Govindjee - Böcker

Molecular biology, particularly molecular genetics, is among the newest and most powerful approach in modern photosynthesis research. Development of molecular biology techniques has provided new methods to solve old problems in many biological disciplines. Molecular biology has its greatest potential for contribution when applied in combination with other disciplines, to focus not just on genes and molecules, but on the complex interaction between them and the biochemical pathways in the whole organism. Photosynthesis is surely the best studied research area in plant biology, making this field the foremost candidate for successfully employing molecular genetic techniques. Already, the success of molecular biology in photosynthesis has been nothing short of spectacular. Work performed over the last few years, much of which is sum­ marized in this volume, stands in evidence. Techniques such as site-specific mutagenesis have helped us in examining the roles of individual protein domains in the function of multiunit complexes such as the enzyme ribulose-l ,5-bisphos­ phate carboxylase/oxygenase (RUBISCO) and the oxygen evolving photo­ system (the photosystem II). The techniques of molecular biology have been very important in advancing the state of knowledge of the reaction center from the photosynthetic bacteria whose structure has been elegantly deduced by H. Michel and 1. Deisenhofer from the X-ray studies of its crystals.

This volume illuminates the disciplinary character of photosynthesis, which spans (bio)physics to agronomy. The book will help provide students with the necessary conceptual outlook for integrating information from the bioenergetic and enzymatic angles, obtained at the molecular level, with the physiology of chloroplasts, leaves and eventually crops. It therefore serves the larger interests of both students and researchers in the areas of agriculture, biotechnology, biochemistry, biophysics, plant physiology, and molecular biology, who are engaged in studying not only the basic aspects of photosynthesis, a major process determining biomass production, but also its relationship to plant productivity.

Chlorophyll a Fluorescence: A Signature of Photosynthesis highlights chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence as a convenient, non-invasive, highly sensitive, rapid and quantitative probe of oxygenic photosynthesis. Thirty-one chapters, authored by 58 international experts, provide a solid foundation of the basic theory, as well as of the application of the rich information contained in the Chl a fluorescence signal as it relates to photosynthesis and plant productivity. Although the primary photochemical reactions of photosynthesis are highly efficient, a small fraction of absorbed photons escapes as Chl fluorescence, and this fraction varies with metabolic state, providing a basis for monitoring quantitatively various processes of photosynthesis. The book explains the mechanisms with which plants defend themselves against environmental stresses (excessive light, extreme temperatures, drought, hyper-osmolarity, heavy metals and UV). It also includes discussion on fluorescence imaging of leaves and cells and the remote sensing of Chl fluorescence from terrestrial, airborne, and satellite bases. The book is intended for use by graduate students, beginning researchers and advanced undergraduates in the areas of integrative plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, plant biology, biochemistry, biophysics, plant physiology, global ecology and agriculture.

Photosynthesis in silico: Understanding Complexity from Molecules to Ecosystems is a unique book that aims to show an integrated approach to the understanding of photosynthesis processes. In this volume - using mathematical modeling - processes are described from the biophysics of the interaction of light with pigment systems to the mutual interaction of individual plants and other organisms in canopies and large ecosystems, up to the global ecosystem issues. Chapters are written by 44 international authorities from 15 countries. Mathematics is a powerful tool for quantitative analysis. Properly programmed, contemporary computers are able to mimic complicated processes in living cells, leaves, canopies and ecosystems. These simulations - mathematical models - help us predict the photosynthetic responses of modeled systems under various combinations of environmental conditions, potentially occurring in nature, e.g., the responses of plant canopies to globally increasing temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Tremendous analytical power is needed to understand nature's infinite complexity at every level.

Plant productivity depends upon the photosynthetic conversion of the light energy into chemical energy stored in the biomass of plants. An intermediate step in this energy conversion process is electron transfer and proton translocation. At present, several research groups are working on projects that are expected to lead to rapid improvement of our understanding of the photosynthetic process. This book is a compilation of the work being done on the applications of molecular biology and bioenergetics of photosynthesis.

Environmental insults such as extremes of temperature, extremes of water status as well as deteriorating soil conditions pose major threats to agriculture and food security. Employing contemporary tools and techniques from all branches of science, attempts are being made worldwide to understand how plants respond to abiotic stresses with the aim to help manipulate plant performance that will be better suited to withstand these stresses. This book on abiotic stress attempts to search for possible answers to several basic questions related to plant responses towards abiotic stresses. Presented in this book is a holistic view of the general principles of stress perception, signal transduction and regulation of gene expression. Further, chapters analyze not only model systems but extrapolate interpretations obtained from models to crops. Lastly, discusses how stress-tolerant crop or model plants have been or are being raised through plant breeding and genetic engineering approaches. Twenty three chapters, written by international authorities, integrate molecular details with overall plant structure and physiology, in a text-book style, including key references.

