Structural revelations of photosynthesis' membrane protein complexes

Photosynthetic organisms appeared early in evolution and their photosynthetic apparatus has evolved along. The first bacteria carried out only anoxygenic photosynthesis catalyzed by one type of reaction center, type I or II, which somehow came together in cyanobacteria, and evolved into photosystems I and II. This was an evolutionary step that enabled cyanobacteria to carry out oxygenic photosynthesis. The photosystems have the unique capacity to perform and fix energy in a process where water splitting and oxygen evolution takes place, providing planet Earth with an essential molecule for development of life, i.e. Oxygen. Throughout evolution, primordial organisms became more complex upon colonizing diverse environments resulting into the current day sophisticated systems. Nevertheless, the photosystems have preserved their vital mechanisms of sunlight conversion with PSI at almost 100% efficiency, and PSII’s unique water splitting property. Important about photosynthesis systems are the high-energy conversion efficiency and oxygen evolution besides hydrogen generation by some organisms like cyanobacteria. These features are precious global demands for efficient sun utilizing devices, environmental concerns and current economics of alternative energy source to fossil fuel depletion. The diversity of the photosynthesis proteins due to evolution upon adaptation and exploitability is intriguing for researchers from all fields of science to understand aspects of structural diversity, function and dynamics. This work is highly complementary and has been carried out in multidisciplinary collaborations to get more impact for understanding the photosynthesis systems that evolved early or later. The results of which can be integrated into applied technology.

Being Asian American

The interplay between individualist and collectivist orientations, ethnic identity, and beliefs about stereotypes was explored among Asian Americans. The authors proposed four components of Asian American Identity: feelings of interdependence with family, a sense of connectedness to heritage and tradition, a belief that achievement would reflect well on one's family and group generally, and an awareness of structural barriers and racism. A sample of 162 Asian American university students perceived stereotypes about Asian Americans as focusing primarily on school achievement and secondarily on social attributes. Although rarely engaging in strategies to avoid being academically labeled, students engaged in strategies to avoid labeling in other domains. Students varied in their valuation of the model minority label, with those high in Asian American Identity, collectivism, and work ethic more likely to view the label positively.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67527/2/10.1177_0021886397334002.pd