Metalloprotein photoactivation: Structural dynamics and electron transfer

This project aims to find and understand new mechanisms and means of controlling long-range electron transfer in protein systems, relevant to development of fotocatalytic systems for artificial photosynthesis, photoenzymes, and protein-based electronic/photonic devices. In addition, new functional model systems based on azurin and cytochrome mutants will be designed, synthesized, and characterized. Specifically, the project will concentrate on three areas: i) acceleration of long-range electron transfer by electron-hopping through intervening tryptophan residues in Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin mutants, ii) coupling between electron-transfer and structural relaxation dynamics in azurins and cytochromes, and, iii) development, synthesis and characterization of new chromophores triggering electron-transfer in biomolecules and of new functional protein-based systems.