TY - JOUR

T1 - A force awakens

T2 - exploiting solar energy beyond photosynthesis

AU - Russo, David A

AU - Zedler, Julie A Z

AU - Erik Jensen, Poul

N1 - © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

PY - 2019/3/1

Y1 - 2019/3/1

N2 - In recent years, efforts to exploit sunlight, a free and abundant energy source, have sped up dramatically. Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, such as higher plants, algae and cyanobacteria, can very efficiently convert solar energy into chemical energy using water as an electron donor. Therefore, by providing organic building blocks for life, photosynthesis is undoubtedly one of the most important processes on Earth. The aim of light-driven catalysis is to harness solar energy, in the form of reducing power, to drive enzymatic reactions requiring electrons for their catalytic cycle. Light-driven enzymes have been shown to have a large number of biotechnological applications that range from the production of high-value secondary metabolites to the development of green chemistry processes. Here, we highlight recent key developments in the field of light-driven catalysis using biological components. We will also discuss strategies to design and optimise light-driven systems in order to develop the next generation of sustainable solutions in biotechnology.

AB - In recent years, efforts to exploit sunlight, a free and abundant energy source, have sped up dramatically. Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, such as higher plants, algae and cyanobacteria, can very efficiently convert solar energy into chemical energy using water as an electron donor. Therefore, by providing organic building blocks for life, photosynthesis is undoubtedly one of the most important processes on Earth. The aim of light-driven catalysis is to harness solar energy, in the form of reducing power, to drive enzymatic reactions requiring electrons for their catalytic cycle. Light-driven enzymes have been shown to have a large number of biotechnological applications that range from the production of high-value secondary metabolites to the development of green chemistry processes. Here, we highlight recent key developments in the field of light-driven catalysis using biological components. We will also discuss strategies to design and optimise light-driven systems in order to develop the next generation of sustainable solutions in biotechnology.

U2 - 10.1093/jxb/erz054

DO - 10.1093/jxb/erz054

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30773590

VL - 70

SP - 1703

EP - 1710

JO - Journal of Experimental Botany

JF - Journal of Experimental Botany

SN - 0022-0957

IS - 6

ER -