Energy is the essence for the sustainable development of the modern society. The world’s fossil reserve is running out while the need for energy is increases worldwide along with the industrial development. Search for new energy resourses becomes now prerequisite for the development of the mankind. Among variable renewable energy resources, solar energy is the one which will never be exhauseted.
Plant photosynthetic light harvesting pigment-protein complex is a potential material for renewable energy because it can absorb, transfer and convert solar energy effectively. By means of cooperative research effort from different fields, we are doing the research on increasing the resistance of plant photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes to thermal and light stresses; increasing solar energy absorption by modifying the complexes, and the research on constructing highly efficient energy absorbing and transferring apparatus based on the principle of photosynthesis.