TOPICS

Aug 26, 2025

  • NEWS
  • Lecture / Seminar

The 2nd Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (ReCAP) Lecture Series of FY2025 was held.

Due to the scheduled closing of the Media Center (Library), the main entrance was locked. Despite this, the event was well-attended by approximately 20 participants, including those joining online.

The lecture introduced "single-particle spectroscopy," a technique that enables the observation of the behavior of individual particles—something that can only be captured as a statistical average in conventional spectroscopy. Since this method sensitively reflects structural changes within molecular assemblies, it is possible to estimate characteristic structures by comparing experimental results with calculations based on structural models.

In this session, the latest research was presented on the application of this method to "photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes," which are composed of a large number of assembled dye molecules. The correspondence between individual photoresponses and the integrated structure of the dye molecules was explained in detail. Furthermore, it was suggested that these unique integrated structures may arise from subtle differences in the chemical structures of the dyes.
A lively Q&A session followed the lecture, reflecting the high level of interest among the participants.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated.

Jürgen-Köhler

  • Lecture Title:
    Natural and Biomimetic Light-Harvesting Nanotubes in the Light of Single-Molecule Spectroscopy.
  • Speaker: Professor Jürgen Köhler (University of Bayreuth, Germany)
  • Date & Time: Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 16:00–17:00
  • Venue: Cultural Exchange Room (1F), Media Center, Sugimoto Campus, Osaka Metropolitan University
    (Note: The main entrance will be closed for maintenance. Please enter through the side entrance on the Faculty of Engineering side.)
  • Registration: No pre-registration required. Free of charge. Please come directly to the venue.
  • Supported by:
    Joint Research Center for Catalysis and Measurement (JCCM)
    Research Group on CO2 Conversion Catalysts, the Catalytic Society of Japan
    Research Group on Bio-related Catalysts, the Catalytic Society of Japan
    CN Coalition Promotion Office / Innovation Working Group

⇒Flyer for the ReCAP Lecture Series

We have organized a lecture by Professor Jürgen Köhler, a leading expert in single-particle spectroscopy of photosynthetic light-harvesting systems. As this is a special opportunity to hear him speak in a way that is accessible and easy to understand for chemists, we encourage everyone to attend.

Organizer: Ritsuko Fujii (Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis / Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science (Concurrent))
Contact: ritsuko[at]omu.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with @) / Extension: 3624

Lecture Abstract

How do photosynthetic antennas utilize sunlight so efficiently? Chlorosomes are the light-harvesting systems of green sulfur bacteria, composed of a vast number of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) molecules. It is believed that the heterogeneity in the number and molecular arrangement of BChls within individual chlorosomes leads to their highly efficient light-harvesting capabilities. Single-particle spectroscopy is particularly well-suited for addressing this topic, as it enables the detection of specific and distinctive spectral features of individual molecules that are otherwise obscured in ensemble-averaged spectra. In this lecture, I will discuss these topics using natural chlorosomes and biomimetic light-harvesting nanotubes as examples.

(Reference: Jansen et al., Chem. Phys. Rev. 5 (2024), 041305)