Physics Colloquia

Light-driven Molecular Transformations Captured by Ultrafast Spectroscopy
Dr. Chavdar Slavov, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
University of South Florida

Femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy reveals the excited-state pathways and chromophore dynamics that transform light absorption into photochemical and biological function. Using phytochromes, I will illustrate how the protein environment controls chromophore isomerization, which in turn initiates structural changes that regulate biological signaling.