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Title: Quieting a noisy antenna reproduces photosynthetic light-harvesting spectra
Photosynthesis achieves near unity light-harvesting quantum efficiency yet it remains unknown whether there exists a fundamental organizing principle giving rise to robust light harvesting in the presence of dynamic light conditions and noisy physiological environments. Here, we present a noise-canceling network model that relates noisy physiological conditions, power conversion efficiency, and the resulting absorption spectra of photosynthetic organisms. Using light conditions in full solar exposure, light filtered by oxygenic phototrophs, and light filtered under seawater, we derived optimal absorption characteristics for efficient solar power conversion. We show how light-harvesting antennae can be tuned to maximize power conversion efficiency by minimizing excitation noise, thus providing a unified theoretical basis for the observed wavelength dependence of absorption in green plants, purple bacteria, and green sulfur bacteria.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1651247
PAR ID:
10223539
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Science
Volume:
368
Issue:
6498
ISSN:
0036-8075
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1490 to 1495
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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