Chemical Physics seminar: A Biophysical Regulatory Axis Regulating Photosynthesis Under Extreme Light Variability

Seminar given by Dr. Heidi Burdett, Associate Professor of Marine Science and Sustainability at Umeå University. 

Dr. Burdett is interested in understanding the fundamental processes underlying photosynthesis in the coastal marine environment, and in the use of this knowledge to improve coastal conservation and sustainability.

Photosynthesis sustains almost all life on Earth, yet its capacity to function when light is scarce, spectrally distorted, or highly variable remains poorly understood. These limitations are most acute in environments where light is persistently constrained by physical processes, such as in the ocean's mesophotic zone. Using structural imaging, and fluorescence, ultra-fast and absorbance spectroscopies, we are starting to uncover the secrets of photosynthetic function in these marginal light environments - revealing the importance of biophysical interactions in channelling photo-physiological responses and carbon allocation.