US-France Cooperative Research Investigation of the Role of the Iron Metal in the Interquinone Electron Transfer in Bacterial Reaction Centers

Cuny City College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

0233310 Gunner This two-year award for U.S.-France cooperative research in photosynthesis involves Marilyn Gunner and graduate students at City College of the City University of New York and Pierre Sebban and his students at the Center for Molecular Genetics of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). The objective is to determine protein structure and electron transfer in the photosynthetic reaction centers of purple bacteria. These bacteria allow light-activated, single turn-over measurements. The investigators propose to determine barriers to specific molecular changes in the protein. The French team will construct reaction center mutants for study of the molecular basis for determining in electron transfer between quinone A and quinone B. The US team will be in charge of low temperature experiments and other measurements. This award represents the U.S. side of a joint proposal to the NSF and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). NSF will cover travel funds and living expenses for the U.S. investigator and research visits for two U.S. graduate students. The CNRS will support the visits of the French researchers to the United States.