The system developed by WANG Shu and colleagues is based on fluorene-based light-harvesting polymers linked to photosystem II. The polymer coat on the surface of chloroplasts strongly absorbs incident UV light and emits visible light which chloroplasts can absorb. Owing to the superior light-harvesting property of the polymer, PS II can capture more light to oxidize water, enhancing photosynthetic activity of photosystem II. The level of ATP production in chloroplasts was also improved.

CAS news release, June 23, 2017