An advanced system for investigating photosynthesis has been developed in collaboration with Professors Cosimo D’Andrea and Giulio Felice Cerullo from Politecnico di Milano and the company Nieros. Based on the technique known as Fluorescence Lifetime Snapshots, originally proposed by Prof. Fleming G.R., Amarnath K. and coworkers (Amarnath, Kapil, et al.  PNAS 109.22 (2012): 8405-8410), we have developed a similar system incorporating technical improvements to analyze multispectral measurements of chlorophyll lifetimes in both in vivo and in vitro samples. The system combines precise laser-based excitation, an actinic white light source, and interferometer-supported detectors, all fully automated to alternate between light exposure and measurement cycles. It enables high-fidelity tracking of NPQ activation and relaxation, providing insights into the excited-state lifetimes and spectral properties of both photosystems.
The project, led by Dr. Antonello Amelii, Prof. Luca Dall’Osto, Prof. Roberto Bassi and collaborators from Politecnico di Milano and Nieros, opens new perspectives for understanding how photosynthetic organisms regulate light harvesting and photoprotection under changing light conditions.