Towards in-cell structural study of light-harvesting complexes : an investigation with MAS-NMR

Light-Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) is responsible for light absorption and excitation energy transfer in plants and photosynthetic algae, while in high light it undergoes conformational changes by which it quenches excitations to prevent photodamage. The underlying molecular picture of these conformational changes has not yet been resolved. The main target of the research described in this thesis is to address the conformational dynamics of photosynthetic Light Harvesting Complex II and the role of the membrane environment. Hereto, I explored NMR-based methods that could eventually probe the molecular structure and dynamics of photosynthetic components in-vivo in functional membranes or cell systems.