The main interest of this group concerns the structure and physico-chemical properties of membrane proteins involved in the primary phase of light energy conversion, both in photosynthesis and, more recently, in human vision.
Team Leader
Bruno Robert
bruno.robert@cea.fr
Of particular interest are the pigment molecules bound by these proteins, which constitute their active-site cofactors. Light is a vital ingredient for life, but at the same time an excess of light energy (in terms of light intensity or quality) can be a source of stress for living cells. Our research concerns the collection and perception of light, as well as the process(es) of photoprotection. It is centered around several principal areas :
- Assembly and structure of membrane antenna proteins from purple bacteria
- Structure and regulation of antenna proteins in chloroplasts
- Cyanobacterial antenna.