Techniques and New Developments in Photosynthesis Research


Book Description

From July 31 to August 13 a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Photosynthesis was held at the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School on the Island of Spetsai. Greece. The Institute focused on techniques and recent advances in photosynthesis research and brought together teachers and students with a wide range of interest and experience. It was a very stimulating occasion which allowed cross-fertilization to occur between biophysicists. biochemists, molecular biologists and physiologists. Lectures and discussions ran~ed from the description of the molecular structure of the photosynthetIc bacterial reaction centre and of tobacco Rubisco through to the regulation of carbon metabolism and the application of genetic engeering. This book is comprised of the contents of the major lectures and a selection of relevant posters displayed at the Institute. Taken together the book is an excellent representation of the most up to date thoughts and activities in photosynthesis research across a wide, but interlocking. spectrum of topics. The papers presented here are a written record of the high quality of both the lecturers and students alike and emphasises the value of the NATO ASI series as a reference source. The successful organisation of the Institute and the production of this book would not have been possible without the support of our colleagues. We therefore wish to thank Pam Cook, Lyn Barber. Niki Gounaris, Alison Telfer. Sotiria Nikolaidon, David Chapman, Steven Mayes and Wei Qiu Wang for all their help during the course of the Institute.







Advances in Photosynthesis Research


Book Description

The Sixth International Congress on Photosynthesis took place from 1 to 6 August 1983, on the Campus of the "Vrije Universiteit Brussel", in Brussels, Belgium. These Proceedings contain most of the scientific contributions offered during the Congress. The Brussels Congress was the largest thus far held in the series of International Congresses on Photosynthesis. It counted over 1100 active participants. The organizers tried to minimize the disadvantages of such a large size by making maximum use of the facili ties available on a university campus. Most contributions were offered in the form of posters which were displayed in a substantial number of classrooms. The discussion sessions, twice a day, four or five in parallel, took place in lecture rooms in the very vicinity of these classrooms. In this way it was attempted to generate the atmosphere of a small meeting. The unity of the subject Photosynthesis was preserved in the ten plenary lectures, organ~sed in such a way that a general overview of two diverse topics was given every day. In addition, there were the five times four parallel symposia dealing with some six teen general topics. Every editor of proceedings of a congress is faced with the problem of editing and arranging the contributions, a problem compounded by the wide diversity and the large number of the 753 manuscripts.




Applied Photosynthesis


Book Description

Using the energy from sunlight, photosynthesis usually converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, which are important for all living creatures. Photosynthesis is one of the most important reactions on Earth, and it is a scientific field that is intrinsically interdisciplinary, and many research groups have considered photosynthesis. The aim of this book is to provide new progresses on applied aspects of photosynthesis, and different research groups collected their voluble results from study of this interesting process. All sections have been written by experts in their fields, and book chapters present different and new subjects on photosynthesis.




Molecular Mechanisms of Photosynthesis


Book Description

The classic and authoritative textbook, Molecular Mechanisms of Photosynthesis,is now fully revised and updated in this much-anticipated second edition. Whilst retaining the first edition’s clear writing style and accessible description of this complex process, updates now include cutting-edge applications of photosynthesis, such as to bioenergy and artificial photosynthesis as well as new analytical techniques. Written by a leading authority in photosynthesis research, this new edition is presented in full color with clear, student-friendly illustrations. An interdisciplinary approach to photosynthesis is taken, with coverage including the basic principles of energy storage, the history and early development of photosynthesis, electron transfer pathways, genetics and evolution. A comprehensive appendix, containing an introduction to the basic chemical and physical principles involved in photosynthesis, is also included. Molecular Mechanisms of Photosynthesis,second edition, is an indispensable text for all students of plant biology, bioenergy, and molecular biology, in addition to researchers in these and related fields looking for an accessible introduction to this vital and integral process to life on earth. stresses an interdisciplinary approach emphasizes recent advances in molecular structures and mechanisms includes the latest insights and research on structural information, improved techniques as well as advances in biochemical and genetic methods comprehensive appendix, which includes a detailed introduction to the physical basis of photosynthesis, including thermodynamics, kinetics, and spectroscopy associated website with downloadable figures as powerpoint slides for teaching




