The research is the result of a collaboration between the University of Verona and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The study advances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying photoprotection in the moss Physcomitrium patens, with a specific focus on the role of the LHCSR protein.

Researchers at the University of Verona combined their expertise in membrane protein biochemistry and nanodisc technology with the advanced ultrafast spectroscopy techniques available at MIT. This interdisciplinary approach made it possible to investigate how pH, pigment composition, and the surrounding lipid environment regulate LHCSR activity. The findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of photoprotection and reveal how LHCSR switches from a light-harvesting to a dissipative state under changing environmental conditions.