Principles of Biochemistry, Volume 2 - A. Lehninger 1985

Bioenergetics and Metabolism
Photosynthesis
Photosynthetic organisms serve as models for the design of solar cells

The photosynthetic machinery of METABOLISM/14.html">Chloroplasts converts solar energy into the chemical energy of ATP and NADPH with remarkable efficiency. Consequently, extensive research is underway to mimic these processes in simpler artificial molecular systems, thereby harnessing the endless stream of solar energy pouring onto Earth. Modern solar Cells rely on expensive solid Materials, such as crystalline silicon, as light-energy receptors, yet they fall far short of the efficiency achieved by plant chloroplasts. If we could fully grasp, at the molecular and subatomic levels, the principles by which chlorophyll and Bacteriorhodopsin function as highly efficient light-energy traps, while also uncovering how electrical charges and H⁺ ions are distributed across membranes to generate energy-rich electrochemical gradients, we might be able to efficiently replicate these processes using inexpensive materials. Fundamental biochemical and biophysical investigations of energy-transducing membranes in Photosynthetic organisms are therefore vital not only for unraveling the mysteries of nature. They may also yield profound long-term practical implications for human endeavors such as agriculture, energy production, and mitigating environmental pollution from CO₂, H₂SO₄, and other byproducts generated by the combustion of fossil fuels.

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Fig. 23-31. Crystals of bacteriorhodopsin.