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ASBiM Group (Umena Lab)
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A research group that uses X-ray crystal structure analysis to see how photosynthetic proteins work.
AboutAbout the lab
Seeing the shapes of photosynthetic proteins with X-rays.
The ASBiM Group uses X-ray crystal structure analysis to study the structure and function of proteins involved in photosynthesis.
Its main subject is phycocyanin, an antenna protein that cyanobacteria use to collect light.
The group has studied, at the atomic level, how ions of heavy metals such as mercury and lead interfere with the function of this protein.
Currently, it is investigating how light energy is collected and transferred within phycocyanin, using methods that track changes over very short times.
Key terms
- Crystal structure analysis
- A method for determining molecular structure from crystals of proteins and other molecules. It allows the mechanism of function to be studied at the atomic level.
- Phycocyanin
- An antenna protein in cyanobacteria that collects light energy and passes it to photosystem II, the center of the photosynthetic reaction.
- X-ray free-electron laser
- A light source that emits X-ray pulses as short as femtoseconds. It is used for time-resolved structure analysis that captures fast structural changes.
ResearchResearch themes
In photosynthesis, proteins collect light energy and use it for electron transfer and water splitting. Using crystal structure analysis with X-ray free-electron lasers and other sources, the group aims to reveal from structure how photosynthetic proteins work and how that function is disrupted.
*Illustrative imageHow heavy metals disrupt photosynthesis
The group determined crystal structures of phycocyanin bound to mercury ions and lead ions. It showed that the pigment molecules that collect light change shape to surround these ions, which impairs the antenna's function. It also showed a mechanism by which the protein does not lose its function completely even after taking up mercury.
*Illustrative imageFollowing how light energy is transferred
The group is combining time-resolved crystal structure analysis that pairs an X-ray free-electron laser with a femtosecond laser, and fast transient absorption spectroscopy using crystal samples, to clarify how light energy is collected and transferred within phycocyanin.
MembersFaculty
- Associate ProfessorYasufumi Umena
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “CSIRO ScienceImage 1600 Protein Crystals” division, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- How heavy metals disrupt photosynthesis: “Photosynthesis in action” Rcaravit / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Following how light energy is transferred: “Phycocyanin hexamer 5mjm” Mitchso / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Tabuchi Lab): “Synchrotron Solaris” Emmilia Kr / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Takashima-Ito Lab (Synchrotron Radiation Utilization Research Division)): “CESR Detector Area” Kettle-jack / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Takashima-Ito Lab (Light Source Division)): “ALS Injector and storage” User:SPat / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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