Author: Mark Doyal, Second Year, Biology

Amount Requested: $4,200

 

Photosynthesis is the process by which living matter converts light energy into chemical energy.  It not only sustains our primary food source, plants, but also reduces the levels of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.  With the human population and carbon dioxide levels on the rise, it is becoming increasingly in our best interest to attempt to aid this process.  It was in this spirit that this project was conceived.

 

 

How can one enhance photosynthesis?  Perhaps by making plants black, allowing them to absorb all available visible light.  Toward this ultimate goal, the intent of this project is to convert some of the light that would have been reflected (i.e. green light) into a wavelength that chlorophyll can absorb (red light) by use of a fluorescent protein.  To this end, a pBI121 plasmid construct will be prepared to express a fusion protein of the GFP variant mCherry and the Petunia Chloroplast Localization Signal (mC-CLS) under control of the CaMV 35S promoter.  By means of Agrobacterium tumefaciens root transformation this fusion protein will be expressed in tobacco.  Fluorescence microscopy will be conducted to determine protein yield and confirm chloroplasmic localization.  UV/VIS absorption data and emission/excitation data will be collected on the fusion protein and the protein’s fluorescence quantum yield will be calculated.  The protein’s identity would be confirmed by mass spectrometry.  Absorption data will then be collected on chloroplast solutions of the transformed plants in water and compared to that of the untransformed.

 

If this novel protein can provide more energy for the photosynthetic engine, it may be able to increase the rate of the process.  This in turn could result in faster growing plants, which would be invaluable to humankind’s efforts to feed its rapidly reproducing ranks and through increased carbon dioxide consumption, to reduce the world’s wild rate of warming.  Oh my!