Biophysical Techniques in Photosynthesis


Book Description

Progress in photosynthesis research is strongly dependent on instrumentation. It is therefore not surpr- ing that the impressive advances that have been made in recent decades are paralleled by equally impressive advances in sensitivity and sophistication of physical equipment and methods. This trend started already shortly after the war, in work by pioneers like Lou Duysens, the late Stacy French, Britton Chance, Horst Witt, George Feher and others, but it really gained momentum in the seventies and especially the eighties when pulsed lasers, pulsed EPR spectrometers and solid-state electronics acquired a more and more prominent role on the scene of scientific research. This book is different from most others because it focuses on the techniques rather than on the scientific questions involved. Its purpose is three-fold, and this purpose is reflected in each chapter: (i) to give the reader sufficient insight in the basic principles of a method to understand its applications (ii) to give information on the practical aspects of the method and (iii) to discuss some of the results obtained in photosynthesis research in order to provide insight in its potentalities. We hope that in this way the reader will obtain sufficient information for a critical assessment of the relevant literature, and, perhaps more important, will gain inspiration to tackle problems in his own field of research. The book is not intended to give a comprehensive review of photosynthesis, but nevertheless offers various views on the exciting developments that are going on.




Photosynthesis in Action


Book Description

Photosynthesis in Action examines the molecular mechanisms, adaptations and improvements of photosynthesis. With a strong focus on the latest research and advances, the book also analyzes the impact the process has on the biosphere and the effect of global climate change. Fundamental topics such as harvesting light, the transport of electronics and fixing carbon are discussed. The book also reviews the latest research on how abiotic stresses affect these key processes as well as how to improve each of them. This title explains how the process is flexible in adaptations and how it can be engineered to be made more effective. End users will be able to see the significance and potential of the processes of photosynthesis. Edited by renowned experts with leading contributors, this is an essential read for students and researchers interested in photosynthesis, plant science, plant physiology and climate change. Provides essential information on the complex sequence of photosynthetic energy transduction and carbon fixation Covers fundamental concepts and the latest advances in research, as well as real-world case studies Offers the mechanisms of the main steps of photosynthesis together with how to make improvements in these steps Edited by renowned experts in the field Presents a user-friendly layout, with templated elements throughout to highlight key learnings in each chapter




Biophysical Techniques in Photosynthesis


Book Description

Since the first volume on Biophysical Techniques in Photosynthesis Research, published in 1996, new experimental techniques and methods have been devised at a rapid pace. The present book is a sequel which complements the publication of the first volume by providing a comprehensive overview of the most important new techniques developed over the past ten years, especially those that are relevant for research on the mechanism and fundamental aspects of photosynthesis.




Discoveries in Photosynthesis


Book Description

"Life Is Bottled Sunshine" [Wynwood Reade, Martyrdom of Man, 1924]. This inspired phrase is a four-word summary of the significance of photosynthesis for life on earth. The study of photosynthesis has attracted the attention of a legion of biologists, biochemists, chemists and physicists for over 200 years. Discoveries in Photosynthesis presents a sweeping overview of the history of photosynthesis investigations, and detailed accounts of research progress in all aspects of the most complex bioenergetic process in living organisms. Conceived of as a way of summarizing the history of research advances in photosynthesis as of millennium 2000, the book evolved into a majestic and encyclopedic saga involving all of the basic sciences. The book contains 111 papers, authored by 132 scientists from 19 countries. It includes overviews; timelines; tributes; minireviews on excitation energy transfer, reaction centers, oxygen evolution, light-harvesting and pigment-protein complexes, electron transport and ATP synthesis, techniques and applications, biogenesis and membrane architecture, reductive and assimilatory processes, transport, regulation and adaptation, Genetics, and Evolution; laboratories and national perspectives; and retrospectives that end in a list of photosynthesis symposia, books and conferences. Informal and formal photographs of scientists make it a wonderful book to have. This book is meant not only for the researchers and graduate students, but also for advanced undergraduates in Plant Biology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and History of Science.




Methods in Molecular Biology


Book Description