Observation of Dark States in Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectra of Chlorosomes.

Observations of low-lying dark states in several photosynthetic complexes challenge our understanding of the mechanisms behind their efficient energy transfer processes. Computational models are necessary for providing novel insights into the nature and function of dark states, especially since these are not directly accessible in spectroscopy experiments. Here, we will focus on signatures of dark-type states in chlorosomes, a light-harvesting complex from green sulfur bacteria well-known for uniting a broad absorption band with very efficient energy transfer.

An integrated approach towards extracting structural characteristics of chlorosomes from a mutant of .

Chlorosomes, the photosynthetic antenna complexes of green sulfur bacteria, are paradigms for light-harvesting elements in artificial designs, owing to their efficient energy transfer without protein participation. We combined magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR, optical spectroscopy and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to characterize the structure of chlorosomes from a mutant of . The chlorosomes of this mutant have a more uniform composition of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) with a predominant homolog, [8Ethyl, 12Ethyl] BChl , compared to the wild type (WT).

Analyzing Lipid Membrane Defects via a Coarse-Grained to Triangulated Surface Map: The Role of Lipid Order and Local Curvature in Molecular Binding.

Lipid packing defects are known to serve as quantitative indicators for protein binding to lipid membranes. This paper presents a protocol for mapping molecular lipid detail onto a triangulated continuum leaflet representation. Besides establishing the desired forward counterpart to the existing inverse TS2CG map, this coarse-grained to triangulated surface (CG2TS) map enables straightforward extraction of the defect characteristics for any membrane geometry found in nature.

Covalent Benzenesulfonic Functionalization of a Graphene Nanopore for Enhanced and Selective Proton Transport.

A fundamental understanding of proton transport through graphene nanopores, defects, and vacancies is essential for advancing two-dimensional proton exchange membranes (PEMs). This study employs ReaxFF molecular dynamics, metadynamics, and density functional theory to investigate the enhanced proton transport through a graphene nanopore. Covalently functionalizing the nanopore with a benzenesulfonic group yields consistent improvements in proton permeability, with a lower activation barrier (≈0.

Phase-Separated Lipid-Based Nanoparticles: Selective Behavior at the Nano-Bio Interface.

The membrane-protein interface on lipid-based nanoparticles influences their in vivo behavior. Better understanding may evolve current drug delivery methods toward effective targeted nanomedicine. Previously, the cell-selective accumulation of a liposome formulation in vivo is demonstrated, through the recognition of lipid phase-separation by triglyceride lipases.