University of Connecticut |
Polymer Program SeminarProgress toward Optimized Protein-based Photonic Materials Friday, February 24, 2006 11:00 am , IMS Room 20 Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is the primary photoactive protein in the cell membrane of Halobacterium salinarum, an extreme-halophile archaebacteria that exists in harsh environments characterized by high salt concentrations, elevated temperatures, and high light flux. Bacteriorhodopsin’s physiological role is one of photosynthesis; upon absorption of light, the protein’s retinal chromopore isomerizes, and initiates a series of thermal intermediates that ultimately resets the protein and chromophore to its original state—for every photon absorbed, the protein pumps a proton across the cell membrane. The resulting chemiosmotic gradient is harnessed by the cell to synthesize ATP via a standard F0F1 ATPase. A perhaps unexpected role for BR has been found in the field of biomolecular electronics and photonics, where it has application as the active element in photonic and holographic devices, including computer memories, nondestructive testing interferometers, spatial light modulators, associative memories, and chemical sensors—all of these devices take advantage of the unique way in which BR interacts with light, and our ability to modulate that interaction. Several of the photocycle intermediates have device applications. The presentation will focus on recent progress in toward the optimization of bacteriorhodopsin for photonic applications, specifically optical memory applications and chemical sensors.
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