New form of Chlorophyll Discovered

Introduction

Botanists claim to have found a new form of chlorophyll which can absorb more near-infrared light. It is one of the reddest forms of chlorophyll discovered and researchers say it could lead to new bio-energy applications in the future. It could be harnessed to help solar cells convert light into electricity.

Chlorophyll is needed for photosynthesis in plants and helps convert light into chemical energy.The new pigment dubbed Chlorophyll f has a different chemical composition. Extracted from cultures of cyanobacteria and other oxygenic microorganisms chlorophyll f, may allow certain photosynthetic life forms to harvest energy from wavelengths of light that many of their competitors cannot use.

Source

Down To Earth, September 2010