Arizona Board of Regents, a Body Corporate

Arizona State University

Thomas A Moore

Ana L Moore

John Devens Gust, Jr

William H Ralston

Willem Vermaas

Cesar Torres

Justin Flory

Petra Fromme

Bruce Rittman

Giulio Jori

Bradley James Brennan

Paul Anthony Liddell

Miguel Andres Gervaldo

Elena Reddi

James Ward Bridgewater

Alicia Brune

John D Gust, Jr

Methods and apparatus for growing photosynthetic organisms lacking Photosystem II (PSII) function using externally supplied electrons shuttled into the organism using redox mediators to improve photosynthetic output and to produce and recover chemicals of interest. By removing PSII, all PAR photons are funneled toward Photosystem I, thereby significantly increasing the theoretical photon utilization efficiency for COfixation, energy storage and the capacity to synthesize valuable chemicals. Additional genetic modification can be performed to insert or enhance specific metabolic pathways to generate products of commercial interest.

Microbial electro-photosynthesis

Compounds with aryl ring(s) at porphyrin meso position(s) bearing an amino group in position 4 relative to the porphyrin macrocycle, and at least one unsubstituted 5 (hydrogen-bearing) meso position with the 10-, 15-, and/or 20-relationship to the aryl ring bearing the amino group, and metal complexes thereof, feature broad spectral absorption throughout the visible region. These compounds are electropolymerized to form electrically conducting porphyrin and porphyrin-fullerene polymers that are useful in photovoltaic applications. The structure of one such electrically conducting porphyrin polymer is shown below. 

Electrically conducting porphyrin and porphyrin-fullerene electropolymers

The present invention relates to a method for detecting and quantitating NADH/NADand/or NADPH/NADPas well as NADHJNADand/or NADPH/NADPdependent enzymes using a photoelectrochemical cell.

Methods for detection and quantification of analytes

Excitation of a triad artificial photosynthetic reaction center consisting of a porphyrin (P) convalently linked to a fullerene electron acceptor (C) and a carotenoid secondary donor (C) leads to the formation of a long-lived C-P-Ccharge-separated state via photoinduced electron transfer. This reaction occurs in a frozen organic glass down to at least 8 K. At 77 K, charge recombination of C*-P-Coccurs on the &#x3bc;s time scale, and yields solely the carotenoid triplet state. In the presence of a small (20 mT) static magnetic field, the lifetime of the charge-separated state is increased by 50%. This is ascribed to the effect of the magnetic field on interconversion of the singlet and triplet biradicals. At zero field, the initially formed singlet biradical state is in equilibrium with the three triplet biradical sublevels, and all four states have comparable populations. Decay to the carotenoid triplet only occurs from the three triplet sublevels. In the presence of the field, the S and Tstates are still rapidly interconverting, but the Tand Tstates are isolated from the other two due to the electronic Zeeman interaction, and are not significantly populated. Under these conditions, recombination to the triplet occurs only from T, and the lifetime of the charge-separated state increases. This effect can be used as the basis for a magnetically controlled optical or optoelectronic switch (e.g. AND gate).

Magnetic switching of charge separation lifetimes in artificial photosynthetic reaction centers

Excitation of a triad artificial photosynthetic reaction center consisting of a porphyrin (P) convalently linked to a fullerene electron acceptor (C ) and a carotenoid secondary donor (C) leads to the formation of a long-lived C -P-C charge-separated state via photoinduced electron transfer. This reaction occurs in a frozen organic glass down to at least 8 K. At 77 K, charge recombination of C* -P-C occurs on the &mgr;s time scale, and yields solely the carotenoid triplet state. In the presence of a small (20 mT) static magnetic field, the lifetime of the charge-separated state is increased by 50%. This is ascribed to the effect of the magnetic field on interconversion of the singlet and triplet biradicals. At zero field, the initially formed singlet biradical state is in equilibrium with the three triplet biradical sublevels, and all four states have comparable populations. Decay to the carotenoid triplet only occurs from the three triplet sublevels. In the presence of the field, the S and T states are still rapidly interconverting, but the T and T states are isolated from the other two due to the electronic Zeeman interaction, and are not significantly populated. Under these conditions, recombination to the triplet occurs only from T , and the lifetime of the charge-separated state increases. This effect can be used as the basis for a magnetically controlled optical or optoelectronic switch (e.g. AND gate).

A process of pathology or target tissue identification comprising administering an imaging material to a pathology or target tissue bearing mammalian host and irradiating the mammalian host with electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength between about 600 and 1100 nm, and especially in the region of 700 nm and longer wavelengths, whereupon the imaging material, which has been preferentially taken up by the pathology or target tissue, emits light and permits precise identification of the location, size and/or shape of the pathology or target tissue.

Use of long-wavelength electromagnetic radiation and photoprotective tumor localizing agents for diagnosis

Long-wavelength electromagnetic radiation and photoprotective tumor localizing agents for diagnosis

A process of tumor identification comprising administering a carotenoporphyrin to a tumor-bearing mammalian host and irradiating the mammalian host with light whereupon the carotenoporphyrin, which has been preferentially taken up by the tumor tissue, fluoresces and permits precise identification of the location, size and shape of the tumor tissue. An improved process of synthesizing carotenoporphyrins 1-5 is also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

Thomas A Moore