Photosynthesis is the primary biological process on Earth that captures and converts solar energy, driving carbon assimilation and sustaining the production of food, feed, fuels, and bio-based materials. Although photosynthetic systems operate with remarkable robustness, their efficiency is constrained by environmental variability and intrinsic biochemical limitations. Developing a predictive, mechanistic understanding of how photosynthetic energy capture, conversion, and storage are assembled, regulated, and maintained across biological scales is essential to advancing fundamental knowledge in energy-relevant biology.

This project brings together an interdisciplinary team at the Michigan State University–DOE Plant Research Laboratory to elucidate the fundamental principles governing photosynthetic function in cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The research integrates molecular, cellular, biochemical, biophysical, computational, and systems-level approaches to define how photosynthetic machinery is constructed, coordinated, and dynamically adjusted in response to fluctuating conditions.

The program is organized around three tightly integrated themes. The Assembly theme will determine how protein complexes, cofactors, and subcellular compartments of the photosynthetic apparatus are synthesized, targeted, and organized into functional architectures. The Coordination theme will define how energy transfer and carbon flux are regulated across interconnected photosynthetic pathways, including light harvesting, electron transport, carbon assimilation, and photorespiration. The Adaptation theme will establish how photosynthetic organisms maintain performance, minimize molecular damage, and adjust metabolic and organellar processes in oxygen-rich and fluctuating environments.

By advancing quantitative and mechanistic insight into photosynthetic energy transduction and carbon metabolism, this research will establish foundational principles for predictive understanding and rational manipulation of biological energy systems. The outcomes will generate new genetic, biochemical, predictive, and imaging tools and provide a knowledge base to enable future innovations in plant productivity, bio-based manufacturing, and energy-relevant biotechnology.

This work supports the DOE mission to advance fundamental scientific knowledge of energy-related processes and to strengthen U.S. leadership in biological and materials research.