The Beck Laboratory
Professor Warren F. Beck
We investigate photophysical and photochemical processes in photosynthetic light-harvesting proteins and nanomaterials. Our current focus in the light harvesting area is on carotenoid-containing proteins, including the peridinin–chlorophyll a protein from dinoflagellates and the orange carotenoid protein (OCP) from cyanobacteria. We have recently begun a new initiative to apply broadband two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) to study the dynamics of excitation energy transfer in intact phycobilisomes, which will allow us to understand better how intrinsic and OCP-dependent photoprotection mechanisms work. In a new project on nanomaterials, we are using 2DES to study quantum coherent exciton relaxation processes in CdSe quantum dots.
News
21 September 2020. New publication:
Fluorescence anisotropy detection of barrier crossing and ultrafast conformational dynamics in the S2 state of β-carotene.
Gurchiek et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 2020, 124, 9020–9046.
1 September 2020. The Beck laboratory acknowledges a new grant (award DE-SC0021197) from the BES/CSGB Solar Photochemistry Program at the Department of Energy.
1 September 2019. The Beck laboratory acknowledges renewed support (award DE-SC0010847) from the BES/CSGB Photosynthetic Systems Program at the Department of Energy .
The Beck laboratory also acknowledges a new grant (award CHE-1904655) from the Chemistry of Life Processes (CLP) Program of the National Science Foundation.
Contact Information
Professor Warren F. Beck
Department of Chemistry
Michigan State University
578 S. Shaw Lane, Room 3 Chemistry
East Lansing, Michigan 48824–1322 USA
Telephone: 517-353-1137
Graduate Students office, Room 4 Chemistry
Telephone: 517-353-1130
Laser Laboratory, Room 52 Chemistry
Telephone: 517-353-1188
Telephone: 517-353-1150