Membrane Protein Engineering

Photosynthetic reaction center: A novel quantum electronic circuit element

Living cells contain a large variety of biomolecular complexes which self-assemble, recognize and control each other. These nanoscale devices, referred to as bionanodevices, perform critical cell functions such as gene expression, energy conversion, motion, signaling and metabolism. Recent advances in nanotechnology have paved the way to new possibilities and challenges for integrating highly efficient bionanodevices, designed and perfected by Nature during billions of years of evolution, into useful electronic devices. The main scientific and technological challenge in achieving this goal is the successful linkage of the biological components with the conventional, inorganic components. We are developing, implementing, and characterizing a new photobioelectronic device which converts light energy (photons) into an electronic signal by using the photosynthetic reaction center of purple bacteria as the active photoelement.