To download the Annual Report in PDF format use the link: 2023-2024 Annual Research Report.
| The Dismukes research group conducts fundamental and applied research in the areas of catalysis, renewable energy, and sustainable production of chemicals via biological and chemical approaches. The biological approach focuses on investigations of the light reactions and central carbon metabolism in photosynthetic microorganisms. The chemical approach involves synthesis of bioinspired electrocatalysts and their integration within electrolyzers and artificial photosynthetic systems. The disciplinary approaches used are genetic engineering, materials synthesis by design, electrochemistry and catalysis. The goal is to produce sustainable processes for producing renewable fuels and biomass at high energy efficiency. Our laboratories are located in the Waksman Institute of Microbiology and the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Laboratory at Rutgers University. Additionally, Dr Dismukes is a member of the graduate training faculties in Chemical and Biological Engineering (SOE), Biochemistry and Microbiology (SEBS), and Earth and Planetary Sciences (SAS). In the 2023-June 2024 period the group was comprised of 23 researchers and interns. |
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Our Laboratories and Research Programs:
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| Current Research Projects (2023-September 2024): | |
| Converting the 4-Flash Photosynthetic O2 Evolution Cycle to a 2-Flash Catalytic Cycle with a Simple Co-catalyst: Counting Electrons and Holes Directly and Transparently. We apply a direct electron-counting method and two classes of reducing agents capable of single- vs multielectron H atom transfer reactions (nH) to probe the oxidation states of manganese in ultrapure Photosystem II (PSII) microcrystals (PSIIX) during the 4-flash catalytic cycle of O2 evolution… Gates, C., G. Ananyev, S. Roy-Chowdhury, P. Fromme and G.C. Dismukes, ACS Catalysis, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.4c03896 |
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| Exceptional Quantum Efficiency Powers Biomass Production in Halotolerant Algae Picochlorum sp.^ The green algal genus Picochlorum is of biotechnological interest because of its robust response to multiple environmental stresses. We compared the metabolic performance of P. SE3 and P. oklahomense to diverse microbial phototrophs and observed exceptional performance of photosystem II (PSII) in light energy conversion in both Picochlorum species… Colin Gates, Gennady Ananyev, Fatima Foflonker, Debashish Bhattacharya, G. Charles Dismukes. Photosynthesis Research, 2024. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11120-024-01075-9 |
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