Chlorophyll a Fluorescence: A Signature of Photosynthesis highlights chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence as a convenient, non-invasive, highly sensitive, rapid and quantitative probe of oxygenic photosynthesis. Thirty-one chapters, authored by 58 international experts, provide a solid foundation of the basic theory, as well as of the application of the rich information contained in the Chl a fluorescence signal as it relates to photosynthesis and plant productivity. Although the primary photochemical reactions of photosynthesis are highly efficient, a small fraction of absorbed photons escapes as Chl fluorescence, and this fraction varies with metabolic state, providing a basis for monitoring quantitatively various processes of photosynthesis. The book explains the mechanisms with which plants defend themselves against environmental stresses (excessive light, extreme temperatures, drought, hyper-osmolarity, heavy metals and UV). It also includes discussion on fluorescence imaging of leaves and cells and the remote sensing of Chl fluorescence from terrestrial, airborne, and satellite bases. The book is intended for use by graduate students, beginning researchers and advanced undergraduates in the areas of integrative plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, plant biology, biochemistry, biophysics, plant physiology, global ecology and agriculture.

Photosynthesis in silico: Understanding Complexity from Molecules to Ecosystems is a unique book that aims to show an integrated approach to the understanding of photosynthesis processes. In this volume - using mathematical modeling - processes are described from the biophysics of the interaction of light with pigment systems to the mutual interaction of individual plants and other organisms in canopies and large ecosystems, up to the global ecosystem issues. Chapters are written by 44 international authorities from 15 countries. Mathematics is a powerful tool for quantitative analysis. Properly programmed, contemporary computers are able to mimic complicated processes in living cells, leaves, canopies and ecosystems. These simulations - mathematical models - help us predict the photosynthetic responses of modeled systems under various combinations of environmental conditions, potentially occurring in nature, e.g., the responses of plant canopies to globally increasing temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Tremendous analytical power is needed to understand nature's infinite complexity at every level.

Environmental insults such as extremes of temperature, extremes of water status as well as deteriorating soil conditions pose major threats to agriculture and food security. Employing contemporary tools and techniques from all branches of science, attempts are being made worldwide to understand how plants respond to abiotic stresses with the aim to help manipulate plant performance that will be better suited to withstand these stresses. This book on abiotic stress attempts to search for possible answers to several basic questions related to plant responses towards abiotic stresses. Presented in this book is a holistic view of the general principles of stress perception, signal transduction and regulation of gene expression. Further, chapters analyze not only model systems but extrapolate interpretations obtained from models to crops. Lastly, discusses how stress-tolerant crop or model plants have been or are being raised through plant breeding and genetic engineering approaches. Twenty three chapters, written by international authorities, integrate molecular details with overall plant structure and physiology, in a text-book style, including key references.

All biomass is derived from photosynthesis. This provides us with food fuel, as well as fibre. This process involves conversion of solar energy, via photochemical reactions, into chemical energy. In plants and cyanobacteria, carbon dioxide and water are converted into carbohydrates and oxygen. It is the best studied research area of plant biology. We expect that this area will assume much greater importance in the future in view of the depleting resources ofthe Earth's fuel supply. Furthermore, we believe that the next large increase in plant productivity will come from applications of the newer findings about photosynthetic process, especially through manipulation by genetic engineering. The current book covers an integrated range of subjects within the general field of photosynthesis. It is authored by international scientists from several countries (Australia, Canada, France, India, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, UK and USA). It begins with a discussion of the genetic potential and the expression of the chloroplast genome that is responsible for several key proteins involved in the electron transport processes leading to O evolution, proton release and the production of 2 NADPH and A TP, needed for CO fixation. The section on photosystems discusses 2 how photosystem I functions to produce NADPH and how photosystem II oxidizes water and releases protons through an "oxygen clock" and how intermediates between the two photosystems are produced involving a "two electron gate".

Photobiology is an important area of biological research since a very large number of living processes are either dependent on or governed by light that we receive from the Sun. Among various subjects, photosynthesis is one of the most important, and thus a popular topic in both molecular and organismic biology, and one which has made a considerable impact throughout the world since almost all life on Earth depends upon it as a source of food, fuel and oxygen. However, for growth of plants, light is equally essential, and research on photomorphogenesis has revealed exciting new developments with the application of newer molecular biological approaches. The present book brings together and integrates various aspects of photosynthesis, biology of pigments, light regulation of chloroplast development, nuclear and chloroplast gene expression, light signal transduction, other photomorphogenetic processes and some photoecological aspects under one cover. The chapters cover biochemical and molecular discussions of most of the above topics in a comprehensive manner and include a wide range of `hot topics' that are currently under investigation in the field of photobiology of cyanobacteria, algae and plants. The authors of this book are selected international authorities in their fields from USA, Europe, Australia and Asia. The book is designed primarily to be used as a text book by graduates and post-graduates. It is, however, also intended to be a resource book for new researchers in plant photobiology. Several introductory chapters are designed as suitable reading for undergraduate courses in integrative and molecular biology, biochemistry and biophysics.

