First Snapshots Of Photosynthesis in Action Captured by Researchers

A team of researchers were able to observe the first snapshots of photosynthesis in action as it split water into protons, electrons, and oxygen. The groundbreaking study published in Nature was carried out by an international team led by Arizona State University (ASU) scientists.

The first images of photosynthesis were captured by researchers at ASU. (Photo: Flickr)

Photosynthesis is the process that maintains Earth’s oxygen atmosphere and ensures air is made of things we need to breathe it and survive.

‘This study is the first step towards our ultimate goal of unraveling the secrets of water splitting and obtaining molecular movies of biomolecules,’ said Professor Petra Fromme, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at ASU and leader of the research team.
By observing the first stage of the process in action, the researchers say they’ve gotten a better understanding of how plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, and what may ultimately be an important step to a future where artificial plants are created that are more efficient than their organic siblings.

Early Earth contained no oxygen and was only converted to the oxygen-rich atmosphere we have today 2.5 billion years ago by the “invention” of the water splitting process that occurs in photosynthesis.

This water splitting process â€" known as photosystem II (PSII) â€" produces the oxygen we breathe and what ultimately keeps us alive.

The development of an ‘artificial leaf’ is one of the main goals for the ASU Center for Bio-Inspired Solar Fuel Production, which was the main supporter of this study.

Director of the center, Professor Devens Gust, explained that they are attempting to find a way to turn water into oxygen gas, hydrogen ions and electrons similar to how plants do.

‘Photosynthetic organisms already know how to do this, and we need to know the details of how photosynthesis carries out the process using abundant manganese and calcium,’ he said.

‘Once the mechanism of photosynthetic water oxidation is understood, chemists can begin to design artificial photosynthetic catalysts that will allow them to produce useful fuels using sunlight.’