Phys.org April 4, 2018
Plants and algae use chlorophyll to absorb energy from the Sun to power photosynthesis at wavelengths up to 720 nm. Researchers in the UK studied photosynthetic LH1-RC complex from the bacterium Blastochloris viridis, which can harvest and use light at wavelengths over 1,000 nm. They showed how it converts near-infrared light into an electrical charge to power cell metabolism, which enables the bacterium to live at the extreme red limit of photosynthesis on Earth. The study gives an insight into the efficiency and limits of photosynthesis… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
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