Chinese Team’s Breakthrough on Coccolithophores Graces Science Cover
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A Chinese team’s atomic-level decoding of coccolithophores’ photosynthetic prowess, featured on the cover of Science, unlocks secrets to efficient light use and carbon capture, promising breakthroughs in climate change solutions.
Coccolithophores, the ocean’s “photosynthesis masters,” excel at capturing sunlight and play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide and regulating the global carbon cycle. A team led by Wang Wenda and Tian Lijin from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Botany has, for the first time, decoded the atomic-level mechanisms behind their light-adaptation prowess, earning a cover feature in the top journal Science. This marks a major breakthrough in photosynthetic evolution research.
While coccolithophores were known to thrive across varying ocean depths, their microscopic efficiency in harnessing light remained a mystery. The team successfully mapped the 3D structure of a key “photosynthetic machine” (PSI-FCPI supercomplex), comprising 51 protein subunits and 819 pigment molecules—an immense structure.
Its brilliance lies in three features: 38 “light-harvesting antennas” surround the core, forming a “vortex” to expand light capture; specialized pigments precisely absorb deep-sea blue-green and green light; and an “energy transfer network” boosts conversion efficiency.
Beyond solving a scientific puzzle, this discovery holds practical promise. It could guide the design of novel photosynthesis-related proteins and the development of “high-carbon-sink biological resources”—organisms engineered to absorb CO2 more efficiently, offering significant potential for combating climate change and advancing synthetic biology.
Source: Guangming Daily
