Unraveling the structural dynamics of photosystem II with femtosecond X-ray crystallography

Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of photosynthesis can enable significant progress in the fields of biotechnology and renewable energy. Photosystem II (PSII), a protein complex, plays a central role in this process by catalyzing the oxidation of water and producing dioxygen using sunlight, a fundamental step in oxygenic photosynthesis. Despite extensive research, the structural dynamics of PSII during the water-splitting reaction, especially at the atomic level and on short timescales, remain largely unexplored.