SHORTIES
Photosynthesis: The Movie Some parts of the photosynthesis process happen so fast that, for a long time, scientists have only known its broader mechanisms. They’re missing key things that take place in a matter of nanoseconds. To get to the bottom of the mystery, researchers at Imperial College London developed a discovery process in collaboration with Johannes Kepler University in Austria. First, they created crystals of the Photosystem II enzyme where plants use light energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Then by using ultra fast laser pulsing, the team in London was able to capture the photosynthesis chemical reactions on video in real time. And using infrared spectroscopy they found it possible to actually measure the electron movements across miniscule parts of the system.
Now they know exactly how and when the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy happens. They hope this knowledge will help make artificial photosynthesis in biofuel production more efficient. Source: www.bit.ly/photo-movie