Molecular biology, particularly molecular genetics, is among the newest and most powerful approach in modern photosynthesis research. Development of molecular biology techniques has provided new methods to solve old problems in many biological disciplines. Molecular biology has its greatest potential for contribution when applied in combination with other disciplines, to focus not just on genes and molecules, but on the complex interaction between them and the biochemical pathways in the whole organism. Photosynthesis is surely the best studied research area in plant biology, making this field the foremost candidate for successfully employing molecular genetic techniques. Already, the success of molecular biology in photosynthesis has been nothing short of spectacular. Work performed over the last few years, much of which is sum­ marized in this volume, stands in evidence. Techniques such as site-specific mutagenesis have helped us in examining the roles of individual protein domains in the function of multiunit complexes such as the enzyme ribulose-l ,5-bisphos­ phate carboxylase/oxygenase (RUBISCO) and the oxygen evolving photo­ system (the photosystem II). The techniques of molecular biology have been very important in advancing the state of knowledge of the reaction center from the photosynthetic bacteria whose structure has been elegantly deduced by H. Michel and 1. Deisenhofer from the X-ray studies of its crystals.

The present volume "Excitation Energy and Electron Transfer in Pho· tosynthesis" is dedicated to a colleague and dear friend Warren L. But­ ler. I first met Warren when he visited the University of Illinois at Ur­ bana during the early sixties; he left an indelible impression on me as a person with warmth and enthusiasm. Initially, he was someone I looked to for guidance, but later we also became friends. Whenever I passed through Los Angeles, I always telephoned Warren and often end­ ed up taking a plane to San Diego to stay with two wonderful people, Warren and his wife Lila. His invitations could never be refused. Below I reproduce the words of Herbert Stern on Warren L. Butler's life; these words express my sentiments as well as those of many of Warren's friends: ''A lifetime of acedemic creativity criss-crossed by streaks of highbrow and lowbrow fun. There is no summary to this adventure be­ cause we can neither make nor proclaim an end. Warren has bequeathed us his garden of academic treasures. It is ours to keep and tend. There is lots of joy in our many recollections of Warren's life and sorrow's foil can only brighten the brightness that the joy radiates.

Harnessing the sun’s energy via photosynthesis is at the core of sustainable production of food, fuel, and materials by plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Photosynthesis depends on photoprotection against intense sunlight, starting with the safe removal of excess excitation energy from the light-harvesting system, which can be quickly and non-destructively assessed via non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ). By placing NPQ into the context of whole-organism function, this book aims to contribute towards identification of plant and algal lines with superior stress resistance and productivity. By addressing agreements and open questions concerning photoprotection’s molecular mechanisms, this book contributes towards development of artificial photosynthetic systems. A comprehensive picture –from single molecules to organisms in ecosystems, and from leading expert’s views to practical information for non-specialists on NPQ measurement and terminology – is presented.

Harnessing the sun’s energy via photosynthesis is at the core of sustainable production of food, fuel, and materials by plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Photosynthesis depends on photoprotection against intense sunlight, starting with the safe removal of excess excitation energy from the light-harvesting system, which can be quickly and non-destructively assessed via non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ). By placing NPQ into the context of whole-organism function, this book aims to contribute towards identification of plant and algal lines with superior stress resistance and productivity. By addressing agreements and open questions concerning photoprotection’s molecular mechanisms, this book contributes towards development of artificial photosynthetic systems. A comprehensive picture –from single molecules to organisms in ecosystems, and from leading expert’s views to practical information for non-specialists on NPQ measurement and terminology – is presented.

Photosynthesis has been an important field of research for more than a century, but the present concerns about energy, environment and climate have greatly intensified interest in and research on this topic. Research has progressed rapidly in recent years, and this book is an interesting read for an audience who is concerned with various ways of harnessing solar energy.Our understanding of photosynthesis can now be said to have reached encyclopedic dimensions. There have been, in the past, many good books at various levels. Our book is expected to fulfill the needs of advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in branches of biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and bioengineering because photosynthesis is the basis of future advances in producing more food, more biomass, more fuel, and new chemicals for our expanding global human population. Further, the basics of photosynthesis are and will be used not only for the above, but in artificial photosynthesis, an important emerging field where chemists, researchers and engineers of solar energy systems will play a major role.