Tesfaye Assefa

Tesfaye Assefa

PhD Student

University of Pretoria

Photosynthesis is the fundamental mechanism by which almost all life forms get their energy from sunlight either directly or directly. An important property in photosynthesis, which is also the focus of my PhD project, is photoprotection. Photoprotection is performed by a complex set of mechanisms that organisms employ to prevent damage of their photosynthetic apparatus under conditions of high solar light intensities. A detailed study of the different kinds of photoprotection mechanisms will not only enhance our understanding of photosynthesis but will also contribute to the development of new bioinspired solar cells that realise artificial photosynthesis. I am studying photoprotection in the main light harvesting protein complex of cyanobacteria, known as phycobilisomes, using single-molecule spectroscopy.