic pigments.
Potential applications in bioenergy may arise from this finding.