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GARY BRUDVIG

Photosystem II is the chloroplast membrane protein complex that catalyzes the light-induced oxidation of water to molecular oxygen in the first step of photosynthetic electron transport. We use spectroscopic, biophysical, computational and molecular biological methods to probe the structure and function of the redox centers, the kinetics and yields of electron-transfer reactions, and the chemistry of water oxidation in photosystem II. Our goal is to define how Nature has solved the difficult problem of efficient light-driven, four-electron oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. The studies on photosystem II provide insight into the design of artificial systems that split water. In conjunction with our biophysical studies of the natural photosynthetic system, we are also investigating inorganic models of the tetramanganese active site in photosystem II. The synergism between the inorganic and biological chemistry is an important aspect of this research and has recently yielded the first inorganic manganese water-oxidation catalyst.

Selected Publications
Das, S., Incarvito, C.D., Crabtree, R.H. and Brudvig, G.W. Molecular recognition in the selective oxygenation of saturated C-H bonds by a dimanganese catalyst. Science 312, 1941-1943 (2006)

Tracewell, C.A. and Brudvig, G.W. Multiple redox-active chlorophylls in the secondary electron-transfer pathways of oxygen-evolving photosystem II. Biochemistry 47, 11559-11572 (2008)

Moore, G.F. and Brudvig, G.W. Energy conversion in photosynthesis: A paradigm for solar fuel production. Annu. Rev. Condensed Matter Phys. 2, 303-327 (2011)

Pokhrel, R., McConnell, I.L. and Brudvig, G.W. Chloride Regulation of Enzyme Turnover: Application to the Role of Chloride in Photosystem II. Biochemistry 50, 2725-2734 (2011)

Luber, S., Rivalta, I., Umena, Y., Kawakami, K., Shen, J.-R., Kamiya, N., Brudvig, G.W. and Batista, V.S. S1-State Model of the O2-Evolving Complex of Photosystem II. Biochemistry 50, 6308-6311 (2011)

Blankenship, R.E., Tiede, D.M., Barber, J., Brudvig, G.W. et al. Comparing Photosynthetic and Photovoltaic Efficiencies and Recognizing the Potential for Improvement. Science 332, 805-809 (2011)

Last Updated 7/21/11 myc