This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Citrine is a yellow fluorescent protein that changes color under pressure. Its emission spectrum redshifts by around 4 nm, and the intensity of the fluorescence drops by around 10% when it is pressurized to 3.5 kBar In previous CHESS experiments, in November of 2005, I have observed a progressive deformation of the light emitting element, the chromophore, which simple quantum mechanical modelling indicates is the cause of the red shift. More detailed quantum modelling of the chromophore`s deformation by the Martinez group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that the excited and ground states of this molecule may be distinguished by a conformational change. Simply put, when the molecule absorbs a photon of light, it changes its conformation. I believe that there may be evidence for this conformational switch in my X-Ray data.
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