Hi,
I have become recently interested on the issue of biological quirality
and I like the hypothesis of a relationship with polarization of
light. I wonder if such relationship could be introduced by
an "evolutive" argument, i.e., if under conditions of strong
(circularly) polarized light, it is more adventageous to have
a definite quirality.
At a first glance, I can imagine some arguments:
- Photodissociation of acids and perhaps other substances is
avoided by choosing the correct quirality.
- The optical properties of the cell are different depending of R-
or L- abundance, so one of them would drive a more efficient
photosynthesis than the other.
Now, I have made some bibliography searchs and, although there is
some research on asymetrical synthesis using CPL, it seems that
there is not data about the most obvious experiment: How
does elementary photosyhthetical organisms grow under
circularly polarized light? Is the grow rate for left polarization
clearly different from the one for right?
As an "outsider", I have only searched on common databases
(Sci Cit Index, Chem Cit Index), so I have probably skipped some parts
of the game. Could anyone in the list point me to papers
on such kind of experiments?
By other hand, if there is some initiative to make such kind
of experiences, I would be willing to collaborate. Being my main
workfield physics, I'm unable to set up myself the cultures and
measure them with the required standards of quality, but I could
help either in the physical side or perhaps simply as
a theoretical/documentalist.
Yours,
Alejandro Rivero
rivero at sol.unizar.es
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