Thesis supervisor: András Lukács
Location of studies (in Hungarian): PTE ÁOK Pécs, Szigeti u. 12. Abbreviation of location of studies: ÁOK
Description of the research topic:
Nature has many elegant ways for sensing the light, using photoactive proteins like rodhopsins, xanthophins, photototropins or flavoproteins having very distinct pathways to regulate the photoresponse. In the frame of this project we are investigating the molecular processes of blue light sensing in cryptochromes – blue light sensors involved in regulation of circadian rhythm as well as magnetoreception in brids – and BLUF domain proteins – transcriptional antirepressors in photosynthetic bacteria. As the primary steps of the photocycle of these proteins are very fast – ranging from femtoseconds up to hundreds of picoseconds – we are using ultrafast spectroscopy in order to elucidate the mechanism.